Pace Gallery has just announced the launch of a new initiative called Pace X. The name seems very similar to the initiative by Elon Musk which is named as Space X. Space X is known to be a company developing rockets and sending them to Mars.
Apart from that, Google also has an initiative named as Google X which develops products like driverless cars and robots which do not come to mainstream unless and until they are tested thoroughly. Similarly, Pace Gallery’s Pace X initiative is a similar one which aims to facilitate art-and-tech commissions around the world.
President and CEO of Pace Gallery, Marc Glimcher, says that these type of projects are not easily backed by commercial galleries and the role of Pace X is to fill that void. He adds that “Artists reflect the time we’re in,” and says that there are some artists who focus on “creating experiences, not objects.”. These artists might also be interested in the technology sector and that “we have no business model.” for the same. So he asks the question that “In what way is the gallery model equipped to support these artists in the way it supports painters and sculptors?”
Pace Gallery has also appointed an art-world veteran Christy MacLear as the CEO of its Pace X initiative. On being appointed as the CEO, she says “It appeals to the start-up risk-taker in me, I’m excited about this role because it is where artists are pioneering the future.”
On being asked about the type of projects we can expect from Pace X, she said “Bold ones. Projects which match the issues like climate change or social justice that drive artists to new tools and canvases, such as cities or immersive spaces.”. Hinting at a new location for the Pace X initiative, Pace Gallery CEO says “This can’t simply be spread over the existing architecture of the art gallery,” and adds that “It needs its own architecture.”
