Marc Spiegler Criticized for Role in Art Market Crisis

A critical response to Marc Spiegler's New York Times essay argues that the former Art Basel director helped create the gallery system he now laments. The author, a journalist who covered China's art scene, recalls Spiegler's tenure from 2012 to 2022, during which Art Basel expanded to Hong Kong in 2013. The piece contrasts the current market-driven art world with earlier eras like the East Village scene of the 1980s and the Culture Wars of the 1990s, when artists were central. It notes that Spiegler echoes Pace Gallery CEO Marc Glimcher's claim that the gallery model is broken. The author criticizes Spiegler for blaming new collectors' preference for bitcoin over art, arguing that the industry offered only commodity-based vocabulary. The essay references Swiss collector Uli Sigg, whose Chinese art collection forms the core of M+ Museum, and notes that Art Basel never addressed human rights issues in China. It concludes by urging support for artist-run spaces and alternative organizations.