Los Angeles contemporary arts advocate Bettina Korek zooms in on ceramics by Ken Price and exhibiting online while Moscow's Baibakov Art Projects founder Maria Baibakova predicts digital enhancements for international fairs in these forecasts from dynamic young players on the creative scene. Korek has been central to the cultural reinvigoration that her native SoCal sprawl has seen during the past few years, having worked in development at LACMA, where she started a young donors group before leaving to found the development company For Your Art. Baibakova has made waves building bridges between Russian contemporary art and the global arena, with the foundation of her eponymous not-for-profit platform for international exhibitions as well as publishing and educational outreach. As for their personal 2013 goals, Baibakova looks forward to graduating from Harvard Business School in May, returning to working full-time in the art world and resolving "to drink more water than champagne." Korek meanwhile will be turning to LA-based painting master David Hockney, who wrote, “I like to enjoy now, as there is only now.” Here both arts protagonists break from the present to cast an eye towards the hot creators and technological evolutions of the very near future.

BETTINA KOREK'S PERSONAL 2013 PREDICTIONS

Which artists will be important next year?

Historical Southern California artists like Ken Price and James Turrell. The Ken Price retrospective at LACMA will open at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the spring. A surfer, he expanded notion of ceramics and his work reflects the potential of intimate experiences with small objects. 

What will be a major trend in art for 2013?

Engagement. As Independent Curators International is celebrating 20 years of Hans Ulrich Obrist’s “Do It”, which engaged local communities in the dialogue of exhibition making, public engagement is an increasing priority for artists and museums, with the Hammer Museum for instance implementing a new Public Engagement Artist Residency.

What interesting source of art will we see on the rise in the coming year?

The internet. Artists are bugging, hijacking, over-sharing and exploring new ways of approaching the internet as a medium. Maybe the Nam June Paik of the web will emerge in 2013 if they haven't already. Cory Arcangel and Jayson Musson are good examples of artists who have come to attention through the web and have used it as a venue for performance. The “#artselfie” hashtag has become a major trend in the internet art scene, which I think originated from Los Angeles-based Ryan Trecartin—and he was also recently named as the co-curator of the New Museum’s next Triennial alongside former Rhizome.org Executive Director Lauren Cornell.

What will be next year's hot app?
Art Stack. It’s Instagram for art, just as people are looking for the new Instagram! 

MARIA BAIBAKOVA'S PERSONAL 2013 PREDICTIONS

Which young artist should we be excited about for next year?

I'm watching Rashid Johnson and Walead Beshty very closely and waiting to see how their work evolves with new exhibitions and gallery representation, respectively.

Do you predict a Renaissance for any veteran artists?

Jeff Koons is poised to surprise us all with his Whitney/MoCA show. David Zwirner is also shaking things up for Koons by inaugurating his new space in New York with a Koons show in May. I think David Zwirner will overcome Larry Gagosian as the number one gallerist in the world. This would be a significant industry shift.

How will the form of the art fair evolve in the coming year?

The art fair will supplement its operations more and more with digital capabilities to reach wider audiences and international clients. Also, historically an artist needed local representation to get his or her work in front of clients in LA, London, Paris and Hong Kong, but the prevalence of the art fair is also erasing the need for artists to work with more than one gallery to ensure global exposure.

What will be next year's hot app?

Artspace.com - it will make contemporary art by great artists accessible to so many people who admire it but have been deterred from buying due to high price points and a lack of transparency in the gallery system.