– Meet the Forbs under 30
Investing in art can be lucrative during booming times or non-profitable during seasons of recession. When art investors increase their wealth by buying art, “Focus not just on the art but also the artist”, says Marine Tanguy, CEO and Founder of MTArt Agency – the world’s first agency for artists and collectors.
Here, the 32-year-old tells her stories of establishing her world-leading talent and visual art agency.
Tangy’s company covers artists, collectors, and public art projects in London, Paris, Madrid and Monaco. “There are 12 employees in our head office in London, the company’s turnover is around £25 Million a year.” Says the French art entrepreneur.
“I was the Director of the Outsider’s Gallery in London when I was 21-year-old, I opened my first gallery in Los Angeles at age 23. The more I attempted to exchange culture globally, the more I felt ‘founding an agency for artists’ is what I wanted to do. Not only that I wanted to impact the mainstream, but also to inspire a larger group of artists in the world. That’s why we created the ‘Talent and Creative’ agency. “
“I started my career as an art director in London. My networks were built here which is way more powerful than in Paris.” Therefore in 2015, Tanguy founded MTArt Agency in London, the world’s first agency for artists.
“I think French has a stronger culture for public arts; Whereas in the UK, the ‘Anglo-Saxons has a stronger culture of private bodies and businesses for art.”
The company covers 37 artists worldwide and states that “artists have seen their works grow 150% in value year-on-year while signed to the agency”. According to Tanguy, “One of our London-based contemporary artist David Aiu Servan-Schreiber, the average price of his paintings was £3000, after signing with us his art pieces worth £20,000 each. I take commissions from projects we generated, including virtual arts, brand collaborations..etc. I take between 30% to 50% commissions from our artists.”
“People want stories, they like conceptual arts than before. The public used to be very detached from reality, I think now they want an engagement to it. So far our best-selling, top-three artists on our website are Robert Montgomery, Camille Walala and David Aiu Servan Schreiber.”
The post-covid period doesn’t seem to effect Tanguy’s business in selling arts. “I think the pandemic actually brought us enormous chances for business, we have more public-art contracts coming our way in 2020.”
One of the agency’s public art projects ‘One Love’, which occupies 12 metres of shopfronts on Regent Street in 2020, and showcases French photographer Delphine Diallo’s photography in November 2020.
“We closed a very big deal just before the pandemic in early 2020, so that we were in a good position to take the risk. For example, although there were merely any tourists in London during post-lock-down, I still decided to do the “One Love” subject on Regent Street by chance. Luckily we tripled revenue in 2020 and this year.” Tanguy demonstrates. “We have almost no competitors in this industry, we have definitely grown very fast since the agency was established.”
Tanguy aims to maximise groups of people who care about arts, as she reckons “music and sports are in a much stronger position than arts”, throughout the pandemic year of 2020-2021. “Art should be the priority of people’s lives, my hope is that it does become one. Art is inspiring, and like virtual stories which we share with eachother every day. I think most people don’t realise that arts are related to them.”
In order to inspire the public in arts, with the permission of English Heritage, Tanguy launched another free public virtual art project “Metamorphosis Illumination” in Marble Arch in October 2021. “It was a perfect example of someone just coming back from work and not expecting to see arts. I hope they would be inspired by the series of outdoor art and illuminated installations. I saw so much joy on people’s faces, that was very meaningful.”
Munguy delivers public arts worldwide. Saype, the agency’s signed artist, gained tremendous international success in 2016 by creating “the biggest land art painting in the world (800 meters )” by Effiel tower, in France.
“We don’t have unsuccessful business examples to tell, as we do say ‘No’ a lot to projects if we don’t feel confident.” Munguy states.
“I wouldn’t mind collaborating with activists or feminists, we genuinely support people who are socially committed. For example, in 2019 our artists showcased their art pieces to a feminist festival in Saudi Arabia, luckily we never faced any backlash. We tell stories, rather than choose sides between different groups of people.”
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