05 > about us > questions & answers
About the label
What does Artfriendly stand for?
Artfriendly is an invented word. It stands for several things:
1. An attitude, a positive mindset towards art and artists.
2. People you might have come across in a museum or in an art exhibition. A circle of people with an affinity for art, for creativity, who don't claim to be experts. Their relation to art is open, with no prejudgment. Many of them would be happy to buy an artwork, but never, or rarely, get round to it. (Does this sound like you?)
3. Places open to creativity (Maybe the place where you are at the moment?)
4. An art label promoting inspiring visual artists and spreading their work as widely as possible.
Who are you?
Artfriendly is an art label based in Brussels, Belgium.
All our energy is channeled towards promoting visual artists and diffusing their work as widely as possible. We offer original art editions produced in a responsible manner.
When you buy an artwork you also buy a tree that we will plant with Tree-Nation. Our objective is to plant more than 10.000 trees in 3 years. Will our action save the planet? Probably not, but it might contribute to it.
Our objective is to inspire you with the work of our artists and to inspire the market with our responsible business practices. Artfriendly is all about positive action, inspiration and respect.
What makes you different from the other art labels?
Artfriendly is guided by strong values and by a state of mind. From an artistic viewpoint, this translates into collections articulated round 3 main sources of inspiration: urban life, the planet and the nature. From an economic stand point this means to be guided by a true social and environmental responsibility.
Artists & collections
How do you select the artists?
The human dimension is very important to us. It is a key element of our approach. We are truly interested into the artists, into their work. We are seeking artists who reflect the state of mind of our label and who care about our responsible manner of doing things.
How do you select the works?
We select the works with the artist who comes up with initial propositions. We do test prints. We ask for advice to specialists, our artistic directors. At the end of the day, we only produce a work if everyone is truly convinced.
What's the point for the artists?
The label increases their exposure, pays the artists on sales, takes care of their promotion and gives them the opportunity to take part to fighting climate change. In fact, we do not count the number of works we sell; we count the number of trees we plant.
Can all the artfriendly collections and artworks be found in any sales point?
No, not necessarily.
Each distributor is free to build his own palette depending on his affinities.
To find our complete catalogue, please visit our online gallery.
Main features of the artworks
Are the Artfriendly works original artworks or reproductions?
We offer original editions produced under the control of the artist. All our artworks are delivered with a certificate of authenticity.
What are the guarantees related to the certificate of authenticity?
This official document issued by the label is a guarantee of authenticity. The label certifies that you are purchasing an original edition, produced under the control of the artist.
What are the limits of your editions?
Open Editions - 40 x 40 cm - open
Limited editions - 50 x 50 cm - 100 exemplars
Exclusive editions - 75 x 75 cm - 95 exemplars
Superdelicious editions - 75 x 75 cm in Plexiglas - 50 exemplars
Where are the artworks produced?
The works are handcrafted in Brussels by an official supplier of the Royal Court of Belgium.
Do I need a frame with an Artfriendly work?
No.
How can I place a work on the wall without a frame?
All our artworks are delivered with holders placed on the back allowing an easy placement on the wall.
Orders, secured payments and shipping
How can I order and Artfriendly work?
In the gallery, when you have found a work you would like to buy, simply click on “add to cart”. To finalise your order, confirm your shopping cart and pay online.
How can I offer a gift?
You have tow options:
1) You select the work you would like to offer / more info
2) You leave the choice of the work open and offer a gift voucher / more info
What are the general conditions of sale?
Please follow this link to read our general conditions of sale.
What payment methods do you accept?
We are able to accept VISA and MASTERCARD payments.
Are the online payment transactions secured?
Yes, of course.
The market leader in secured online payments OGONE processes the transactions in a secure manner. The banking details your provide are encrypted and are only exchanged with the financial institution you are dealing with. Your banking details are not stored on our server, that's the reason why you will have to provide them for every new transaction.
What are the terms of delivery?
Each order is processed once. Consequently, an order is only processed when all ordered items are “in stock”. To have your order delivered faster, we suggest you to only keep items specified as “in stock” in your shopping cart. Orders placed from Monday to Friday, except public holidays, including only items specified as “in stock”, are processed within about 3 days.
What are the delivery fees?
We are able to define the shipping fees once we know what we have to deliver and where. The delivery fees as any other element that will be invoiced is clearly communicated to you before the final validation of your order.
What if my order is damaged?
a) Before opening the parcels
On delivery of your order, and before opening the parcels, it is mandatory to check both the number of parcels and their condition.
