Former Art Basel Director Marc Spiegler Launches Bootcamp for Cultural Startups
Candidates will receive the French‑American market expert’s support in devising a successful business plan and connecting with potential investors. Save to My Ocula
Cultural startups will soon have the opportunity to receive mentorship from Marc Spiegler, former global director of Art Basel, through his new Cultural Catalyst Programme.
As Spiegler told Ocula back in January, the initiative hopes to help startups build relationships needed to secure funding and visibility amid an opaque and rapidly innovating market, marked by the introduction of social media, digital platforms, and artists’ agents.
Open to a wide range of art-adjacent ventures—from private startups to NGOs and government initiatives—the three-month programme will run from March to November 2025.
After a three-hour online session with Spiegler, focusing on market positioning and strategy, participants will attend two sessions with advisors from Art Nova (the investment firm behind programme organisers Art Market Minds) to develop a business plan.
From late October to November, participants will pitch virtually to investors and art world professionals, including venture capitalists, consultants, and the head of Christie’s Ventures—the auction house’s arm backing tech-driven solutions for art.
Standout projects will be selected to present at The Art Business Conference, a one-day event organised by Art Market Minds in London, New York, Paris, and Hong Kong.
Prices range from 3500 EUR for a single applicant to 6400 EUR for a team of four.
Spiegler led Art Basel from 2007 to 2022 before moving into advisory roles for institutions like the Luma Foundation in Arles and Miami’s digital art gallery Superblue.
The programme follows his earlier initiative, Understanding Today’s Art World, which delivered insights into industry dynamics, market conditions, and anticipated trends. —[O]
Main image: Marc Spiegler. Courtesy Art Market.
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