ARMGT 300A - Art Market Dynamics

This course introduces students to the structures and dynamics of international art markets: the people, places, institutions and organizations responsible for the flow of works around the globe as well as by and through which they gain their value. In fact, value is a core organizing concept around which this course is built. What makes works of art valuable? What determines their price? Why are some artists considered relevant and others not? What confers relevance, and hence, scarcity? From the artist’s studio to art history, from the museum to the auction house, from the art fair to the international biennial, from the arts pages of the major daily newspapers to the esoteric world of academic journals, and from the law courts to insurance policies – what confers value on a work of art, and how?
Units: 4
Course Type: Seminar