When the online gallery Pinakoteket was launched three years ago in Norway, they marked themselves as a challenger to the established galleries by taking only a minimal share of the sales profits. Since then, the number of craftsmen registered with the gallery has increased and after the new year, the plan is to go international, which means that buyers from all corners of the world can acquire works from Pinakoteket.
The online gallery Pinakoteket collaborates with Sivilisasjonen, and members of Sivilisasjonen can get a discount when purchasing works on their website.
– I have already been in contact with several painters from abroad who would like to exhibit with us. We are excited about the prospects and remain hopeful that 2025 will be the year Pinakoteket becomes a player to be reckoned with in the market, says Bork Nerdrum, who runs the online gallery.
Pinakoteket offers a range of paintings, drawings and limited edition prints from craftsmen who work within the classical tradition. According to Nerdrum, the goal is to pay respect to good craftsmanship by taking only 10 percent of the sales price.
– We basically let 90 percent of the profits go to the craftsman. I assume that only a handful of galleries in the world can beat us in that respect.
He believes that the balance of power between gallery owners and craftsmen has become increasingly unbalanced and that there is a lack of incentives to promote good craftsmanship.
– It is important to remember the many hours of work and the deep knowledge that goes into these paintings. Marketing is also important, but no matter how clever you are at selling, the ability to reproduce nature in a lively way will be an endeavor belonging on a much higher level.
Free photography services
Being a professional photographer for more than a decade, Nerdrum says that he offers free reproduction services of the pictures they receive at Pinakoteket. He points out that painters often use smartphones to take pictures of their works, with limited results.
– It is expensive to hire professional photographers to do the job. I am offering this service completely free of charge to make sure that our customers get the best impression when they buy pictures online.
But according to Nerdrum, it is not easy to get your works accepted at Pinakoteket.
– Those who exhibit in our gallery do so on the strength of each individual work and not because they have a sought-after public persona. In this way, the selection becomes more varied and elegant, which I am sure our visitors will appreciate.
The big litmus test
Sivilisasjonen’s editor-in-chief Carl Korsnes is satisfied with Pinakoteket’s activities. He reveals that the long-term plan for Pinakoteket is to become a physical gallery, but he cannot yet reveal when and where this will take place.
– To launch Pinakoteket into real life in an art world characterized by greedy gallerists will be the big litmus test, says Korsnes, emphasizing that exceeding 10 percent in commission will never be an option.
– We want to set healthier standards in the market, just as Lysander Spooner did with his private postal service in America, he concludes.
