Zomersalon 2023: Buy Local 3

Friday, July 14 is the grand opening of Zomersalon: Buy Local 3, from 20:00 to 24:00! The young Ghent techno collective esc. (escapism) takes place behind the turntables and provides sultry beats.

During Zomersalon: Buy Local 3 the works of 655 Ghent artists will be shown and sold to a wide audience. With this extensive exhibition, we present a great diversity of works, providing a broad view of the current visual arts scene in our city.

Unlike the usual exhibitions within Kunsthal Gent, for Zomersalon: Buy Local 3 we are taking the radical but deliberate decision that any Ghent artist can participate. The public can thus immerse themselves in the full breadth of Ghent's visual arts scene and come into contact with the artists behind the works. Ghent organizations are invited to support and shape the Summer Salon as partners. In this way, we create a framework that enables encounters between artists, art organizations, the public and potential buyers.

The concept of Zomersalon originated during the corona crisis, to financially support artists in difficult times. The first editions took place in 2020 and 2021, in collaboration with the Gents KunstenOverleg. It did not miss its effect. Each edition attracted 6,000 visitors. First 600, then about 700 artists took part and about half of the works on display found a buyer, accounting for €125,000 in works sold each time. The proceeds went directly to the artists. 70 Ghent organizations communicated with the Summer Salon, 15 of which organized their own events within the Summer Salon: from lectures and tours to workshops and brunch. Besides being a cross-section of Ghent's rich art world, the Summer Salon became the place to meet each other and the artists behind the work.

In 2023 we will continue on this momentum, with once again a wealth of visual artworks for sale. We welcome you to Zomersalon: Buy Local 3, from July 14 to September 3 at Kunsthal Gent.