Deianira Tolema is not the type to sit still.
The publisher and media thought leader has led D/railed mag in its ascendancy to trusted art news outlet featuring thoughtful and cohesive art criticism, and has contributed to publications such as HiFructose, Juxtapoz, Artribune, ArteIn, and Whitehot Magazine for Contemporary Art, among others. Her reporting for international outlets from Europe and the US to Asia have sparked wider dialogue with artists and cultural producers leading to Tolema’s realization that the art market was lacking a strategic creative PR firm to improve the visibility of artists and galleries ranging from emerging to the firmly established. With this in mind, she set out to launch a venture meeting this criteria, and 1&7 PR was born.
Recently, I caught up with Tolema over a whirlwind discussion on how 1&7 PR will rock the art world in light of her triumphant leadership of D/Railed mag.
Audra Lambert Thanks for sitting down with us, Deianira! Can you tell us how you knew now is the right moment to launch 1&7?
Deianira Tolema Having managed several companies, I’m at a moment where I have the tools to figure out how to effectively lead through maximizing resources, and this inspired me to start 1&7 PR and Advertising. Early on I started freelancing for Italian publications such as Serox Cult, ArteIn, Juliet, Art a Part of Culture, and Artribune right before my first collaborations with American outlets WhiteHot Magazine, ArteFuse, HiFructose, and Juxtapoz in the United States. It was useful to experiment with American English while working for artists and curators: those collaborations came naturally while hanging out at global art such as ArteFiera in Bologna, Frieze NY and Miami Art Basel Miami. Last year I began working with Asian and Australia’s Indian Ceramic Quarterly and Beautiful Bizarre Australia. I also continued to receive commissions from artists and curators who noticed my work and more and more frequently consulted with me on how to present their works - via a press release to promote their art, or a unique essay – to which I contributed a European style with a touch of Italian poetry and conceptualism, coupled with an American eye on content clarity and readability.
Through this process I had to find my own standout voice, and I had to do it rapidly because of today’s rapidly globalized pace. This is how D/railed Magazine was born – to help me refine my editorial skills so that I’d have the practical experience necessary to move forward. Finally reached a turning point so I asked myself, “Am I ready to take this initiative on my own with the help of the best artists, editors, and writers?” Creating 1&7 PR and Advertising was the inevitable next step.
AL As Founder and Chief Editor of D/railed, you have had ample opportunity to view the art world on a global scale. What opportunities did you see in launching 1&7 PR? Do you have a specific target client in mind?
DT Emerging artists and curators are one type of client we work with. Regardless of the huge amounts of money that many invest in continued art education, art schools are not always providing the contacts and knowledge required to make the first jump in the art world in terms of self-analysis and promotion, thus our ideal clients are contemporary art professionals who are ready to undergo a gradual improvement at the lowest rates with realistic expectations.
We do also work with established artists as well, offering our own creative out-of- the-box solutions.
AL You chose to launch 1&7 PR from your native Italy. Can you expand on why Italy is the right location for a PR agency operating on a global scale?
DT We have been making 50 % of our sales via social media, and the location of our headquarters is irrelevant, especially considering that just as only the best contemporary art writers in the world are invited to write for D/railed, it’s also true that only the best writers, editors, graphic designers, photographers, and videographers have been invited to be part of this project. With D/railed Mag, I set out to assemble the perfect team, trained, as you say, to compete on a global scale, ascertaining my partners’ temperaments, critical faculties and attitude/work ethic.
AL Can you explain how 1&7 PR differs from its competitors in the art PR/advertising market and what sets you apart?
DT ...You can find out by purchasing our services! We strive for perfection, as you can see on D/railed and our portfolio, and having a team comprised of art professionals from literally every corner of the globe really helps because it allows us to combine the best of everyone’s cultural background and aesthetic sensibility. This is the kind of perfection that you can only reach by carefully combining the most brilliant minds on the block and can only be achieved through team effort.
AL How are you extracting experience as an art critic and editor of a major online art outlet into this new role leading 1&7 PR?
DT I started studying Visual Arts in 2002, and since then I’ve helped tons of creatives achieve their goals, and continue to do so. As for my role as leader of D/railed and 1&7 PR’s team, I’ve always been top of my class and a bit of a bossy organizer. Surmounting challenges as I’ve grown into my current role over a course of personal battles, I’ve assumed this position in the most unexpected context and manner. Now that I’ve grown comfortable leading in this role it has become easy to convince others of how I can benefit them.
AL Who is the 1&7 PR "dream" client? What types of artists and organizations are you seeking to represent?
DT We are open to working with literally anyone in and outside of the art world: after working so hard for so long, we feel that limiting creativity would be an absolute waste. Think about how advertising works: who cares if the product to promote is either a book, a tomato soup can, or a porcelain vase covered in paper butterflies? All it takes is experience, research, knowledge, creativity, and strategy – and a touch of the unique and crazy.
AL What suite of services will you provide under the umbrella of 1&7 PR? Will writing and editing services be included under the agency's umbrella?
DT We tend to produce an individual, personalized plan for each of our clients; however, most definitely writing/editing, graphic design, and social media management services in addition to art consultancy, public relations, and everything concerning promotional strategies that involve photography and video making. We can also create compelling curatorial projects and design gallery rooms and art fair booths, and so much more.