The Art Business

Hosted by David Bellingham

Arts Design

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Oct 2026

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About the show

The Art Business is a bi-weekly podcast dedicated to talking about both cultural and business aspects of the art world with some of its key players. It is hosted by Dr David Bellingham, Programme Director of the MA in Art Business at Sotheby‘s Institute of Art London.

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60 recent

October 10, 2026Episode 9246 min

From Banking to Brushstrokes: Lara Julian’s Layered Journey

In this episode David Bellingham talks with abstract and conceptual painter Lara Julian at her exhibition on 100 Kenston High Street. Lara — born in Siberia, trained in international relations and banking before retraining at the School of Visual Arts (New York) and the Slade (London) — describes her path from finance to a sustained painting practice and her family art background. The conversation explores Lara’s working methods (long vertical brushstrokes built over months or years, often 50–60 layered passages, grounded in the Munsell colour system), her art-historical references (Titian, Rothko, Kandinsky), recent shows (Bonhams, Saatchi dialogues, Avicyn Gallery, Gallery 8, Zebra 1) and notable sales and speaking engagements. You’ll hear close looking at key works — Nimbus Petition, Unfolding Expansion, Velvet Hours, Fractal — and how texture, rhythm and color coding shape her pieces. They also discuss the business of being an artist: how banking taught discipline and cataloguing, studio economics and pricing for long-term works, selling to corporate and private collectors, exhibiting beyond the white cube, digital/video and AI experiments, and practical advice for dealers, advisors and students about nurturing an artist’s long-term strategy rather than chasing trends.

October 1, 2026Episode 9154 min

From Rothschild to Make-Ready: Scaling Avant Arte’s Global Print Revolution

Welcome back to the Art Business Podcast. In this episode host and guest Mazdak Sanii, founder and CEO of Avant Arte, discuss the decade-long journey of building a major contemporary art platform that has generated over $150 million in revenue and engaged more than 4 million collectors worldwide. Mazdak explains how his early M&A training at Rothschild shaped his leadership and soft skills, and how mentorship and recruiting the right people have been critical to scaling the business. Topics covered include Avant Arte’s operational response to the 2022 market downturn, the company’s time-limited edition model, pricing strategy, and the decision to acquire Make-Ready, now the world’s largest fine art printing studio, to secure supply-chain quality and deepen relationships with artists. Mazdak also discusses how Avant Arte funds projects, works with artists and galleries on pricing and edition sizing, and fosters long-term artist partnerships. The conversation explores Mazdak’s role as a trustee of the National Portrait Gallery, advising on digital and commercial strategies, and how museums can engage younger donors and diversify income streams. He reflects on governance lessons from nonprofit boards, the value of emotional intelligence in leadership, and global opportunities for expanding collector bases in regions like Latin America, Greater China, Japan, and South Korea. Expect practical insights on financing, hiring, operating a creative business at scale, and the intersection of craft, commerce, and cultural stewardship; plus anecdotes about classical music, mentorship, and the philosophy behind building a more accessible collecting ecosystem. Links: https://avantarte.com/ https://makereadyeditions.com/ music ‘Baby, I Miss The Internet’ (Rama, Rama, Rama) by TOT TAYLOR is used by kind permission of the artist ©Tot Taylor/Songmatic Music (2020)

August 27, 2026Episode 901 hr 6 min

Pricing, Royalties and the Artist’s Business: Halim Flowers on Artonomics

How should artists price their work, earn royalties and build sustainable creative businesses? In this episode of The Art Business Podcast, David Bellingham talks to artist, author and Artonomics founder Halim Flowers about pricing art, financial literacy, intellectual property and building multiple revenue streams. Halim transformed 22 years of incarceration and self-education into an international creative practice. He discusses his journey from self-publishing and street entrepreneurship to working with galleries, Warner Brothers, institutional collectors and public projects. Topics include: • How artists can price their work and understand their financial value • Budgeting and building multiple revenue streams • Artist resale royalties and intellectual-property protection • Building intergenerational value from creative work • Blockchain and tokenisation • Using AI as a business tool for artists • Measuring cultural value and impact • Community-building and ethical for-profit models • Translating art into education, curriculum and commercial projects Halim also discusses the Artonomics Cultural Capital Index and his approach to using data and technology to demonstrate cultural value and impact. Key takeaways: Treat your creative practice as a business; diversify income; protect your intellectual property; use technology and data intelligently; and build communities that can extend the impact and value of artistic work. Links: https://www.art-o-nomics.com/ https://www.instagram.com/halimflowers/ https://www.halim-flowers.com/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/afdhelaziz/2025/12/05/how-halim-flowers-turns-art-into-weapons-of-mass-construction/ https://www.obama.org/programs/leaders/usa/2025-2026/halim-a-flowers/ music ‘Baby, I Miss The Internet’ (Rama, Rama, Rama) by TOT TAYLOR is used by kind permission of the artist ©Tot Taylor/Songmatic Music (2020)

