The Plastic Arts Market in Oran : Spaces for Training, Exhibition, Sales and Production

Plastic arts, fine arts, architecture, and performing arts fall outside the scope of cultural industries, which include book publishing, press, multimedia media, cinema, and audiovisual content feeding the “mass culture” (La culture de masse). This term traces back to Elias Canetti. The concept of cultural industries was developed by T. Adorno and Max Horkheimer from the Frankfurt School, who argued that mass culture threatened artistic creativity and opposed, in some ways, the ideals of Enlightenment. Therefore, the “consumer” audience for plastic arts is not as large as that of other cultural industries. This particular situation raises the question of the existence of a specific market for these arts.

This market would consist of places for artist training, exchange, exhibition, production, and sale of their works. William D. Nordhaus and Paul Samuelson defined a market as: “a mechanism through which sellers and buyers interact to determine the price or quantity of a good or service” (Samuelson and Nordhaus, 16th edition, 1998, 2000, p. 27). When referring to the art market in Oran, it is not limited to local artists; it is open to artists from other provinces, abroad, or the Algerian diaspora.

In previous studies, Algerian researcher Mansour Abrous, through his works Dictionary of Plastic Arts in Algeria (2006 and 2011), identified part of the market actors: artists, training institutes, and art galleries, as well as the work of Achour Cherfi (The Book of Algerian Painters: Bibliographical Dictionary, Algiers, ANEP, 2004, 249 p.). However, the market also includes plastic artists (graphic designers, environmental designers, painters, sculptors, ceramists, miniaturists), collectors, auctioneers, galleries, art dealers, critics, museums, patrons, and art foundations. Identifying these actors allows the creation of a complete cultural map of Oran, highlighting the locations of the plastic arts market and a biographical guide/ directory of active artists, documenting practices previously confined to families or institutions.

The final product will be made available to the Directorate of Culture and the Tourism Office of Oran for public and tourist access.

Project objectives:

Deepen and broaden understanding of the research topic and its issues (art theories, schools, purposes of art, audience reception, etc.).Conduct fieldwork in connection with cultural institutions and market actors.Produce a cultural map and guide of artists, with a calendar of events and exhibitions.

Planned activities:

Organize roundtables with actors to discuss the art market, institutions, workshops, networks, and gather proposals for creating an association of plastic artists.Publish a collective theoretical part of the project on art, its essence, history of art in Oran, art and cultural identity.

Long-term objectives:

Establish the research unit in culture, communication, languages, and arts as a partner for local and regional cultural institutions.Expand the cultural map to include all cultural activities (theater, cinema, poetry, music, storytelling, dance, libraries, cultural centers, youth centers, training institutes, associations…).Organize training workshops for emerging plastic artists to familiarize them with the art market and their positioning.Provide an exhibition space within the unit to host exhibitions and scientific activities (roundtables, colloquia) to promote the artistic-cultural product to universities and research institutions.