QR Codes:Bringing Commercial Potential to Street-based Art

Attempting to dissuade street artists from ripping up their works to exhibit in galleries, multimedia art group C6 and Bristol-based art co-operative  Steal From Work have found an innovative way to make street-based works commercially available.  The Street Art Dealer project links artworks to websites using QR codes.  When viewing an outdoor piece art enthusiasts need only scan the accompanying QR Code to gain detailed artwork information straight from their cell phone.  The group also make use of Geo-tagging technology to create street art guides with Google Maps.

Street Art Dealer explains the QR Code advantage;

The introduction of QR code technology could have lasting affect on the arts industry, radically changing the way that artists exhibit their work. The utilisation of QR codes would mean that artists would no longer need to rely on galleries to deal with the administrative duties that come with displaying and selling art. QR codes would allow the viewing public to do everything from find out who created a piece of art to actually purchasing an edition.  QR codes could also potentially change the way that galleries are run and could pave the way for un-manned gallery spaces.  Art on the street has been grabbing the headlines with works by well-known artists commanding large figures at auction. This demand has given birth to an industry in resale and as a result dealers and galleries have become increasingly interested in the profits to be made. This has resulted in many artists taking their works off of the streets and placing them in galleries.

Commissioned by Media Sandbox, C6 and Steal From Work launch their program tonight on the streets of Bristol.  Those wanting to view the outdoor gallery need to register online with Street Art Dealer and must have QR Code reading software on their cellphone.