ArtFacts.Net

ArtFacts.Net is an online database that was founded by Stine Albertsen and Marek Claassen in 2001.The company is registered as a limited in Great Britain. Since its foundation ArtFacts has globally collected, published, archived and analysed data from the art market using its Artist Ranking system.
History
Founders
Marek Claassen (b. 1964, Bremerhaven, Germany) studied economics and was educated at Berlin Gallery Brusberg before developing interest in the internet in the mid-90’s. Together with the German Gallery Association (BVDG) and the Art Cologne, he programmed databases, websites, and a system for printing exhibition catalogues automatically. Later he created a web-based platform for the Berlin Gallery Association as a virtual exhibition slace and archive. This was the precursor of ArtFacts. Stine Albertsen (b. 1978, Copenhagen, Denmark) worked for Danish Embassy in Berlin before co-founding ArtFacts.
Early Years (2001-2008)
In 2001, ArtFacts started systematically collecting data from the Primary Art Market, focusing specifically on the exhibition activity of artists. Cultural institutions (museums, collections etc.) and galleries reported their solo and group shows to ArtFacts, then ArtFacts aggregated these for each artist and institution building up an exhibition history. In 2004, ArtFacts’ Artist Ranking was introduced. It measures the exhibition activity of an artist using a points system and plotted it on a graph, giving visual context to an otherwise opaque portion of the Primary Market. For the very first time, it was possible to compare the worth of artists and institutions using data that did not rely on auction results. Before the global financial crisis of 2008, the art market was thriving and had grown substantially. ArtFacts grew with it as an international art platform, having almost 900,000 unique visitors per month at its peak.
Consolidation (2009-2015)
The art market suffered as a result of the 2008 financial crisis, and many galleries either closed or cut costs. As galleries represented a majority of ArtFacts’ paying clients, their closings not only jeopardised the company financially but also in data collection duties. The introduction of memberships services for artists, curators and collectors this downgo could be not only stopped but also the reach into the art world was stretched. ArtFacts was able to verify all collected information using its international team of Editors.
Restructuring (2016 -)
The technological shifts in the tech industry and introduction of new smart devices has meant that ArtFacts has had to adjust to new standards. In 2015, ArtFacts began development on a highly responsive and redesigned Beta version of the site.
Artist Ranking
ArtFacts has charted the curatorial significance of artists through an algorithm which is based on the assumption that each exhibition has a different “value” in the art world. For example: a show at the MoMA in New York is more important than a small exhibition at a countryside gallery with few visitors.The algorithm also considers the value of reach, quality of the institution or collection, all valuations produce different points afterwards. All these points are added and visualised by graphs which enable users to see and compare artists developments.
Theoretical background is for example French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu´s studies of culture and art market as well as the “Theory of Attention” a book by Georg Franck from 1998. The ranking is discussed controversally within the art world - as for example the economy magazine “Capital” publishes an annual TOP 100 chart of artists based on Artfact´s ranking. Also the fact that contemporary artists are mostly ranked higher than classical artists such as Rembrandt or Renoir is seen critically. Some artists do not like that their creative output is reduced to a ranking chart.
Editorial Team
Whereas most of nowadays internet databases are built up on automated crawling, each entry on the ArtFacts art market database is verified by art industry professionals. Since its foundation, a team of international editors check all incoming announcements and guaranties the value of the information. Negative effects on the Ranking or an Gallery ratings through so called social bots are prevented. Currently (2017) the database contains around 800,000 exhibitions, over 20,000 galleries and about 560,000 artists from 192 countries.

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