In the world of costly art, galleries tend to act as gatekeepers. Their selective curatorial process is the main reason why galleries in immense cities often present works by the same group of artists. The system limits opportunities for emerging artists and leaves great art undiscovered.
NALA was founded by Benjamin Gulak ’22 to disrupt the gallery model. The company’s digital platform, which was developed as part of a project at MIT, allows artists to advertise their works and uses machine learning and data analytics to offer art lovers personalized recommendations.
By making a much larger pool of works of art available to buyers, the company breaks the barriers of exclusivity set up by time-honored galleries and efficiently connects artists with collectors.
“There is so much talent that has never had the opportunity to be seen outside of the local artist market,” Gulak says. “We are opening the world of art to all artists, creating a true meritocracy.”
NALA does not charge commissions to artists, instead charging buyers an 11.5% commission on top of the artist’s listed price. Today, over 20,000 art lovers operate the NALA platform, and the company has registered over 8,500 artists.
“My goal is for NALA to become the dominant place to discover, buy and sell art online,” says Gulak. “The gallery model has been around for so long that they set tastes in the art world. However, most buyers never realize how restrictive this industry was.
From founder to student and back to founder
Growing up in Canada, Gulak worked hard to get into MIT, participating in science fairs and robotics competitions throughout high school. At the age of 16, he created an electric, one-wheeled motorcycle, which led to him appearing on the popular TV show “Shark Tank” and later being recognized by .
Gulak was accepted to MIT in 2009, but withdrew shortly after entering college to start a media presence and “Shark Tank” equity business. After a tumultuous decade during which he raised over $12 million and sold thousands of copies worldwide, Gulak decided to return to MIT to complete his degree, changing his major from mechanical engineering to a combined computer science, economics and data science.
“I spent 10 years of my life building my business and realized it would take another decade to get the company to where I wanted it to be, and that wasn’t what I wanted to do,” Gulak says. “I missed studying and the academic side of my life. I actually begged MIT to take me back, and it was the best decision I ever made.”
During the ups and downs of running the company, Gulak took up painting to relieve stress. Art has always been a part of Gulak’s life, and he even studied abroad in art in Italy during high school. Determined to try and sell his art, he worked with several prominent art galleries in London, Miami and St. Moritz. Eventually, he began connecting artists he met while traveling in emerging markets such as Cuba, Egypt and Brazil with gallery owners he knew.
“The results were incredible because these artists were used to selling their work to tourists for $50, and suddenly they hang their work in a fancy gallery in London and make £5,000,” Gulak says. “It was the same artist, same talent, but different buyers.”
At the time, Gulak was in his third year at MIT and wondering what he would do after graduation. He thought he wanted to start a novel business, but every industry he looked at was dominated by tech giants. That is, every industry, except the world of art.
“The art industry is archaic,” says Gulak. “Galleries have a monopoly on small groups of artists and have absolute control over prices. Buyers are told what the value is, and you see inefficiencies almost everywhere in the industry.”
At MIT, Gulak studied recommendation engines used to populate social media feeds and personalize suggestions for shows and music, and predicted something similar for the visual arts.
“I was wondering why when I go to the big art platforms I see terrible combinations of art, even though I have had accounts on these platforms for years?” – says Gulak. “I received new emails every week titled ‘New Art for Your Collection,’ and the platform had no idea of my taste or budget.”
For a class project at MIT, Gulak built a system that tried to predict the types of artwork that would perform well in a gallery. During his senior year at MIT, he realized that working directly with artists would be a more promising approach.
“Online platforms typically charge a 30 percent fee, and galleries may charge an additional 50 percent, so the artist receives a small percentage of each online sale, but the buyer also has to pay luxury import duty on the full price,” Gulak explains. “That means there’s a huge amount of fat in the middle, and that’s where our direct-to-artist business model comes in.”
Today, NALA, or the Networked Artistic Learning Algorithm, supports artists by asking them to submit their work and complete a questionnaire about their style. They can start submitting work immediately and choose a bid price.
The company started by using artificial intelligence to match works of art to the most likely buyer. Gulak notes that not all art will sell – “if you make cave paintings, the market may not be large” – and artists may price their works higher than buyers are willing to pay, but the algorithm works to prioritize art over other most likely buyer based on style preferences and budget. NALA also handles sales and shipping, providing artists with 100 percent of the list price on each sale.
“We are very professional artists by not taking orders,” Gulak says. “We also allow all artists to participate, which is unique in this space. NALA is built by artists for artists.”
Last year, NALA also began allowing buyers to take a photo of something they like and view similar works of art from its database.
“In museums, people will take photos of masterpieces they will never be able to afford, and now they can find living artists working in the same style that they could put in their home,” Gulak says. “It makes art more accessible.”
Master artists
Ten years ago, while visiting Egypt, Ben Gulak discovered an impressive mural on the street. Gulak found local artist Ahmed Nofal on Instagram and bought several works. Later, brought Nofal to Dubai to participate in World Art Dubai. The artist’s work was so well received that he eventually created murals for the Royal British Museum in London and Red Bull. Most recently, Nofal and Gulak collaborated during Art Basel 2024 on a mural at the Graffiti Museum in Miami.
Gulak has personally collaborated with many artists on his platform. He has been traveling around Cuba for over ten years, buying works of art and delivering them to friends. He has also worked with artists who are working to obtain immigration visas.
“Many people say they want to help the art world, but in reality they often fall back on the same, outdated business models,” Gulak says. “Art is not only my passion – it is a way of life for me. I’ve been all over the art world: as a painter selling my work in galleries, as a collector with an office full of art, and as a collaborator working with amazing talents like Raheem Saladeen Johnson. When artists visit us, we create together, sharing ideas and brainstorming. These experiences, combined with my background as an artist and computer scientist, give me a unique perspective. I’m trying to use technology to give artists unparalleled access to the global marketplace and shake things up.”