ESG and art

What is ESG in art?

ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) is a way of looking at how responsibly someone behaves towards their surroundings and society. In the art world it carries over into the question of what subject and what awareness a work and its artist carry. Put simply, a collector is interested not only in the beauty of a work but in its stance.

How does it work?

A collector looks not only at the artist's name and the aesthetics of a work, but also at what the work says and how it is made. They may weigh up what themes the artist opens up, or how they approach their surroundings and their responsibilities. ESG thus adds one more layer to the assessment of a work, one that goes beyond appearance.

Why does it matter to a collector?

A collection is not merely a private matter; it also says something about the values of the person building it. Through the ESG lens a collector shows what is close to their heart and what kind of world they want to support. For many collectors, the awareness of a work and its artist now weighs as much as artistic quality.

Can you give an example?

When two collectors are choosing between works of similar quality, one may favour an artist whose work thinks through our relationship to nature or to society. The point is not to reduce art to a slogan, but to appreciate that a work also carries an inner stance. That is exactly where the ESG perspective enriches a collector with a deeper dimension.

— Anna Pulkertová, founder of Art Part Club