Market and Exhibitions: A Moebius Strip Relationship

The article explores the symbiotic relationship between the art market and major exhibitions, arguing that since the late 19th century, market trends have been shaped by exhibitions, which in turn are influenced by market forces. Auction houses publish sales results, turning trends into powerful marketing tools, and record-breaking prices prompt museum directors to feature top-selling artists. Artists capture the zeitgeist, gallerists translate it to collectors, and the exhibition system responds. The second market now includes young artists like Oscar Murillo, accelerating the cycle. The article highlights upcoming exhibitions likely to impact market values: Alberto Giacometti at Tate Modern (until September 10), which may boost his paintings despite his sculpture record of $141 million; MoMA's survey of women Abstract Expressionists (until August 13), expected to raise prices for artists like Joan Mitchell ($12 million record), Lee Krasner ($3.1 million), and Helen Frankenthaler ($2.8 million); Cy Twombly at Centre Pompidou (record $70 million); Saâdane Afif's project collecting 1,001 reproductions of Duchamp's Fountain for its centenary; Robert Rauschenberg's Tate Modern retrospective (record $18.6 million); and shows at MET and New Museum for Marisa Merz and Carol Rama (records £200,000 and £180,000 respectively). The author, Antonella Crippa, is an art advisor at Intesa Sanpaolo.