Adrian Ellis speaks with Charlotte Burns, Founder of Studio Burns, about how the art world constructs its stories – and what happens when data complicates them. From representation and market dynamics to institutional culture, they explore how research can surface patterns that would otherwise remain invisible and help inform future practice.

External references:

• Studio Burns – Independent editorial and research studio founded by Charlotte Burns, producing investigative journalism, data-driven projects, and podcasts about the art world.
• The Burns Halperin Report – a longitudinal data study on representation in US museums and the international art market, co-created by Charlotte Burns and Julia Halperin.
• Artists Speak: The Anonymous Was A Woman Artist Survey – written by Charlotte Burns, Julia Halperin, and SMU DataArts, synthesising responses from over 1,200 women artists on careers, finances, family, and identity.
• Museums Moving Forward – study on workplace equity and organisational culture in US art museums, offering longitudinal data on pay, promotions, discrimination, and job satisfaction.

Bio:
Charlotte Burns, is a journalist, researcher and founder of Studio Burns and the co-founder of The Burns Halperin Report, the largest data study of its kind tracking representation in museums and the market. She is also the host and producer of the podcasts The Art World: What If…?!, and Hope & Dread and In Other Words with Schwartzman& in New York. +