The problems of selling video and interactive art are widely known. TelcomGallery makes a concrete proposal by applying commercial strategies normally used by telecommunication services. The insensitive appeal and feel of choosing art by dialling numbers and paying per minute ironically questions the saleability of art in general. Art as a modern technologically rated article consumable per time unit. The applied time based paying system puts the user under pressure causing an uncomfortable situation of feeling the fluxus of money – and at the same time the value of art. By deciding when to hang up the phone the visitor indicates how interesting she or he finds the scene but as well how much she or he is prepared or able to pay for art.

The shown video sequences are very static – more painting than movie. They do not tell any stories nor do they have a high level of information. Therefore they are not suitable for potential video or cinema selling strategies. The similarity with famous paintings underlines the “art”-aspect and conduces to the gallery situation. The paintings are translated into audiovisual expressions. Like on TV there is a braod offer of content and taste: from entertaining and funny stories to well defined allusions for the art expert.
The side taste of paying telephone charge for art – normally paid for services of different kind inclusive telephone sex – shows that art always was and still is a commission.

Since the game world strongly enters the art world the question of paying per time unit might not sound that strange anymore and the idea of owning a piece of art hung op on top of the sofa in a exclusively private environment has no better legitimacy.
The ambiguity of the setup doesn’t get resolved. The appearance of the TelcomGallery looks as commercially reliable as the scenes are emotionally embarrassing. The answer to the question if there is real economic interest or a fundamental critic about the handling of art is up to the visitor. The incoming money can be used for equipment and other charges, spent in an appropriate exhibition context, or can be used by the artist to buy a new car.