August 4, 2026Episode 8959 min

From Pixels to Provenance: How AI Is Transforming Art Valuation

David Bellingham interviews Ricardo Gonzales, founder of Art Collector IQ, about building AI tools for the art market. They discuss the origin of the project, the data and technical challenges of cleaning and standardizing auction records, and how AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and others) are combined to produce valuations, artist dashboards, weekly market briefs, and provenance checks. The episode covers the suite of tools Ricardo has developed—including Art Collector IQ, ArtCheck, ArtGallery IQ, the Cultural Signal, and an iOS app that scans paintings for on-the-spot valuations—explaining how each tool works and who uses them (collectors, galleries, advisors, and researchers). They also explore legal and ethical considerations like hammer prices vs. buyer’s premiums, gaps in provenance (including Nazi-era concerns), and the need for human judgment alongside AI outputs. Listeners will hear case examples, practical workflow descriptions, and tips for students and professionals on using AI responsibly in art business research and valuation. Links: https://www.artcollectoriq.com/ https://www.instagram.com/artcollector_iq/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/art-collector-iq/posts/?feedView=all music ‘Baby, I Miss The Internet’ (Rama, Rama, Rama) by TOT TAYLOR is used by kind permission of the artist ©Tot Taylor/Songmatic Music (2020)

July 23, 2026Episode 881 hr 7 min

Curating the Non-Human: Maria Hinel on Art, Philosophy and Animal Agency

Host Dr David Bellingham, Programme Director of the MA Art Business, Sotheby's Institute of Art, London, speaks with independent London curator and writer Maria Hinel about building a curatorial career outside commercial institutions and the philosophical threads that shape her exhibitions. They discuss her training (UCL, Courtauld), early work at Skarstedt Gallery, and independent projects at spaces including General Assembly, Shtager & Shch and Hypha Studios. The episode covers recurring themes in Hinel's practice: the relations between the human and the non-human; language; identity; gender; temporality; ecology and the agency of animals. They explore how these ideas informed exhibitions such as Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead, Timescapes, Carbon, Carbon Everywhere and The Middle Voice. Artists referenced include Susan Eyre, Amalia Pica & Rafael Ortega, Francis Alÿs, Jochen Lempert, Anne Marie Maes, Kat Lyons, Claudia Losi and Alina Zamanova. Key points: the dialogic process between curator and artist; staging multi-media shows across project spaces; making invisible forces (cosmic rays, magnetic vision) and animal perspectives visible; ethical and political questions around animal personhood, activism and visibility; and upcoming projects and ambitions, including a broader focus on contemporary Ukrainian art. Official / profile pages Website: mariahinel.com Hypha Studios bio: hyphastudios.com/maria-hinel-2-2/ LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/4b7b98b9/ Instagram: @mariahinel ArtRabbit curator profile: artrabbit.com/people/maria-hinel/curator Exhibitions (in episode order) Timescapes (Shtager & Shch, 2023) — covered on her FAD Magazine tag page The Middle Voice (Shtager & Shch, 2024) — listed on ArtRabbit Carbon, Carbon Everywhere (Hypha HQ, 2025) — artplugged.co.uk write-up The Pleasure of Misuse (Royal Society of Sculptors, 2025) — her own page or the institution's page Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead (Hypha Gallery 1, 2026) — artplugged.co.uk write-up music ‘Baby, I Miss The Internet’ (Rama, Rama, Rama) by TOT TAYLOR is used by kind permission of the artist ©Tot Taylor/Songmatic Music (2020)

July 2, 2026Episode 871 hr 2 min

Valuing the Priceless: Antiquities, Provenance and the Art Market

In this episode of The Art Business Podcast, Dr David Bellingham, Programme Director of the MA Art Business at Sotheby's Institute of Art, London, is joined by leading antiquities specialist Dr Judith Nugée. Drawing on more than forty years of experience as a scholar, auctioneer, advisor and valuer, Judith offers a fascinating insight into one of the art market's most complex and compelling sectors. Together they explore how antiquities challenge conventional ideas of value, ownership and authenticity, discussing provenance research, cultural heritage, collecting, ethics and the valuation of national treasures. Far more than a conversation about the ancient world, this episode reveals what the antiquities market can teach us about the wider art business today. https://hornsbynugee.com/ music ‘Baby, I Miss The Internet’ (Rama, Rama, Rama) by TOT TAYLOR is used by kind permission of the artist ©Tot Taylor/Songmatic Music (2020)

