In the National Football League, the Combine is where futures are decided. Prospects are weighed, measured, timed, and ranked according to their field positions. Even before that, in college athletics, NIL (Name, Image and Likeness) values are assigned to athletes before they've played a single game. The logic of analytics is rather simple. Reduce a player to measurable data, then decide what they're worth.
COMBINE borrows that structure and asks what happens when such analytics are applied more thoughtfully, if erratically, to the artworld. Artists generally disdain any notion of competition, yet residencies, fellowships, and prizes are awarded all the time based on some semblance of competitive merit.
COMBINE is the first iteration of a larger study, called Art Fare, into this skewed art ecosystem. Our projects explore tangible and less orthodox ways that might benefit more artists, in the interest of sustainability.
When registering with COMBINE, artists complete a mandatory battery of six tests. The results automatically generate a public profile on the COMBINE Artist Portal. Over time, the accumulated data becomes something more than a roster. A collective mission emerges, to develop alternative economies and community through innovative tool kits that keep artists alive and kicking.
