Soft power, wall power, purchasing power, power alliances, perennial power, emerging power, power plays: there are as many different ways to wield influence in the art world as there are personalities who do so. Herewith, Art+Auction’s annual list of the top players – from the Renaissance to the Contemporary cutting edge – in auctions, galleries, […]
Coming just two weeks after the slam-dunk New York auction sales of contemporary art, Art Basel Miami Beach’s sales were reportedly excellent. At the high end of the market, …
The super-rich have grown in number since 2008, adding the feel-good factor to this year’s fair. Millions of dollars have been spent on art, parties and hotel rooms this week as the circus surrounding Art Basel Miami Beach rolled into town. Given such conspicuous consumption, it is, perhaps, hard to remember that the art market […]
Our selection of pieces with back stories that add interest as well as value. Even though we are at an art fair, there is more to the works on show here than their price tags. There are many personal stories behind the paintings, sculptures and photographs on sale. Art historians are often interested in these […]
Art created to be unveiled at the fair proves popular in Miami— but not everyone is impressed. Be careful not to stand too close to the works on show at Art Basel Miami Beach—the paint may not yet be dry. Dozens of artists including Marilyn Minter, Luis Gispert, Ryan Trecartin and Lizzie Fitch have created […]
Miami is still partying, but galleries have institutional collectors in mind. t is currently in vogue to dismiss Miami as a hedonistic party town where art plays second fiddle to the fizz and glamour of this week’s soirées. The sheer number of events organised by brands promoting booze, bags and luxury goods has recently sparked […]
Back-pats were flying at yesterday’s VIP opening of Art Basel Miami Beach. Several booths had already sold out by midday, and there was no shortage of interest from swarms of bees collectors. The fair’s success was summed up by a dealer from Andersen’s Contemporary—a six-year ABMB veteran and Frieze and Armory exhibitor—when he told us, […]
Learning to Love the Eight-Figure Art Market. Big bucks can excite hot tempers. by Walter Robinson
Wealthy Chinese collectors are increasingly buying up western art as their tastes move beyond the traditional confines of Chinese ceramics and paintings.
A View Inside the Art World: Author Henry Alford attended the record-breaking auctions of modern art at Christie’s and Sotheby’s, but to watch, not buy. Henry’s hilarious commentary in the NYT on his experiences at the Christie’s including at the preview auction brunch: “Are you having fun?” he asked me. “I am,” I said. “But […]
Art is Hard to See Through the Clutter of the Dollar$. Roberta Smith for the New York Times
The man behind the World’s Most Expensive Painting
“I collect in sort of the old fashioned way, a little bit at a time. If I miss something this time, there is always something else to come along, and it’s usually a blessing in the end. My best hope is that the Italians go to sleep on their own material. You also have to be […]
Art fairs have their dos and don’ts. If you Google “negotiating at art fairs,” few results come up; it may be a taboo subject—and a common pratfall for beginner collectors—but haggling happens, and it’s a veritable part of the art-buying game, for better or worse.
For Art Dealers, a New Life on the Art Fair Circuit In just the past few months a New York art dealer flew to Hong Kong for that city’s first global art fair; gave a party for 50 at Harry’s Bar in Venice; installed an exhibition at his gallery in London; spent three days schmoozing […]
Why the Avant-Garde Should Cheer Up “The contemporary art world is flourishing. Despite all the grumbling—and we’ll get to that in a moment—does anyone doubt that we are flooded with artists, overwhelmed by art shows, and swamped by art fairs and biennials?”
Is bigger art always better art? Certainly in the age of Instagram, anything monumental is hard to discredit; people are easily impressed and love to obsess over questions like “How did it get here, how was it made and how much does it cost?” Somehow they forget the basic questions: “What is it and why is it?”
Is the Art Market Due for a Correction? Maybe Not. Is the art market experiencing a new boom, or is it all just another bubble destined to burst? With artists seemingly setting benchmarks at auction on a monthly basis and prices at fairs for pedestrian artworks pushing into the millions of dollars, there are fears […]
Cats vs. dogs, dolphins vs. sharks, and, most notably, males vs. females: classic rivalries of the animal kingdom. The art world is is not immune and the competition is fierce. Last week at Art Basel, I heard a story that was too good to keep to myself.
How many art collectors actually know what they are buying? What’s the best way to smuggle artwork across the Atlantic? This gallery girl has some confessions to make.