Have you ever scrolled through your Instagram feed, seen a picture of a really cool piece of art and wished you could buy it then and there? Instagram has become a great platform for up and coming artists to showcase their work, but distributing their work to their audience has proven to be problematic. Enter Apollo Auctions, a new art auction marketplace housed on the popular social media site.
The idea for Apollo Auctions came about when three young Cape Townians saw an opportunity to help out their artist friends. Johann Schwella, Blaise Janichon and Joe de Wet all have strong ties to the art, media and auction world. They decided to use Instagram as a tool to help these artists showcase and sell their work, complete with the necessary infrastructure to support the traditional sales, marketing and distribution.
Within a week of launching, they have already seen people bid on the art on their page. The bidding is done in dollars, opening up the auction to international customers. They are currently showcasing the work of Danielle Clough, whose piece called ‘To Hold To Love’ is sitting on a decent $110. The bidding process happens on Instagram, potential buyers place their bids by commenting on the featured artwork. They have a period of time in which bidding is allowed, after which the highest bidder wins. They currently offer free shipping anywhere in South Africa.
Artists lined up for December are Ross Symons, known as @white_onrice on Instagram, who specialises in origami, and infamous pop culture artist Jaco Haasbroek. To see the art that is up for auction check out Apollo Auctions’ Instagram page.
Photography courtesy Apollo Auctions