New York’s artists are here for you.
Your solution to the vacancy tax.
We extend our charity to the 1%.
We hear you. We see you.
The city has introduced a vacancy tax. It is designed to penalize property owners like you for having the resources to own more than one home. This is, in our opinion, a profound misunderstanding of how things work.
We find it deeply unfair.
Which is why we built Aura Investments. We connect property owners with New York artists and creatives who have volunteered, voluntarily and generously, to temporarily occupy your home on your behalf.
They are doing this for you. You did not ask them to. They saw your situation, and they wanted to help.
Tell us about your situation. We will find the right volunteer. Quietly, and with discretion.
We did not invent the model. We are merely the first to offer it as a service.
The pied-à-terre vacancy tax is real. It is aimed at you. It targets homes that sit empty. Homes you paid for. Homes you maintain. Homes you deserve to enjoy on your own schedule. We don’t think that’s right.
New York’s artists have stepped forward. Painters. Writers. Composers. Filmmakers. They have volunteered to occupy your home. They will take care of it. They ask for very little, or nothing at all.
With a volunteer occupant in place, your home is no longer vacant. The tax does not apply. You are free to visit whenever you like. The city is satisfied.
In 1478, Lorenzo de’ Medici owned more property than he could regularly visit. The Republic of Florence had taken notice. The arrangement that followed is now considered a foundational period of Western art.
A young painter, unhoused and gifted, agreed to occupy the Villa di Castello during Lorenzo’s absences. He was given a room. He was given a north light. He was given the use of the kitchens.
In return, he stayed there. He was compensated, and so were the Medicis in aura points. He produced, during his residency, several paintings of considerable note.
The villa was no longer vacant. The Republic was satisfied. The painter painted. Lorenzo continued to visit when he wished.
The painter’s work hangs in the Uffizi. The Medicis were violent, corrupt, and occasionally papal. They are also the coolest people in any room they ever entered. Refine your reputation.
If you are a New York artist willing to occupy a beautiful home during a patron’s absence, we would be glad to introduce you. Leave your portfolio. We will be in touch.
The honest story of where this came from, and where it’s going.
An independent art project about patronage in the modern age. It began as commentary, and it has since surfaced something real: a conversation about artists, space, and who gets to support creative work. At its simplest, it imagines a world where people who have vacant homes and people who have talent find each other, and where those with resources fund the creative work they feel passionate about, from films to exhibitions to original art.
Both, honestly. Aura Investments started as satire: a piece of social commentary about wealth, empty homes, and who gets to be a patron of the arts. As satire, it is not a tax strategy and not financial, legal, or tax advice. But the response has been real, and it surfaced what looks like a real pain point, which is why we’re now researching where this could go next. Please read the note at the bottom of this page.
It began as satire. Then the submissions started arriving, from artists and would-be patrons alike, and behind the joke seemed to be something real: talented people who need space and support, and people with resources looking for a meaningful way to give back. It surfaced what looks like a genuine pain point. We’re now researching and attempting to understand whether there’s a real path forward here. Nothing is promised.
Right. Housing is where the story started, but the larger idea is patronage in every form, including connecting people who care with films, art, and projects they’d love to help fund and bring into the world.
Thank you for being early. We’re researching and exploring where this could go next for the artists and supporters who raised their hands. If anything comes of it, everyone who signed up will hear from us. To be clear: we’re not promising any outcome, only that we’re looking into it honestly.
To bring more art into the world.
A note, in plain terms. Aura Investments began as a work of satire and social commentary, and is an independent art project. Nothing on this site is financial, legal, tax, or investment advice, and we do not provide, facilitate, arrange, or encourage any method of avoiding taxes. Any references to vacancy or other taxes are commentary, not guidance. Any dramatized stories or testimonials are part of the artwork and are not real accounts. We make no guarantee of housing, funding, placement, income, or any particular result. Sharing your information simply lets us keep you posted as the project evolves; see our Privacy Policy and Terms.
We will present your property to our volunteer pool and follow up when a match has been made.
In the meantime: breathe. You found us.
This is going to be okay.
