By Beatriz Rivera
Elisa Hernando Calero (Madrid, 1973) is a pioneer in Spain. As one might say in marketing terms, she found a niche in the artistic consulting for companies and institutions that didn't exist in our country. This discipline, known in the US as ' art advisory ', would be his starting point. Thus, Arte Global was born in 2003. Before creating this company, Hernando studied two degrees at university: Business Studies and Art History. And he has taken the best of both for his projects . After several years in the banking world, he made the leap into art at the age of 30, with all the complications that entering an unfamiliar territory entails for someone so young .
Arte Global bases its business model on " international consulting dedicated to art collecting and cultural management projects for institutions, companies, and individuals," as can be read on its website. Thanks to the work of Arte Global, they make sure to adapt to "the collector's profile, their budget or their collection line , and from there they look at all the options, both national and international," explains the director. Their main clients are the Banco Santander Foundation, BBVA, ARCOmadrid, the Cervantes Institute, and even the real estate portal Idealista , among others.
Hernando noticed during his professional career that there is "a group of people who are just starting out in art, around 30 and 40 years old" who don't take the plunge and buy works because they have doubts . "If you don't have the knowledge, it's very complicated; you can get lost," explains the entrepreneur. This is how Redcollectors was born, the second company she founded and directs alongside Arte Global. Through the online platform, an advisory service is offered to anyone and at any price . Once the user profile is established, Redcollectors will select the works, whether photography, sculpture, painting, etc., based on the data collected by the company through the user profile.
But what works can they receive advice on with RedCollectors? It can be from any gallery in the world . "Everything is transparent: you see the works, the price, all the information from the screen of your device," explains Hernando. The platform's innovation lies in the various tools that help you enrich the purchase, such as the use of 3D formats and augmented reality . Thus, the buyer can simulate being in the gallery itself without leaving home. "With Redcollectors, you can have a sense of scale and space in your room ." The purchasing experience, thanks to all the support, is "easy and transparent," declares the director.
Despite the prejudices that may exist around buying a work of art online, Hernando says that They haven't had "a single case of return." The key to customer satisfaction lies in the tools that support the shopping experience.
First Collectors
"Would you like to buy art but don't know where to start?" This is the first sentence anyone browsing the program's website will read. First Collectors. The objective of this service is to offer "individualized purchasing proposals based on the preferences and profile of the interested party." The catalog of works that potential clients can purchase is compiled from the options presented by the participating galleries. ARCOmadrid .
Managed by Arte Global and sponsored by Banco Santander, this program is " totally free " and is designed for "those who wish to enter the world of art collecting and investment" coinciding with the most important contemporary art fair in Spain and on the international scene. The program was born twelve years ago , and in the last edition they attended to "more than 100 applicants."
First Collectors has a own physical space at the fair . But there's work to be done before setting up the stand, as their program "is a very personalized service, and we have to understand what they want and also what their budget is," explains Hernando. The works are collected at his team's stand, where They wait for other curious people to approach to ask any kind of questions . "It's normal for them to ask, because they are people who are just starting out and need to resolve these doubts," explains the director. "We have a "Approximately 70 percent of cases end up buying ," the entrepreneur proudly says. The reason why the purchase rate following the advice of the First Collectors team is so high is because " The search is as close as possible to your interests," as Hernando explains.
What's coming
Now Hernando works full-time in his companies and part-time teaching classes on 'Economics and the Art of Appraisal' at two renowned universities in Madrid: Complutense and Nebrija. In both businesses, her goal is to ensure that "the experience—with both—is as good as possible and that the client takes home the work they like." This year, March will be one of the busiest in the director's schedule.
The reason? ARCO has the full attention of her and her team , but, in the words of the CEO, "we never stop," and that's because she's "passionate about my work." Thanks to her spirit and strength, Hernando has become one of the most important voices in the world of contemporary art and collecting in Spain . The key to her success lies in the fact that "every experience of enjoying art, learning, or buying according to your tastes" is guaranteed with her companies.
