Absolut-ely accessible art

By Rhiannon McGregor 03 : 10 : 2016 Absolut Art : Museum Market : E-commerce

US – Absolut is launching a US version of its e-commerce platform designed to make art-collecting more accessible to all.

Absolut Art works with six curators to recruit artists in their home city
The brand hopes to boost its appeal by turning to a new market of art lovers

Priced between £100 ($130, €116) and £7,700 ($10,000, €8,955), the artworks range from affordable to mid-range pieces, and with shipping pegged at only $20, Absolut hopes the platform will appeal to current and would-be collectors.

The brand, which has already launched Absolut Art in Europe, hopes the US opening will be a step towards scaling up the business into an accessible global art marketplace for all.

Absolut, which has been looking for a way to boost its revenue after recent falling drinks sales, chose to focus on art because it already has connections with the sector. In 2014, the brand released its limited-edition Andy Warhol-inspired bottles and launched the Absolut Art awards, created to help artists realise their dream projects.

‘Our method to be taken seriously in the art world is to show, not tell,’ says Nahema Mehta, CEO of Absolut Art. ‘We also aren’t trying to replace anything traditional in the art world. We’re trying to expand artists’ reach.’

The Big Picture

In our Museum Market report we revealed how fashion brands are succeeding by championing culture. Now brands such as Absolut that are outside of the creative industries are moving towards this strategy.