Why Art Needs Enthusiasm and How to Represent Artists in 2024 with Marine Tanguy

Ceri is joined by Marine Tanguy, the pioneering founder of MTArt Agency. From managing a gallery at 21 to founding the art world's first talent agency at 25, Marine shares her journey of revolutionising how artists are represented and supported. Ceri and Marine talk about building resilience, visual literacy, and creating new opportunities for artists. Marine also opens up about overcoming personal challenges, including a public hate campaign while pregnant, and shares her innovative approach to artist representation.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Marine built MTArt Agency on a philosophical foundation first, establishing clear manifestos about the future relationship with the arts and the alignment of medium and concept before focusing on business applications
• At 25, Marine created a new business model in the art world by shifting focus from gallery spaces to a service based agency, enabling broader opportunities for artists beyond traditional art sales
• Marine's experience of managing a hate campaign while pregnant led her to find strength in ballet, demonstrating how physical practice can help manage the mental challenges of leadership
• Coming from a teaching family background, Marine approached her financial education systematically, surrounding herself with knowledgeable investors who could contribute expertise beyond just funding
• Marine's approach to talent spotting comes from genuine enthusiasm - she describes herself as someone who rushes back to the office excited to champion new artists she's discovered and thinks that much of the art world today is lacking this type of enthusiasm.
• As one of the first B Corp certified companies in the art world, Marine used this framework to create measurable accountability in an industry that traditionally lacks formal regulation.
• Despite managing 50 artists and over 300 projects, Marine maintains a "log in, log out" approach to social media.
• Marine's company has grown to a £35 million valuation by creating opportunities across multiple sectors from public art to brand partnerships, whilst many more traditional galleries are struggling in the current market.

BEST MOMENTS

"We are in the art world where being enthusiastic is something that's actually quite rare. It's seen as either quite young or naive or too keen to a degree. But I love my enthusiasm."

"The traditional way is really being challenged as we speak."

"I haven't studied finance, but I was aware it was something that therefore I was not knowledgeable in, so I made a point of becoming knowledgeable in it."

"I think realistically with talent, it's really a balance of hard work, ethics and research, but it's also a question of talent."

"You just know when an entrepreneur walk into a room versus someone that has put a deck together with a few clever facts versus someone that has really walked in and you know that they can deliver what they're saying."

"Making sure that they diversify, that they reach out as much to public art commissioners, to brands, to digital partners, like they really think outside the box."

"Ballet is also muting your brain for an hour and a half, which is really good for your anxiety."

EPISODE RESOURCES

Marine is represented by United Talent Agency for her writing and TV career.

Instagram: @marinetanguyart

PODCAST HOST BIO

With over 30 years in the art world, Ceri has worked closely with leading artists and arts professionals, managed public and private galleries and charities, and curated more than 250 exhibitions and events. She sold artworks to major museums and private collectors and commissioned thousands of works across diverse media, from renowned artists such as John Akomfrah, Pipilotti Rist, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer and Vito Acconci. Now, she wants to share her extensive knowledge with you, so you can excel and achieve your goals.

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