June 16, 2026Episode 8659 min

From Instagram to the Fairground: Inside Treasure House with Michalina Franasik

In this episode David Bellingham interviews Michalina Maria Franasik, an MA Art Business graduate who now works as Communications Manager for the Treasure House Art Fair in London and as creative director of a contemporary art space in Lodz, Poland. They discuss: Michalina’s transition from business studies to the art world; her use of social media and content creation to learn and make connections; and practical career advice for graduates. The conversation covers behind-the-scenes logistics of staging Treasure House at the Royal Hospital Chelsea (24–30 June), the role of art fairs in a digital and sustainability-conscious age, and trends in antiques, decorative arts and small boutique fairs. Michalina also describes her work representing Polish artists and upcoming exhibition projects that bridge Polish and UK audiences. Listeners will hear actionable tips on networking (attending previews, speaking to exhibitors), the value of experience in smaller organisations, and how digital storytelling and consistent, genuine content can open professional doors in the cultural sector. Links: https://www.treasurehousefair.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/michalina-maria-franasik-597849249/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/kantor-sztuki/ music ‘Baby, I Miss The Internet’ (Rama, Rama, Rama) by TOT TAYLOR is used by kind permission of the artist ©Tot Taylor/Songmatic Music (2020)

June 4, 2026Episode 8557 min

Inside Art Risk: Protecting Treasured Collections with Blythe Hogan

In this episode David Bellingham welcomes back alumna Blythe Hogan, Vice President and Senior Director of Art & Collections Practice at Aon Private Risk Management. They explore Blythe’s journey from studying art history to nearly two decades specializing in art insurance, risk management and collection strategy for private collectors and family offices. Topics covered include how fine art insurance works (scheduled vs blanket policies and retail replacement values), common collector misconceptions, valuation and provenance, emergency planning, transit and storage risks, climate and catastrophe considerations, and the role of technology and AI in modern risk assessment. Blythe shares practical examples and anecdotes, discusses the evolving global market and logistics of works on the move, and offers career advice for young professionals interested in interdisciplinary art careers. Listeners will learn what to expect in protecting valuable collections, the importance of proactive risk management and documentation, and how leadership and trusted relationships shape success in this niche field.

May 21, 2026Episode 841 hr 4 min

Inside Today's Art Market: Power, Money and the Players Who Shape it - with Georgina Adam

Georgina Adam, editor‑at‑large of The Art Newspaper and author of multiple books about decades of change in the global art market, joins the show to discuss the forces reshaping how at is bought, sold and valued today. We explore the shift from antiques to contemporary art, the rise of private museums, and the evolution of auction practices including guarantees, white‑glove sales and pre‑auction arrangements. We also look at transparency, market opacity, and the growing overlap between art and luxury goods. Key insights include regional market dynamics (China, India and the Middle East); the influence of mega‑galleries and collectors on cultural value; how younger collectors prioritize identity, social media and experiences; and both the concerns and reasons for optimism about the future of the art world.

April 23, 2026Episode 831 hr 7 min

Home as Gallery: Inside the Wolf Collective’s Intimate Art World

In this episode of the Art Business Podcast David Bellingham, Programme Director of the MA Art Business, Sotheby's Institute of Art, visits the Wolf Collective, a curatorial platform run from the co-founders’ modernist home in Primrose Hill. Guests Lupe Sanchez, a curator and advisor with experience in blue-chip galleries and deep ties to Japanese craft traditions, and architect/developer Iain Pattie discuss how their domestic space has evolved into an intimate exhibition platform. The current solo presentation by Chicago-based artist Jaclyn Mednicov , whose ceramics, prints and installations reflect long periods of research in Japan, anchors the conversation. Topics covered include: the practical and emotional value of showing art in a lived-in home rather than a white-cube gallery; how architecture and natural light shape viewer experience; programming that blends music and performance with exhibitions; curatorial relationships rooted in long-term support; and the social dynamics of invitation-based shows. Lupe and Iain explain why intimacy, community, and multisensory experiences guide their model, how it complements (and differs from) commercial galleries and fairs, and what the Wolf Collective offers artists and local audiences. Listeners can expect reflections on artistic process, cross-cultural collaboration, the economics and sustainability of private home galleries, and the ways small, intentional spaces can shift values around attention, care and community in the contemporary art world. The Wolf Collective’s exhibitions are open by appointment; the current Jaclyn Mednicov show runs into late summer. Links: https://www.madeinbed.co.uk/emerging-artists/imprints-fragments-reliefs-jaclyn-mednicov?rq=jaclyn%20mednicov https://cabanamagazine.com/blogs/atlas-of-craftsmanship/jaclyn-mednicov-multi-disciplinary-artist?_pos=1&_sid=a04cfbf27&_ss=r music ‘Baby, I Miss The Internet’ (Rama, Rama, Rama) by TOT TAYLOR is used by kind permission of the artist ©Tot Taylor/Songmatic Music (2020)

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