The calendar of Art Fairs does not stop. A few weeks ago Artissima in Turin was held and next week it will be Feriarte’s turn in Madrid. Then, ArtBasel Miami will come with which the year will close until saying hello to 2025 and the most loved and criticized fair in these parts, our ARCO. In between, auctions in the main capitals of the world… It is evident that the art market does not rest and to know how to navigate it, whether you are a great collector or a more modest one. who is starting out on the subject, María Sancho-Arroyo has published ‘Investment or passion? A guide to navigating the art market’ (Deusto). His is a long career that covers all areas. He began working at the Museum of Art of Catalonia and the Louvre in Paris, and then made the leap to the Sotheby’s auction house in London. —Is art an investment or a passion as asked in the book?—I do not recommend art as an investment good. There are very few people who buy with the sole objective of reselling. You have to be at a very high level, certain artists… Be very involved, have the right contacts. Yes there are people who do it but they are very few and very specialized. I believe that above all what is needed is passion.—Then, art is passion and contemporary art arouses all passions and emotions depending on its prices?—Without a doubt, contemporary art is what moves the market. It is more than 50 percent in value and volume. In recent years, what has been sought are more unknown artists: women, artists of color, more marginal ones…—You who have also worked in relevant museums, why is the market viewed so poorly by these institutions?—There is a segment of the society that is very critical of that aspect of being an artist that you sell… This mentality that the artist has to be poor to create better is a romantic idea. If you want to make a living from your art, the museum is not going to give you the money to live. Only the market will give it to you.—When it comes to saying what is art and what is not, who has the last word?—There are many museums that believe that there is a Chinese wall between the market and them. And it is a very porous wall that has its risks because the market is like a beast that takes everything. And you have to set limits or know how to set limits. We should not think that I am the good guy and you are the bad guy.—What has been the latest fiasco sponsored by the art market?—A boom that has already ended is that of NFTs, thank God. They were misunderstood from the beginning. NFTS was just the digital certificate that was in a ‘blockchain’ that justified that this work had been made by that artist. The work itself was not in that ‘blockchain’ but in the cloud. It was digital art with a digital certificate. Fortunately that was a bubble that burst. Today, we talk about digital art. Land in which very interesting things are done. Speculation has disappeared and now digital art is another category like painting, photography…— With the NFTS dead, who are the new kings?—In recent years what has been sought are more unknown artists: women, artists of color, more marginal… because, the truth is that they were not in the museums, where white men predominated… These sectors are beginning to be given more importance, although to balance there is a lot left in both the museums and the marketsAccording to According to more reliable reports, almost 50 percent of artists’ sales come from fairs. Therefore, it is not an obsolete model—In this sense, does the primary market (galleries) function the same as the secondary market (auction houses)?—The market always needs new artists. The primary one pulls towards new names and the secondary one goes towards names from the past that were known in their day but had not reached stardom. This is the latest trend.—Despite the endless calendar of fairs, aren’t they a model of the past?—According to the most reliable reports, almost 50 percent of artists’ sales come from fairs. So it is not an obsolete model. Online sales are going down a lot. The relationship between gallery owner and client continues to be important. At fairs it is not only about selling but also about establishing relationships with all the agents who participate in art. —How do you explain to a small gallery that populates our system that travels the world, from fair to fair, that the guy can put up with it?—It is true that they cost a lot of money and I see that the number of fairs that they hold are reducing. they do every year. Costs have risen a lot, which is why the large galleries are the only ones who can do it. These mega venues (Gagosian, Hauser & Wirth…), are the ones that are growing because they are the only ones that can keep up.—During the pandemic, were there fears for the future?—During the pandemic, everything and everything suddenly stopped It was what’s going to happen here, but six months later there was a brutal boom because the people who had the most money couldn’t spend it; Interest rates were very low and between 2020 and 2022 prices skyrocketed. There was money and a very good offer.—However, at this moment, the market is very weak.—In the 23rd, it started to go down because we are in a very difficult time worldwide and it continues to go down. There is no ‘crash’, but there has been a slow decline that it is not clear that it will stop. However, at the last Armory Show the gallerists were quite happy. And the mid-season and mid-market auctions sold quite well with attractive prices. The United States may be taking off. But Europe is a few months behind…
#María #SanchoArroyo #boom #ended #NFTs #God
