In a bold departure from traditional art commerce, acclaimed Los Angeles designer Kelly Wearstler has launched Side Hustle, an innovative platform that merges artificial intelligence with multidisciplinary artistic collaboration. The platform represents a significant evolution in how art is created, experienced, and valued in the digital age, challenging conventional gallery models while embracing technology as a creative partner rather than a replacement for human artistry.
Redefining Artistic Boundaries Through Technology
Side Hustle emerges at a pivotal moment in the art world’s digital transformation. While global art sales experienced a 12 percent decline to $57.5 billion last year according to recent market analysis, Wearstler identified an opportunity in the shifting landscape. “We’re engaging creatives across disciplines and partnering on a project basis so they have the freedom to take real risks,” Wearstler explains. The platform’s approach reflects a broader trend of technology integration in creative industries, where AI enhances rather than replaces human creativity.
The timing coincides with significant developments across multiple sectors, including Southern Africa’s growing critical minerals sector and European initiatives to unlock frozen resources, demonstrating how technological innovation is reshaping diverse industries simultaneously.
Multidisciplinary Collaboration as Creative Engine
Wearstler assembled an inaugural group of ten multidisciplinary artists specifically to generate creative friction. The diverse practices of artists like Dozie Kanu, Nynke Koster, Leonor Antunes, and Sam Klemick might not naturally share traditional exhibition spaces, but Side Hustle deliberately places them in conversation. “We’re offering highly collectible works, yes, but alongside music, film, fragrance, and more,” Wearstler tells Forbes.
The platform’s debut exhibition, “Again, Differently,” opened October 16 in a historically significant Beverly Hills pool house once used by the Broccoli family to screen James Bond films. The physical exhibition runs through November 16, while its digital counterpart continues evolving with additional content, mirroring how modern productivity tools leverage continuous AI enhancement to maintain relevance and utility.
Infrastructure as Competitive Advantage
Wearstler strategically leverages her existing 65-person studio operation—known for designing Proper Hotels and manufacturing furniture—to handle Side Hustle’s fabrication and fulfillment. This integrated approach creates significant operational efficiencies while maintaining quality control. The studio’s custom large language models and machine learning capabilities accelerate research and prototyping while preserving human creative judgment.
“The emotion and imperfection still come from us,” Wearstler emphasizes. “AI just helps us get there faster and go further.” This balanced approach to technology integration reflects similar advancements seen in partnership ecosystems across technology sectors, where strategic alliances enhance capability without compromising core identity.
Beyond the White Cube: The Hustle Culture Platform
Side Hustle’s digital component, Hustle Culture, serves as an immersive entry point before commerce. The platform features curated content, artist profiles, and behind-the-scenes editorials that provide rich context for each release. Notable contributors include former MOCA director Jeffrey Deitch, producer Kenny Beats, and olfactory studio Perfumehead, creating a multisensory experience designed to travel beyond physical spaces and lodge in memory.
This comprehensive approach transforms each release into what Wearstler describes as “a cultural moment—something singular and meaningful, not just another drop.” The platform operates on release cycles rather than one-off openings, treating repetition as a creative tool where iterative gestures and micro-variations accumulate meaning with each pass.
Provenance as Conversation in Collected Works
A key innovation within Side Hustle is Collected Works, which positions historical pieces alongside new commissions, transforming provenance from pedigree display into dynamic conversation. This approach reflects Wearstler’s belief that “deep collaboration, not transactions” drives lasting value in the contemporary art market.
With over 2.5 million followers across platforms serving as a built-in distribution network, Wearstler has already demonstrated the scalability of niche authority through her popular Substack publication, WearstlerWorld. Side Hustle represents the codification of this proven model within the art world, positioned at the intersection of the booming creator economy—projected to reach $480 billion by 2027 according to Goldman Sachs.
Blueprint for Next-Generation Artistic Practice
Wearstler acknowledges the nervous excitement surrounding Side Hustle’s launch, describing it as “the best kind of nervous.” The platform arrives as collectors increasingly recognize that value accrues through circulation and conversation rather than auction results alone. By creating a system where artists can move across media and scale without traditional barriers, Side Hustle addresses what Wearstler identifies as an infrastructure problem rather than a creative one.
“Historically, there have been moments where these disciplines converged,” she observes. “I believe we’re on the cusp of another one, and [Side Hustle] could be the blueprint for how the next generation thrives.” In characteristic fashion, Wearstler has arrived first at this synthesis of art, technology, and commerce, creating not just a platform but an ecosystem where multidisciplinary creativity can flourish in the digital age.
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