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THE 8 X KOONS Collaboration

It's been a while that BMW Group and the contemporary artist Jeff Koons announced a collaboration, which is called "THE 8 X KOONS". It features a hand-painted limited interpretation of an iconic BMW, which will be fully released to the public in spring 2022. This collaboration tells us a lot about the top end art market these days, which is more and more shifting into a market that is dominated by art dealerships and not by traditional gallerists which are developing talents. But what does this mean for artists these days?

The Artist Role is Evolving

A clear consequence for artists is that they need to watch out for new sales opportunities, new sales channels and new partnerships, helping them to refinance their works and secure their daily operations. Don't underestimate being an artist at the level of Jeff Koons: This is a complex endeavour, as he is easily working with a team of more than 50 persons.

Future Outlook: Independence at Risk

"THE 8 X KOONS" seems to be a win-win situation for both parties, but there is a risk that cannot be ignored: The artist's independence is at risk. Society should be very careful whether everything is worth commercializing. For the moment, please enjoy the wonderful collaboration. But don't forget supporting your local artists and help them to constantly be in the position to monitor society. We can't afford to lose this corrective in our society.