From canvas to capital: Brands bet on art fairs for long-term gain

Held every November in Shanghai, West Bund Art & Design has become a crucial waypoint in the global contemporary art market. Often viewed as a barometer of market sentiment, the fair gathers hundreds of leading galleries from around the world and attracts partners such as UBS, Dunhill, and Sigma. Together, they form a space where cultural capital and professional discourse converge. The art fair format traces its roots back to medieval trade markets and world fairs that bridged art, industry, and technology. The modern template was set in 1967 with Art Cologne, establishing the fair as a hybrid arena where market mechanisms and cultural narratives coexist. Today, participants extend far beyond galleries and collectors. More brands are showing up, not just for visibility but to build cultural identity and long-term capital beyond traditional marketing cycles. At this year’s West Bund, three strategies stood out: using art to recalibrate cultural identity, supporting nonprofit initiatives as long-term brand value, and creating experiences anchored in physical presence. How brands can enter the art system At an art fair, financial muscle and media exposure merely secure entry. What determines whether a brand resonates with the ecosystem is its ability to inhabit the cultural and intellectual language of the art world. At this year’s West Bund Art & Design, brands explored new ways to participate. British menswear house Dunhill partnered with the fair to co-present the Forum, an open arena for discussions about the future of the art ecosystem. The brand invited 65 international speakers, outfitted them in tailored suits, and in doing so connected its brand identity to critical cultural discourse beyond its products. Japanese camera company Sigma took a different approach. Anchored by its “Beautiful Foolishness” camera line, Sigma curated a photography exhibition exploring the idea of “the usefulness of the useless.” By shifting attention from hardware performance to the philosophy of image-making, the brand signaled a strategic pivot from technical differentiation to creating meaningful value in a saturated market. The concept struck a chord with visitors. One wrote on social media: “Life doesn’t always need to be useful.” Comments like this suggest that Sigma’s artistic framing is translating directly into emotional affinity among its core users. Across these cases, brands favored focused, dialogue-driven encounters over advertising, using precise engagement to convey cultural perspective and forge deeper emotional connections where meaning matters more than visibility. Turning short-term participation into cultural capital Art fairs are brief — often just a few days. For brands, this time frame is both an opportunity and a challenge: how can a short-lived moment be transformed into cultural capital with long-term value? The answer lies in converting episodic visibility into sustained, structured engagement. This shift is key for brands seeking longevity within the art ecosystem. Sigma, for instance, recently launched its own foundation to transform its image from equipment manufacturer to cultural producer. Luxury groups offer long-standing precedent. LVMH, Kering, and others have embedded their influence into the global cultural landscape through foundations and dedicated art spaces, building an ecosystem that spans exhibitions and research. UBS, West Bund’s lead partner, demonstrates a similar long-term focus. With decades of global art engagement, UBS has built one of the most recognized corporate art programs and co-publishes the annual Art Basel & UBS Art Market Report, a benchmark reference for the industry. Its deep partnership with West Bund underscores the fair’s role within the bank’s broader cultural strategy. More brands are adapting long-term cultural frameworks to their own scale. At West Bund, Swiss watchmaker Swatch leveraged its long-running artist residency program to stage a group exhibition at both the fair and the Peace Hotel Art Center during Shanghai Art Week, while also participating in forum discussions. The result was a full-spectrum presence ranging from artistic production to public discourse. For artists, these brand-supported events can serve as a launchpad. When brands lend their credibility and networks, they can propel creatives from their studios directly into an art-fair context where gallerists, curators, and collectors converge. Gallery staff at this year’s fair reported that several emerging artists backed by brand initiatives recorded strong sales — evidence that this model has real market traction. Reinforcing value through the real and the rare By anchoring experiences in the physical world, art fairs and luxury brands counter the exhaustion of constant online engagement, generating lasting impact for audiences. Consider the irreplaceability of a physical artwork. Its value is inseparable from its aura — the pressure or intimacy of a full-scale canvas, the texture of layered pigment, the way light drifts across its surface. These are sensory details digital images could never replicate. High-end brands follow the same principle. By crafting low-frequency, high-value objects with the rigor of art-making — infusing craftsmanship, design intent, and aesthetic discipline — they elevate products into markers of personal history and emotion. At this year’s West Bund, The Macallan brought this approach to life with a thematic exhibition spotlighting technique and product, alongside Forum sessions on the boundary between collecting and consumption. In recent years, the whisky house has also collaborated with contemporary artists on packaging design, enhancing the collectible aspect of its offerings. Additionally, the fair’s support for emerging galleries and experimental voices through its “design / delight” platform stands out in a results-driven market. Bringing in fresh energy keeps the fair vibrant and builds symbolic capital that can lead to long-term pricing power. Even without immediate returns, this investment lays the foundation for brands to connect with culturally discerning audiences. Even after the fair, the value forged between art and commerce endures. By leveraging art in their long-term strategy, brands expand cultural horizons and anchor themselves in a world of constant change.

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From canvas to capital: Brands bet on art fairs for long-term gain