Jean-Joseph Goux on Art, Money, and the Speculative Market

Philosopher Jean-Joseph Goux discusses the complex relationship between art and money in an interview for artpress. His latest book, "L'Art et l'argent. La rupture moderniste, 1860-1920" (éd. Blusson), examines the modernist rupture when the art world began to resemble finance. Goux argues that the Impressionist era marked a shift from stable, labor-based value to speculative, desire-driven valuation, as described by Zola and Mallarmé. He draws parallels between the art market and the stock exchange, where prices are set by subjective desire rather than objective criteria. Goux notes that collectors like Saatchi exemplify risk-taking, while herd behavior dominates. He links Nietzsche's critique of transcendental values to Dada's devaluation of high art, and observes that today's artists have become entrepreneurs, mirroring a post-bourgeois capitalism where innovation is prized. The interview also touches on the paradox of art as a financial asset, bought by investors who may never look at it.