Art Marketing
How DIVE Madhouse skyrocketed his online art sales by 2000% during the Pandemic
Artist Fredrik Sologub, also known as DIVE Madhouse, is an abstract and contemporary painter that has increased his online sales by 2000% in 2020 alone. From hosting Virtual Exhibitions to building a huge follower base on Instagram, he has learned to succeed in this new era of online art.
In this interview, he describes his success strategies and tells us how he continues to forge his online presence as an independent artist.
Contents
Meet DIVE
DIVE Madhouse is an abstract and contemporary painting artist, born in Paris, France, today working out of Stockholm, Sweden.
“I grew up with a wide array of different cultures, languages, and countries lived in or visited. I think this sparked an ever-growing sense of curiosity for the unknown and the yet-to-be-explored.
This has played an important role in shaping my observatory and communicative skills from a young age… Skills that today play a big role in my artistic medium, with an ongoing dialogue with the subconscious of the self as well as of the meta-self, creating a dynamic relationship between the abstract and the contemporary in my overlapping series of original works.”
DIVE is the pseudonym and hence the symbolic arena which lets Fredrik Sologub separate his personal self from the raw expression.
How to create a top-notch art selling environment
Fredrik and his team have created a marvelous virtual environment for art collectors. They have integrated ArtPlacer with the DIVE Madhouse website to visualize the art pieces at scale to get a real sense of the work. Visitors can view the works on a black gallery wall or in their own room by uploading or taking a photograph. Also, when accessing the site on mobile devices, they can superimpose the art they love on their surrounding walls in Augmented Reality technology.
ArtPlacer’s integrations on DIVE’s website creates an interactive buying experience.
The team has explored creating event-driven opportunities too, such as Online expos. On June 19th DIVE Madhouse will be opening his solo show “Memories Intertwined”, at Skanshof Galleriet, in Gothenburg, Sweden.
A virtual display of “Memories Intertwined” will be available on his website, accessible 24 hours a day, for the duration of the show, June 19th thru August 15th. This online exhibition expects to reach a global audience of collectors who, although not able to visit the physical space, will still be able to remotely access a rich and interactive experience (and be able to purchase the art directly).
“Memories Intertwined”: a contemporary series of 11 original DIVE artworks.
“My team and I have invested a great deal of time and effort into what we, together with a large international community, knew would be a disruptive trend in the art world. And that is the digital transition to where we can experience, take part in, sell and purchase art all within the digital realm. Be it website, Instagram, AR, Virtual Exhibitions or digital private views through Zoom.
The big difference that the pandemic has brought is not the shift and transition itself, but rather, the swiftness of the change.”
A consistent strategy leads to consistent results
“Some very important aspects to keep in mind when developing a strategy to sell art online are: information, high-quality images, thorough descriptions and not to forget – storytelling!
Additionally, if the client finds the above to be satisfactory, there should be a smooth way to purchase the art.
In essence, everything you want to offer in a physical showroom – but now through the digital window.
Today, I have 89.000 followers on Instagram (@divemadhouse) that along with my up-to-date website, together with my physical studio and showroom, have been crucial in not only surviving but also evolving throughout the pandemic.”
@divemadhouse Instagram Profile showcasing his art using ArtPlacer’s Room Mockups.
“I have built my career as an independent artist. I work with galleries that can push my art further and to a wider network of collectors and simultaneously build my portfolio with a transparent and genuine storytelling, inviting my followers into the most intimate sphere an artist has; the studio.
This has enabled an extensive international growth of followers, fans, gallery partners, network of colleagues, and collectors.
With that said, what the pandemic brought was a huge transition from virtually watching, experiencing, and following the creation process of my artworks, to followers and collectors realizing that they can actually purchase art online.
That large push has made the demand to purchase the works online skyrocket. During 2020, I experienced a 2000% increase in online art sales!”
A piece of advice
DIVE’S online presence enables him to reach collectors from all over the world, instantly. Using ArtPlacer he has successfully created a connection between the online and offline art worlds.
His overall understanding of his collectors, followers, and the art market in general, has allowed him to grow and evolve in times of uncertainty.
“Stay curious, try new ways of communicating, of sharing your work, and inviting art fans and potential clients into your viewing rooms. Whether that be physical or digital.
With a whole new digital realm sweeping across the art landscape, this enables a democratization to where clients can easily find, interact with and purchase art straight from the artist.
With a potential of thoroughly shifting the power balance in the highly conservative art world, with few people having a lot of power to now potentially decentralizing that power structure and enabling for the ones that can share their art digitally – to have a huge advantage. Creating, as well, a lower barrier to access and make it in the art world!
So, keep perfecting your art craft, and in the meantime, share the process and the work online – for more people to enjoy it and support it.”
Mark your calendars for the big opening of “Memories Intertwined” on Saturday June 19th!
Dive sold out! Check part 2 to see the outcome of the show.
