'Corporate Art Collections - The Saviour or Death of Contemporary Art ?'

More and more small and mid-sized firms have begun to collect art, not only to create a pleasing office experience, but because of its potential investment value. As a result, an entire industry has developed to serve the needs of corporate art collections.

Does this imply that artists have begun to produce work to satisfy the needs of this industry and are therefore changing the way in which they work?

This year's debate at the Discerning Eye Exhibition invites four leading individuals to discuss the issue of corporate art collections and the possible implications on artists and the work they produce.

Gill Hedley (Director of The Contemporary Arts Society) and Alistair Hicks (curator of the Corporate Art Collection at Deutsche Bank) will be talking about the ways in which the commitment to and involvement in the arts made by businesses and corporations reflect a real recognition of the value of art and hence encourage and support artists to develop and produce work.

Tony Carter (Principle of The City and Guilds of London Art School) and David Lee (Editor of Jackdaw) will suggest the possibility that artists may abandon their instinctive creative ideas in order to 'cash in' on this industry in order to earn a living and as a result change the style of artwork produced in the 21st Century.

What do you think?

The debate will take place at The Mall Galleries, The Mall, London SW1, on Wednesday 13th November 2002 at 6pm. Admission free.