In no case should you open the parcels before having checked their condition. If you notice that a parcel has been opened during transport, if it's wet, crushed, torn or if you notice any visible damage, you should specify “RESTRICTIONS”, on the document you are requested to sign on delivery. Under RESTRICTIONS, you should specify details of what you have noticed (e.g. RESTRICTIONS - parcel opened during transport).
By signing the delivery form or opening a parcel without noting RESTRICTIONS, it is assumed you have checked the condition of the parcels, noticed no damage and accepted the delivery. Consequently, the conveyor is free from any liability and can claim that damage occurred after shipping.
If the conveyor says that there is no document on which to express a RESTRICTION, please refuse the delivery, sign nothing and contact our customer service department. We will follow the matter up.
b) Opening the parcels
Having checked the condition of each parcel and specified your RESTRICTIONS, if any, you can open the parcels and check their content.
c) In case of difficulty
If you notice any visible damage, you should immediately contact our customer service department who will follow the matter up and guide you through the necessary steps.
I don't like the artwork I have ordered, can I change my mind?
Of course you can.
We invite to read the general conditions of sale to find out more details about this specific right.
Environmental footprint
To what extend has the environment be a criteria guiding your choices?
The processes and materials we use, have been selected with the reduction of our ecological footprint as main criteria, even before the costs.
In what manner is your production process respecting the environment?
Any production process has an impact on the environment. Our objective has been to make sure that we select the processes and materials that will have the lowest impact.
What type of packaging do you use?
The packagings we use to protect the artworks are in recycled cardboard.
The packaging of the 50 x 50 cm artworks proposed in shops in a transparent packaging is in 100 % recyclable PET. It's same material that is used to produce the bottles of mineral water. We have also foreseen a handle to avoid the use of plastic bags.
What are the certificates made out of?
The paper used for our certificates comes from managed forest and is FSC labeled.
What are the holders on the back of the artworks made out of?
We have spent quite a lot of time to find the processes and materials allowing us to reduce our environmental footprint. We haven't succeeded for the plastic auto-adhesive holders that we deliver with our 50 x 50 cm works. We haven't actually been able to find any suitable solution yet. If we reach the appropriate volumes, we have the intention to develop our own nature-friendly adhesive holders.
This question does not concern the 75 x 75 cm artworks. Our large formats are delivered with a handcrafted aluminum structure on the back.
Global warming
Rather then to compensate, don't you think that it would be wiser to avoid your CO2 emissions?
We completely agree.
In our case the idea is not to compensate our CO2 emission. Our aim is to use the activity of the label to raise funds and use them to fight climate change. Our objective is to inspire the public with the work of the artists and to inspire the market with responsible business practices.
How do you fight climate change?
It's actually not really us who are fighting climate change. It's you. When you buy an artwork, you also buy a tree. We offer the public the option to consume in a responsible manner. The tree will be planted by Tree-Nation as part of the “The Billion Tree Campaign” of the United Nations Environment Programme. Our objective is to plant more than 10.000 trees in 3 years.
Why have you decided to work with Tree-Nation?
We have chosen to work with them because we are likely minded. In both cases, we have decided to be in the market to influence it. In fact, both Artfriendly and Tree-Nation are private companies. We have selected them because of their professionalism, because of the relevance of their approach and because they work in partnership with the United-Nations.
Where will the trees be planted?
The trees will be planted in Niger in a huge land in form of a heart. Niger is one of the countries that is the most heavily hit by desertification and climate change.
How can you be sure that the funds that you raise will actually be used to plant trees?
We have done our best to find reliable partners. Tree-Nation works on a United Nations programme. We have met these people and we have the intention to visit the plantation to see the result of our efforts.
Social responsibility
What makes you think that your processes are responsible from a social perspective?
We believe that our approach is socially responsible because we act in order to preserve our social and economic environment. The label has its offices in a priority zone of development of the European Union (Objective 2 Zone). Our entire production process takes place in Belgium or in Europe. We use local expertise and labor to propose top-end quality and to avoid any outplacement of our production in countries where human and social rights as well as the environment are not necessarily respected.
What makes you think that the definition of our prices is inspired by principles of fair trade?
Our prices are fair because we offer and exceptional level of quality and a reasonable price. Each work is handcrafted in Brussels by the best available specialists of the artistic sector. We consider that the way we have defined our prices is inspired by principles of fair trade because we have made sure that every person who is involved in our activity is treated in a fair manner. This obviously applies also to the artists who get 50% of the revenues of the label.
