Hasta La Ideas

Over the past weekend, we were having a conversation we’re sure thousands of other people were also having either right at that very moment or close to it: the second coming of the internet bubble. With more and more headlines including words like startup, v.c. funding, and IPO, it’s a serious case of deja vu. However, the fun part of a budding boom is learning about companies eager to try something new, crazy as their idea might sound. Enter Artsicle, who we found by way of ArtInfo. The elevator pitch of their service is essentially “Netflix for art.” You pay them $50 per month, they lend you a piece of art by an up-and-coming artist. If you don’t like how it looks on your wall or you want to try something new, you simply return the piece and get something else. If you decide you can’t live without it, you simply purchase it outright. They’re still a startup, so they’re only operating in New York (where they’ll deliver for free), and browsing through their samples, it doesn’t look like you’re going to be able to show off a Damien Hirst diamond skull in your living room anytime soon. But in a world where dozens of services offer monthly rental of designer shoes and handbags (and heck, remember the first time you heard about Netflix?), we suppose anything’s possible. And we certainly dig the idea, both on the money-making front for its founders and for supporting artists. Here’s to hoping Boom 2.0 is good to them.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.