According to Trend Hunter, Art Vending Machines are trendy!
Implications – Art is increasingly being commodified and made available to not only the upper classes. Art is being sold in small, on-the-go formats that appeal to the busy, but culturally-inclined, consumer. This trend also shows the continued popularity of vintage and retro designs, especially in now-simple technologies like vending machines or juke boxes.
Honestly, this strikes me as a rather trite analysis of the implications of this trend. The example Trend Hunter uses is the Art*o*mat®, who has this to say about their mission:
Artists in Cellophane (A.I.C.), the sponsoring organization of Art*o*mat® is based on the concept of taking art and “repackaging” it to make it part of our daily lives. The mission of A.I.C. is to encourage art consumption by combining the worlds of art and commerce in an innovative form. A.I.C believes that art should be progressive, yet personal and approachable.
I’ve found similar sentiments from other art vending machine proprietors. It’s not about commodifying art and making it lower-class. It’s all about making art more accessible. But maybe I’m just splitting hairs.
