Sotheby’s is collaborating with major institutions including the Metropolitan Museum in New York and London’s Tate Modern to host their videos on its website. The auction house is also creating its own films about museums, starting with a 13-part series about Chatsworth House and the Duke Of Devonshire’s collection.
Smaller institutions and privately run museums, such as the Garage Museum of Contemporary Art in Moscow, will also feature on Sotheby’s Museum Network, which launches online on 29 August.
The announcement comes the day after the Metropolitan Museum revealed record attendance figures, attracting 6.7 million visitors over the past fiscal year. It’s the highest number since the museum began counting admissions more than 40 years ago.
“What we have discovered over the past year is that people have an insatiable appetite for content about museums and their collections,” says David Goodman, Sotheby’s executive vice president of digital development and marketing. The aim of the initiative, he adds, is “to deepen our relationship with the major museums and collections around the world and engage with audiences who might not be familiar with the great work they are doing”.
There is also a clear financial incentive for Sotheby’s to host films on its website. The auction house has seen an increase of 187% in its video views, and clients who engage with videos or other editorial content are 33% more likely to bid, according to a spokesman.
