The three party video art acquisition: A partnership project between galleries, artists and collectors

Three years ago, Loop set up a project to create a “model contract” that would reflect the rights and obligations of the three parties involved in the buying and selling of a piece of video art: 1. private collectors, museums and institutions / 2. galleries / 3. artists.

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The project kicked off with a series of working meetings at Loop during the 2014 and 2015 fair to which Colección Bergé was invited,alongside other collections, institutions and museums,to discuss this issue, the existing legal vacuum and the lack of consensus and standard protocols.

Also taking part in the discussions was Enric Enrich, a law firm specialising in copyright, which LOOP tasked with creating a simple contract that would outline the complex framework on a single page.

After various developments and a great deal of interesting discussion with all those involved (lawyers, artists’ associations, gallerists’ associations,privateand corporate collectors, museums and cultural institutions), a consensus was finally reached which was then summarised in a single-page document, and covers the rights of all parties: this model contract is available online free of charge.

The achievement of thisinitiativeand of the working group responsible for it liesin having produced a reference document that is accessible to everybody (galleries, collectorsand artists),and in providing a protocol and code of good practice for use whenever a piece of video art is acquired.

Project participants included:

  • Carlos Durán and Emilio Álvarez (Founders of LOOP)
  • Enric Enrich, lawyers specialised in copyright
  • Alicia Aza, private collector and vice president of 9915
  • Cristina López, Fundación MACBA
  • Sisita Soldevila, Colección Amister
  • Cristina Agàpito, Colección Olorvisual
  • Roser Figueras and/or Montse Badía, Cal Cego (contemporary art collection)
  • Martina Millà, Fundación Miró
  • Antònia Maria Perelló, MACBA
  • Nora Ancarola, Plataforma Artistas Visuales Catalunya
  • Carolina Olivares, Productora – CoProducciones
  • Glòria Picazo, critic and curator (ex-director of Centro de Arte La Panera)
  • Carme Sais, Bolit, Centro de Arte Contemporáneo, Girona
  • Montse Corominas, Fundación Banco Sabadell
  • Nimfa Bisbe, Fundación La Caixa
  • María Aguilera, Colección Bergé
  • Isabel and Beatriz Niño, NIAL Art Law (Lawyers)
  • Angels de la Motta, ArtBarcelona (gallerists’ association)
  • Emilio Pi, Collector

Link to final document, click here