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This UK-based vending machine sells art in a can

Source: None

A group of artists in Brighton have taken their works off the gallery wall and put them on sale in a vending machine.

Creating a democratising way to buy art outside of gallery spaces

The Vending Machine Art Gallery is a pop up art retail concept that sells prints from emerging artists from vending machines. Creating a democratising way to buy art outside of gallery spaces. The machine, located in a club in the centre of Brighton, East Sussex, offers prospective buyers prints from emerging artists for prices ranging from £20 ($25.75) to £50 ($65.65)

Snack on some culture: art to take away The Vending Machine Art Gallery aims to revolutionise the way people buy the stuff they decorate their rooms with. Source: Facebook/BusinessInsider

Selling art from a vending machine has a democratising effect

The Vending Machine Art Gallery wants to sell art from a vending machine. Selling art from a vending machine has a democratising effect. It creates an experience that is the same for everyone. Rich or poor, you stand in front of the vending machine and buy art in exactly the same way. No matter who you are, the experience is exactly the same. It makes it accessible. The artists behind the idea say they want to make buying art the same as Andy Warhol described drinking Coca-Cola.

 “…the richest consumers buy essentially the same things as the poorest. You can be watching TV and see Coca-Cola, and you know that the President drinks Coke, Liz Taylor drinks Coke, and just think, you can drink Coke, too. A Coke is a Coke and no amount of money can get you a better Coke than the one the bum on the corner is drinking. All the Cokes are the same and all the Cokes are good. Liz Taylor knows it, the President knows it, the bum knows it, and you know it.”

They sell limited edition prints from emerging artists. Each artist provides a piece of art which they then get printed in limited quantities. They frame a copy of each print and display them around the vending machine with the prints on sale in tubes inside the vending machine.

Source: TheVendingMachineArtGallery  Main Image: EuroNews

This allows artists to sell art directly to those who might not normally venture into galleries. The Vending Machine Art Gallery makes it easy to buy and sell art!
The Vending Machine Art Gallery lets you buy art for less in places you might not expect This allows artists to sell art directly to those who might not normally venture into galleries. The Vending Machine Art Gallery makes it easy to buy and sell art! Source: Facebook/TheVendingMachineArtGallery

How does a Vending Machine Art Gallery work?

The Vending Machine Art Gallery is based on simplicity, as they explain on their website:

  1. You look at the prints on the wall
  2. You like a piece of art
  3. You put money in the vending machine 
  4. You get your art

If you see something and you like it you can buy it. You don’t have to be an expert and know a lot about it. 

By taking the good art out of the gallery we introduce it to a wider audience that might have otherwise been too intimidated to show an interest. Not only that, we want to be a platform for new artists, we’ve had enough of the big names getting all attention. give the new guys a chance to show you what they are made of.

The Vending Machine Art Gallery aims to revolutionise the way people buy the stuff they decorate their rooms with. The first project saw artists on the cusp like Corey Hemingway sell fine art prints to people who would have otherwise bought a picture of a flower printed millions of times from Ikea.

Bring art back to the people. Make it interactive. Make it accessible. Make it affordable.

Source: TheVendingMachineArtGallery

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