Artist Collector Network maps collectors and artists based on the relationship of being in an art collection. Both artists and collectors are invited to participate with a list of their collectors or artists. The database for the map is provided from both parties of an acquisition and it is confirmed only by the party who provided the data. The map is a self-organizing software, where the names are connected based on the relationship of being in the collection and they naturally find their position through connecting forces on the canvas, revealing the central actors, indirect links, and organic clusters. With the third phase of this work, an algorithmic prediction system presents future links between artists and collectors, the probability of a collector acquiring a work from a new artist and vice versa.

This work investigates the art world which depends on status, privilege and secrecy via the contemporary lens of technological systems that rely on principles of free access, open sharing and participation. Artist Collector Network contains data from 46 private collections, 738 artists, and 3256 connections with weight indicating number of pieces from each artist. It is presented as both a large printed static map and as an exploratory interactive map, where viewers can further navigate the network on a multi-touch screen and find the cross-sections of the research process. Touching a node on the map, its direct connections are highlighted and its predictions are linked.

This work was started in 2011 as Phase I at Borusan Contemporary Museum, Istanbul, then continued with Phase II at Maçka Art Gallery, Istanbul (2012), and Phase III developed for an exhibtion at Borusan Contemporary Museum (2013). A special instance was produced for the 30th Ljubljana Biennial of Graphic Arts (2013) that includes Slovenian artist and collectors.

Exhibitions

Artist Collector Network: Phase III, Human Economy at HEC
2014, Paris

Artist Collector Network: Phase III, Critical Machines, American University of Beirut
2014, Beirut

Artist Collector Network Phase III, 30th Biennial of Graphic Arts Ljubljana
2013, Ljubljana

Artist Collector Network: Phase III, Datascape, Borusan Contemporary
2013, Istanbul

Artist Collector Network: Phase II, Nam June Paik Award Exhibition
2012, Bochum

Artist Collector Network: Phase II, Burak, Macka Sanat
2012, Istanbul

Artist Collector Network: Phase I, Seven New Works, Borusan Contemporary
2011, Istanbul