ARTECHOUSE has a partnership-heavy 2022. Following its collaboration with Italian multimedia artist Quayola, which recently wrapped in Washington DC, the experiential production company has teamed up with the Chelsea Market for Trust, an installation running until May 22; with MGM Resorts to bring Aṣẹ: Afro Frequencies to Las Vegas; and with experiential producer PRODUKT for Intangible Forms, now on at New City Gas in Montreal, Canada. Later this year, ARTECHOUSE, in partnership with Harpa Concert Hall, will land its Circuleight installation in Iceland.
Each production will present ARTECHOUSE’s signature experiential designs and vitally, further expand the company’s footprint beyond its existing venues. To learn more how partnerships are central to its international growth, we spoke to Sandro Kereselidze, ARTECHOUSE Founder and Chief Creative Officer, about what goes into a successful collaboration.
What does ARTECHOUSE look for in a collaborator?
We’re living in a very different and exciting time because we have incredible storytelling tools, and that’s what ARTECHOUSE does. In the cultural world, the viewer has always been passive. With our programming, we create something more interactive immersive and expect our audience to participate in the art itself. So a partner needs to be open-minded, willing to experiment, and bring innovative approaches to the creative and art exhibitions.
Presented by ARTECHOUSE and Produkt, Intangible Forms features a laser performance and immersive installation by media artist Shohei Fujimoto. Image: Intangible Forms
What do those innovative approaches look like?
These past five years, ARTECHOUSE has been globally recognized, and people are reaching out wishing to have this type of art to experience. From all parties, it’s really about experiencing something relevant that’s always an eye-opener. We always try to inspire the next generation of artists and educate audiences. Being front liners [in the experiential sector], we see how audiences are ready and eager to experience something like what we offer.
To ARTECHOUSE, what do successful partnerships entail?
We are picky with our partners because, again, in the past five years, we’ve created over 30 digital exhibitions, and all of them are blockbusters. So far, we have had no sour partnerships, but the most important thing in a partnership is trust and partners who represent the artwork correctly. Additionally, [experiential art] is living art that needs constant tuning and troubleshooting to ensure it’s running properly and presented accurately. Finally, most ARTECHOUSE exhibits are interactive and technology-driven using high-caliber tools, so it requires a feature-oriented partner being on-location to make sure they are presented correctly.
What are some critical considerations for institutions looking to enter into a first-time partnership with an immersive experience creator?
Quality is the number one thing. We always aim to be of the highest quality. You can put something shiny [in an exhibition], but it might not be relevant to today’s reality, and diving into society is relevant. One 120 years ago, movie theaters and the movie industry dominated screens. But it’s not about screening to attract people, but it’s about what you’re screening. I think today, that’s what ARTECHOUSE does by using the latest tools to tell those stories.
