A fair and transparent art market
We have developed a model in which not only the artists should be fairly involved in the sale of artworks. Many people are involved in the mediation and sale of artistic works, some of whom work in the background.
Art is not a classic product that is "just" bought online. It requires explanations and, above all, personal contacts. An artwork must also be well-documented and the accessibility of artists must be guaranteed online through videos, texts, or audio formats. At ato, the sales shares of an artwork are distributed depending on the services used. Thus, an artist can be involved in the sale by up to 70%.
Art opens up free spaces, aesthetic spaces, critical spaces, and these are essential to reveal perspectives of thinking.
At ato, all involved parties (artists, art agents, crew members) are fairly and proportionally involved in sales according to the work performed.
We work with contracts and transparent pricing – because the time for handshakes and empty promises is over for us.
ato only signs contracts with artists that are tied to specific works, so they can act freely beyond that. They can individually decide what services/support they would like to take from ato’s crew. Depending on the services used, the artist's share of sales varies between 58 to 70%.
Art should be able to emerge independently of utility. Not necessarily beautiful, imitative, or political, but free in all forms of expression.
We want to work together with artists and partners to ensure that art is granted an independent stance and freedom.
We support artistic self-initiative and emphasize that exhibitions and actions should be developed collectively.
ato's art agents fulfill the role of curators by engaging in close dialogue and working on an equal footing with the artists on new projects.
As the artist Sibylle Wagner aptly stated: "Evolution means learning to share." Our system is built on this principle. We want to smartly share capacities and skills and benefit from each other. The world, including the art world, is becoming increasingly complex, and we believe that we can only cope with it collectively.
Art is about exploring boundaries and maintaining the free space in which (almost) all topics find a place. Dialogue and discourse are essential in this context. Even a dispute is allowed! We value appropriate conversational culture and the conscious support of minorities. We learn every day and try to do our best to ensure respectful interaction.
Exhibitions and artistic actions in the context of ato are free and usually publicly accessible. Experiencing art in reality is an essential part and everyone should feel welcome. We try to create as barrier-free access as possible – because (we are convinced) art should be for everyone, not just for an elitist 'art scene'.
Especially as an online platform, it is important for us to show that a personality stands behind an artwork. Getting to know the person behind the art and their 'inner necessity' enables approachable, accessible, and authentic art mediation.
Interdisciplinarity is often the key to successful projects. Different knowledge comes together and unfolds the power for new ideas and approaches. ato's crew is interdisciplinary and offers artists the opportunity to work together on projects. We want to further expand our cultural diversity and also invite actors from outside Germany to join.
Our structures were designed digitally from the start to enable collaboration from different locations.
We want to build ato as a system that is shared, from which everyone benefits, and to which everyone contributes.