Introducing The ArtScope™

The ArtScope™ was founded by Khachik (Chris) G. Aleksanyan in Los Angeles, CA. It is an online fine art platform for first-time art buyers and collectors alike to explore and collect art from a curated selection of contemporary art in a transparent and accessible manner. 

With a successful launch at Art San Diego 2019 Contemporary Art Show, The ArtScope™ presents the culmination of Khachik’s passion, background, and experiences in fine art and the art market, which we explore in more detail as we spotlight The ArtScope™ origin story.

Tell us about The ArtScope™. Why did you decide to start it?    

The ArtScope™ was born out of my lifelong dream to become an advocate for professional artists to help them navigate the complex business side of the art market. The ArtScope™ is here to empower artists through our commitment to propel their careers to the next level while at the same time guiding our clients through the art-buying and collecting process in a seamless manner.

Growing up with an artist father, I saw firsthand the challenges a career in fine art entails. As a young child, I often accompanied my father to the Armenian painters’ vernissage at Saryan Park in Yerevan, Armenia (Vernissage). These weekend trips to Vernissage that put food on our table in the nineties were also my first glimpse into the business side of the art world. I witnessed artist-dealer, artist-gallery, and artist-collector dynamics at Vernissage which sparked my initial interest in art business.

Now, more than a decade after I entered the art world in the U.S., I am excited to have The ArtScope™ be a part of an art world that is rapidly moving towards expanding the online presence of galleries. The resulting transparency in the market will help bring artists to the table as their art is put out on the market. It will also invite new participants to engage with the art world as has already been happening in the past couple of months.

Why launch The ArtScope™ at an art fair, namely, Art San Diego 2019?

When the opportunity presented to showcase The ArtScope™ at Art San Diego 2019, we were already looking at finding the right venue to introduce The ArtScope™ in an appropriate physical space. I had previously already curated booths at the LA Art Show and Artexpo New York, so I was also looking to expand into other fairs and cities.

It is important to emphasize that while we are an online platform, we do not discount the significance of viewing art in person in order to fully appreciate all the intricacies of an artist’s technique as well as the message. We work closely with our clients to ensure they are able to fully engage with the artist’s work prior to purchasing it if they have not seen it in person previously.

Because we are based in Los Angeles but wanted to also expand to other art hubs in Southern California without having to compromise the ability to provide this personalized service upon request, San Diego proved to be the right direction for The ArtScope™. The city’s vibrant art scene and proximity to Los Angeles as we were introducing the gallery in a physical space made the decision an easy one.

What are your thoughts on the art fair model in the current state of the art world, which has been so drastically affected by the COVID-19 pandemic?

I am encouraged to see the market adapt so quickly to what many of us have seen for a long time now as the path forward, but I do not think the art fair model is defunct. Nor should it be. I think the opposite will happen.  More galleries will likely adopt our model of being an online art gallery or marketplace with physical presence at established art fairs to enable in-person engagement with their artists’ work. Before Art San Diego 2019, we had proposed this model to Richard Ferrante, who now leads Art Dallas Contemporary Art Fair, and are happy to see it implemented through the newly launched Redwood Art Group online art platform.   

What are the goals of The ArtScope™ and what sets it apart from other online art galleries and platforms?

It is my core belief that making the right placement of an artwork has to come first and foremost from a place of deep connection with and appreciation for the art itself, not a conversation with me. This is what makes us different. If you are a young collector or a first-time buyer who would rather go online and purchase a piece of fine art that you like, without ever talking to a gallery representative, we enable you to do so on our website with ease. We do not make engagement with gallery staff a prerequisite to buying art. However, if you are a collector who wishes to engage with us and receive a more personalized service, we are here to do that for you.  What sets us apart is that the choice is entirely yours, not ours.

Who will run The ArtScope™?

Currently, The ArtScope™ is run by a team of two, including myself as Director and Naré G. Aleksanyan, as Co-Director and Art Advisor. Between the two of us, The ArtScope™ is well-positioned to cater to our artists’ as well as our buyers’ and collectors’ needs, with experience and background in art business, artist representation, art and cultural property as well as business law. Our goal is to best represent our artists’ interests and to guide our clients through an informed decision-making process as the two groups engage with the art market.

What is next for The ArtScope™?

I am committed to making The ArtScope™ a premier fine art platform that is devoted to propelling the artistic careers of a diverse roster of professional artists who are looking for a new model of gallery representation. What we will look for in artists as we begin to expand our roster is first and foremost the quality of art submitted, based on traditional connoisseurship principals. We will then consider a demonstrated commitment to being a professional visual artist, based on a holistic review process, which will include an interview and a detailed analysis of the artist’s body of work.

We are always interested in exploring the contemporary art scene as it evolves. Artists, being the driving force behind it, are of primary interest to The ArtScope™ and are encouraged to contact us for representation and collaborations. We are currently focused on the following geographic areas:

• Southern California (within 150 miles from Los Angeles)
• Oahu, Hawai‘i

We also welcome collaborations with gallery owners, art dealers, curators, and creative professionals. We invite submissions and inquiries to The ArtScope™ at art@theartscope.com.

Be sure to check out The ArtScope™ at http://www.theartscope.com.