Digital Inter/Section (DIS) is exploring new pathways for financing and sustainability of digital art organizations. The key partners: Chroniques (France), KIKK (Belgium), Signal (Czech Republic), Kontejner (Croatia), and THE CATALYSTS (Germany), have united as part of the consortium, co-funded by the European Commission. Although each organization brings its unique operational model, for many public grants remain crucial to their structural funding. To broaden this economic vision and invite a non-European perspective, the consortium welcomed MASSIVart, a global leader in placemaking and a public art consultancy - to join its working group along the multi-year process. We spoke with Arthur Gaillard, Head of Art at MASSIVart, to understand their role in the project.
MASSIVart is making waves at the intersection of art and urbanism while embracing the commercial potential and business strategy for art. With teams in Montréal, Toronto, and Mexico City, the organization’s work spans from curation, through production and from strategy development to placemaking.
As a key partner outside of Europe, MASSIVart was tasked with challenging the financial models of arts organizations and festivals. "Our role within the DI/S consortium, as consultants from outside of Europe, was to introduce new ideas to enhance our partners' business models," Gaillard explained. The main objective was to encourage the European partners to explore hybrid models that don’t rely on public funding but also capitalize on the private sector.
This hybrid strategy is crucial for long-term financial stability. "We encouraged the exploration of hybrid models that blend public and private funding, allowing festivals to achieve greater financial independence in the long term. Overall, our mission was to reduce the festivals' dependency on public funding and guide them toward creative and sustainable approaches for financial growth and stability,” Gaillard reflected.
But it’s not just about balance sheets, it’s about changing the narrative. MASSIVart’s expertise in digital art and its commercial potential is reshaping how businesses view their relationship with art, and how the art world perceives its relationship with business. "The commercial sector is often seen as rigid, prioritizing measurable outcomes and predictable returns on investment. However, this notion of rigidity is increasingly being challenged."
As companies seek market differentiation, digital art is no longer just an aesthetic accessory; it has become a strategic tool for customer engagement and brand communication. A prime example is Daniel Iregui’s "River" for Desjardins Bank in Montreal. This digital installation merges real-time data with digital projections, symbolizing the ebb and flow of city life while embodying the bank's commitment to innovation and community. “This piece not only enhances the building's ambiance but also fosters a deeper connection between the space and its visitors, showcasing how digital art can shape a building's identity and create meaningful interactions,” Gaillard explained.
MASSIVart firmly believes that art is essential to everyday life, transforming urban landscapes into spaces of contemplation, exchange, and human connection, creating spaces that are not just transactional but deeply relational. "At the heart of this shift is the understanding that art and placemaking are essential to the rhythms of everyday life. Art is not a luxury but a connective tissue that binds people to their environment, offering new ways to experience space, time, and community,” Gaillard added. “When thoughtfully embedded in public and private realms, art humanizes our urban landscapes, elevating the ordinary to the extraordinary.”
In this rapidly evolving digital age, MASSIVart sees cultural organizations as pivotal in unlocking the commercial potential of digital art. By collaborating with businesses and creating immersive, emotionally resonant spaces, digital art can become central to how companies engage with their audiences. "Cultural organizations hold a pivotal role in this evolving landscape. By forging collaborations with the commercial sector, they have the power to shift the perception of digital art from mere decoration to a profoundly strategic tool," Gaillard noted.
Through their involvement in DI/S, MASSIVart not only helped European partners build financial independence by fostering a cross-sector collaborative spirit. The partnership showcases the transformative power of art, highlighting how art, business, and public spaces can converge to shape a more sustainable, creative future.
Stay tuned by following the Digital Inter/Section consortium’s LinkedIn page to learn more about the partner’s journey and the DI/S project.
As the Director of the Art Department and a partner at MASSIVart, Gaillard has worked on a wide range of public art projects in collaboration with local and international artists, architects, and designers. Since 2012, he has overseen the creative direction of MASSIVart’s most important international projects. Gaillard also served as the Art Director for Chromatic, an artist-centered festival of experimentation dedicated to showcasing today’s most thought-provoking art.