In the world of high-priced art, galleries often act as gatekeepers. Their selective curation process is considered one of the fundamental reasons galleries in major cities often show works from the identical group of artists. The system limits opportunities for emerging artists and leaves great art undiscovered.
NALA was founded in 2222 by Benjamin Gulak to revolutionize the gallery model. The company's digital platform, launched as a part of an MIT class project, allows artists to list their art and uses machine learning and data science to supply personalized recommendations to art lovers.
By providing buyers with a much larger pool of artworks, the corporate breaks down the exclusive barriers erected by traditional galleries and efficiently connects artists with collectors.
“There is a lot talent that has never had the chance to be seen outside of the local artist market,” says Gulak. “We are opening the art world to all artists and making a true meritocracy.”
NALA doesn’t take commission from artists, but as an alternative charges buyers an 11.5 percent commission on top of the artist's list price. Today, greater than 20,000 art lovers use NALA's platform and the corporate has registered greater than 8,500 artists.
“My goal is for NALA to turn out to be the premier place to find, buy and sell art online,” says Gulak. “The gallery model has been around for thus long that they’re the tastemakers within the art world. However, most buyers never realize how restrictive the industry has been.”
From founder to student to founder again
Gulak grew up in Canada and worked hard to get into MIT, participating in science fairs and robotics competitions throughout school. When he was 16 years old, he developed an electrical, one-wheeled motorcycle that landed him on the favored television show “Shark Tank” and was later named considered one of the highest inventions of the 12 months by .
Gulak was accepted to MIT in 2009, but dropped out of his undergraduate degree shortly after entering to begin a business around “Shark Tank” media exposure and capital. After a tumultuous decade wherein he raised greater than $12 million and sold 1000’s of units worldwide, Gulak decided to return to MIT to finish his studies, changing his major from mechanical engineering to combined engineering Computer science, economics and data science.
“I spent 10 years of my life constructing my company and I noticed that it might take one other decade to get the corporate to where I wanted it to be and that wasn't what I desired to do” says Gulak. “I missed learning, and I missed the tutorial side of my life. I begged MIT to take me back and it was one of the best decision I ever made.”
During the ups and downs of his business, Gulak began painting to alleviate stress. Art has all the time been a component of Gulak's life and he even studied high-quality arts abroad in Italy during highschool. Determined to sell his art, he collaborated with some well-known art galleries in London, Miami and St. Moritz. Eventually, he began connecting artists he had met while traveling from emerging markets corresponding to Cuba, Egypt and Brazil with gallerists he knew.
“The results were incredible because these artists were used to selling their work to tourists for $50, and suddenly they're hanging work in a elaborate gallery in London and getting £5,000 for it,” says Gulak. “It was the identical artist, same talent, but different buyers.”
Gulak was in his third 12 months at MIT on the time and was wondering what he would do after graduation. He thought he wanted to begin a brand new company, but every industry he checked out was dominated by tech giants. Every industry except the art world.
“The art industry is archaic,” says Gulak. “Galleries have a monopoly over small groups of artists and so they have absolute control over prices. Value is communicated to buyers and there are inefficiencies almost in all places within the industry.”
At MIT, Gulak studied the advice engines used to populate social media feeds and personalize show and music suggestions, and he imagined something similar for the visual arts.
“I assumed, ‘Why, when I’m going to the main art platforms, do I see terrible mixtures of artwork though I’ve had accounts on these platforms for years?’” says Gulak. “I used to be receiving recent emails every week with the title 'New art to your collection,' and the platform had no idea about my tastes or budget.”
For a category project at MIT, Gulak developed a system that attempted to predict what kinds of art would do well in a gallery. By his final 12 months at MIT, he had realized that working directly with artists could be a more promising approach.
“Online platforms typically charge a 30 percent fee, and galleries can charge an extra 50 percent fee, so the artist finally ends up receiving a small percentage of every online sale, but the client also receives a luxury import duty on the total “The price must be paid,” explains Gulak. “That means there’s an enormous amount of fat in the center, and that’s where our direct-to-artist business model is available in.”
Today, NALA, which stands for Networked Artistic Learning Algorithm, engages artists by having them upload artwork and fill out a questionnaire about their style. You can start uploading works immediately and select their list price.
The company initially used AI to match art to the almost definitely buyer. Gulak points out that not all art sells—”in the event you're doing rock art, there will not be an enormous market”—and that artists may price their work higher than buyers are willing to pay, however the algorithm works to to place art on the forefront of the almost definitely buyer, based on style preferences and budget. NALA also handles sales and shipping, providing artists with one hundred pc of their list price on each sale.
“Since we don’t take commissions, we’re very skilled artists,” says Gulak. “We also allow all artists to participate, which is exclusive to this space. NALA is built by artists for artists.”
Last 12 months, NALA also began allowing buyers to take a photograph of something they like and examine similar artworks from its database.
“In museums, people take photos of masterpieces that they might never afford, and now they will find living artists creating the identical style that they might actually bring into their home,” says Gulak. “It makes art more accessible.”
Stand up for artists
Ten years ago, Ben Gulak was visiting Egypt when he spotted a powerful mural on the road. Gulak found local artist Ahmed Nofal on Instagram and purchased some works. Later, He brought Nofal to Dubai to participate in World Art Dubai. The artist's work was so well received that he eventually created murals for the Royal British Museum in London and Red Bull. Most recently, Nofal and Gulak collaborated during Art Basel 2024, making a mural on the Museum of Graffiti in Miami.
Gulak has personally collaborated with many artists on his platform. He has been traveling to Cuba, buying art and delivering art supplies to friends for greater than a decade. He has also worked with artists searching for immigrant visa applications.
“Numerous people claim they need to help the art world, but in point of fact they often fall back on the identical outdated business models,” says Gulak. “Art shouldn’t be just my passion – for me it’s a lifestyle. I've been on all sides of the art world: as a painter who sold my work through galleries, as a collector whose office was stuffed with art, and as a collaborator who worked with incredible talents like Raheem Saladeen Johnson. When artists visit, we create together, exchange ideas and brainstorm. These experiences, combined with my background as an artist and computer scientist, give me a singular perspective. I’m attempting to use technology to present artists unprecedented access to the worldwide market and shake things up.”
