Fashion week opened in my town yesterday and all of us attending received a warm greeting, complementary drinks and a wonderful spectacle with a bit of overblown bass. Everybody who is anybody in fashion seemed to be attending, mingling and throwing critical glances on this year’s collections.

And I kept wandering about visual arts and the tribal gatherings that we do in galleries and museums. We have a bunch of things in common with the couture crowd; one big event that everybody looks forward to for the whole year, many smaller ones where the little dominance battles of who’s creations are better, fresher and more haut are decided and a bunch of chatty people, who can’t but comment on everything that happens in their industry.

Now while our worlds share all of these communal aspects, the one big difference is always striking. The amount of product placement, advertising and sponsorships that events in the fashion industry receive is beyond compare to our PR silent and many times self-funded world of art.

From Sensodyne to Vitamin Water, anything that had even the slightest chance to be latched onto the ideals of fashion – like white, beautiful teeth and I guess good skin – was there. All companies supporting the cause and trying to get the attention of anyone present. But why don’t we see art exhibits being sponsored by brands that find their mission and vision aligned with what the visual art world has to offer? Is it really just because a brand like Skittles would damage the image of Fine Art? Or is there maybe room for such endeavours, and should companies and artists alike be at least giving it a try? I myself would welcome a pop-art exhibit to be sponsored by rainbow candy and I think Warhol would have too.