‘Art reflects who we are – as a society, as an individual, and as an institution. It can remind us of our collective heritage. Or hint at the future. The same goes for us – UBS … We actively want to reach out and share our passion for art with our clients and the public and frequently lend our works to institutions such as MoMA or Tate Modern. This web museum is an expression of that desire’.
The dedicated multi-media web museum for the UBS Art Collection which was launched in 2004 is a comprehensive website which details the 30-year history of the corporate collection of over 900 contemporary works spanning the last 60 years. Separate wings of the web museum provide information on the members of the Advisory Board, the Curators and the Management for the collection. On-line exhibitions highlight selected works from the collection which represent social and economic developments during each decade from the 1950’s. An A-Z directory contains biographies of artists in the collection. Another web-wing details UBS’s partnerships with various arts institutions including MoMA, Tate Modern and two Swiss galleries as well as with Art Basel and its sister art fair, Art Basel Miami Beach. Hyper-links to each of those institution's websites provide an opportunity to compare press releases from these partners about the UBS Art Collection and benefits from their sponsorship by UBS. A ‘News’ wing contains UBS press releases and selected press reviews relating to the various arts ‘partnerships’ and exhibitions of works from the collection. A ‘Shop’ wing advertises the catalogue from the MoMA exhibition Contemporary Voices: Works from The UBS Collection with introduction by Glenn Lowry, director of MoMA.
The website is an excellent resource for my case study as it provides details on both the corporate rationale for the UBS Art Collection and on the various arts ‘partnerships’ and other arts sponsorship relationships UBS has developed. The hyper-links provide easy access to comprehensive information about these institutions which will facilitate my analysis of how UBS is using its arts ‘partnerships’ and co-branded press releases to develop a corporate identity associated with leading international arts institutions whilst concurrently enhancing the value of its own corporate collection.
However the web museum also reveals another valuable web … a network of relationships between members of the UBS Advisory Board who also sit on boards of leading arts institutions including MoMA and the Royal Academy, as well as being private collectors themselves. Is there a question of ‘for love or money’?