Youthful Vision

Ilaria Sgaravato is the communication and business Director of ONFAIR Young Collectors. She is currently working at Miu Miu in Paris in Operational Marketing, she studied international business at Bocconi and ESSEC Grande Ecole. She holds a Masters in Management for Art, Culture, Media and Entertainment. Passionate about art, photography and performative arts, she has lived and worked in the advertising and communication industry in New York, Sao Paulo and Milan.

OnFair works with young art collectors from all over the world during modern and contemporary art fairs. More and more young people attend art fairs but no specific events are organized for them. OnFair strives to gather young art lovers during art fairs and provide an enriching experience through a series of events specifically designed for young people. These range from introductions and guidance from worldwide experts from the contemporary art world to networking and social events.

The onfair Board is all pink and all Italian : Alina and Oliva Sartogo with Beatrice Maccaferri are the co-founders of the project, soon joined by Corinna Turati and Ilaria Sgaravato as co-directors. These 5 ladies come from different backgrounds, in the order from lawschool, political sciences, international business and art advisory but have one passion in common and one dream that keeps them together despite their lives in different cities: to make contemporary art accessible to the youngest generations and to educate them to collectionism.

How it works? Do you have a membership system or participation fees? I am a young collector and I want to be a part of your network. What is the next step?

Yes, we have an yearly membership, that gives access to the art fairs we are going to be present with our team and to all the related events hosted by Onfair or partner institutions (galleries, museums, foundations, private collectors etc). To become a member, the interested can simply apply on our website and fill in a form with specific questions on their profiles and backgrounds.

Do you impose certain criteria in order to keep the network exclusive?

We ask the potential members to state their interest in collectionism and in art in general, and we require them to auto select themselves for the appropriate membership (red : only passionated and interested in art; black : already collectors and involved in many artistic realities). This allows us to understand and track the profiles, by making sure we know exactly the people we’re letting in.

The selection is merely based on the knowledge and interest in art the potential members shows, we want to keep high profiles people with a real passion for art and pure intentions. It has also to be mentioned that red membership can become black (premium) once the member start collecting, which gives access not only to different services but also to specific events with very limited access.

Who are behind the ONFAIR?

The OnFair team comprises of young people with very different backgrounds who share a common passion for contemporary art and a taste for entrepreneurship. Today at the management and leadership of OnFair's various initiatives are the previously mentioned Alina Sartogo, Beatrice Maccaferri, Corinna Turati, Ilaria Sgaravato and Oliva Sartogo. A special thank also goes to the wider team which supports the managers in the organization of events and the development of young collectors' regional networks, in the cities of London, Miami and Sao Paulo.

What is your engaging program for young collectors?

OnFair offers a unique experience to meet not only gallery owners, curators and the artists themselves but also to share ideas and opinions with other young art lovers. It is an excellent space to get in touch, debate and get an input from both sides of the table: art providers and art seekers, all within a fun vibrating ambience that never sleeps. We offer: Guided tours of specific exhibitions or museums; Private visits of art collections, art spaces and artist studios; Art-related conferences or debates; Cocktails and dinners in special “art-related locations”.

Is it suitable for anyone or under concrete age of…?

We want Onfair to remain a young and fresh concept so we keep our boundaries between the age of 20 and 40years old. Our members goes from lawyers, bankers, enterpreneurs, people working in advertising, fashion, art or consulting.

So now young people with a passion for art now have the opportunity to purchase art works from talented and renowned artists, kick-starting their journey of art collecting. Do you design pricing policies for your clients?

No, we do not want to fall into art advisory or consulting. Our members are free to purchase what they prefer, if they want to and at the price they decide to with the gallery, the artist, or the private seller. We can give our opinion if asked but that is not our purpose and it does not fall into one of the services Onfair offers.

What is a reasonable budget to start with?

There is no such a rule, today a work of art can go from a very low price to a very high one, depending on the artist’s name, gallery, reputation and ability to advertise himself. Once you start collecting, besides your budget constraints, what it really counts is your true passion and feelings for the work itself and the artist you are approaching. This is why we care so much about artists’ studios visists and private tours of foundations, where our members are our of the commercial perspective and our interlocutors as well; what counts is art and only your response to it. It is an emotional impact.

Do you feel that your clients have a strong sense of what they are looking for when considering an acquisition?

I wouldn’t say that, or at least not as general as we’re talking. I would say that it is more a matter of feeling, and coming across the work of art that really moves you something. That is what usually a collector, that is not in the optic of speculation, looks for and it is something you can not see coming until you really experience it. Young collectors in general want to know the artist, are more willing to buy a work that has been explained and shared with them, instead of merely following the trends or the public opinion and this is why Onfair becomes important In proposing and offering them such opportunity. Plus, it is much more fun!

Are there any artists that you have discovered recently that you think are going to make it big?

During the previous Fiac and Frieze editions we have been visiting different ateliers and innovative spaces, especially in London where there is much space for the youngest and the revolutionary projects. But also in Paris a magnificent project have been launched during Fiac, called Private Choice, where we had the chance to discover through a guided tour this private house, landed and emptied by the owners for the whole week, and redecorated entirely with works of art and design. The artists practically lived in the house, which was opened to the public every days and nights. Everybody would come in and walk through the property as it was their own. Tea, coffee, candels were welcoming the visitors, which could directly approach the artists and ask them to explain their work. Most of them were young artists, not represented by a gallery yet or still very new to the market, which made the experience even more special. I would not quote names but betting today on undiscovered and talented young artists is what a young collector should do first. Besides budget reasons, it gives an additional value to the collector himself, it is not only the joy of purchasing art but it makes you really becoming part of something. You get involved in the process of supporting and believing before everyone else into something that gives hope and contribution to the perseveration of the artist.