The Social World of Galleries: Contemporary Art, the Market and Internationalization

by Alain Quemin, Kathryn Brown (Editor), Keara Engelhardt (Translator)

Overview

This book presents the first detailed study of the place of contemporary art galleries and gallerists, especially within the art markets of Europe and the United States. Based on the author's field research carried out for over a decade, and combining ethnographic material with quantitative data, the book reveals the major role galleries play in the creation of art value.

Despite being pillars of the art market, there has been very little in-depth research on galleries, especially when compared with the analysis of artists, critics, and dealers. Written by a sociologist who has spent a decade as an art critic, the book builds on work conducted by art historian and sociologist Raymonde Moulin from the 1960s to the 1990s. Drawing on ethnographic observations and interviews with those working in the field today, it provides a thorough and up-to-date analysis of what contemporary art galleries really are: the spaces they occupy both physically and online; their position within gallery 'districts'; their relation to art fairs and biennials; and how friendship with clients is built and trends within the business, in turn illuminating the hierarchized structure of the sector. The book concludes by addressing a significant gap in data on the art market by providing a sociological ranking of international contemporary art galleries.

Offering a detailed analysis to a topic that has never been fully studied, The Social World of Galleries is essential reading for scholars and students of art sociology, art history and art business, as well as gallerists, collectors or art lovers, and artists themselves.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781350370920
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	11/28/2024
Series:	Contextualizing Art Markets
Pages:	472
Product dimensions:	10.05(w) x 0.85(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

Alain Quemin is Professor of Sociology of Art at Paris 8 University, France, a researcher at GEMASS Sorbonne université, and is a senior member of the Academic Institute of France. He is a past president of the sociology of art research committee of the International Sociological Association.

Kathryn Brown is Reader in Art Histories, Markets and Digital Heritage at Loughborough University, UK. Her books include Women Readers in French Painting 1870–1890 (2012), Matisse's Poets: Critical Performance in the Artist's Book (Bloomsbury, 2017) and Henri Matisse (2021). She is the series editor of Contextualizing Art Markets (Bloomsbury).

Keara Engelhardt has a Masters in translation from UW-Milwaukee, and is based in Paris, France, where she has been a translator since 2015. She has completed translation projects for several French universities, including the Sorbonne Université, Université Paris 8, and the Université Pierre et Marie Curie.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements
Series Editor Preface

Introduction

Foreword, pt. 1, A few methodological notes
Foreword, pt.2, The invention of the gallerist profession

Part One: A Spatial Approach of Contemporary Art Galleries
1. The Gallery as Physical Space
2. The Gallery in Urban Space
3. Galleries and International Art Fairs

Part Two: The Occupation of a Gallerist
4. Sales: a fundamental undertaking
5. Sociability and Friendship: Resources for the gallerist occupation
6. Beyond Sales: the other activities of contemporary art galleries
7.1 Recent Trends: evolutions in the gallery sphere and in the gallerist profession
7.2 Museums: increased influence for galleries and a new level of competition with institutions

Part Three: Analyzing the Hierarchy among Galleries
8. Understanding the gallery hierarchy: how to construct a ranked list of the main contemporary art galleries in the world
9. The International Ranking of the 'Best' Contemporary Art Galleries

Conclusion
Index
Bibliography

Editorial Reviews

A perfect introduction to what goes on behind the scenes in the art market … A major contribution to the sociology of art and more generally to the study of contemporary art.” —Questions de communication (Bloomsbury Translation)

“Art galleries crucially democratize the art world, providing many more ways for the public to view art and for artists to display their work, than do museums. Alain Quemin has written the best book ever on this key topic.” —David Halle, Research Professor of Sociology, University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA), USA

“This book presents a very well documented and fine quantitative and qualitative analysis of the contemporary art world. With its elaborate ranking of the leading international galleries, and acute ethnographical approach based on numerous interviews and observations, it opens the reader to some well-kept secrets of the job of gallery owners.” —Marcel Fournier, Emeritus Professor of Sociology, University of Montreal, Canada

“Underpinned by significant fieldwork and richly illustrated by quotations from gallerists, this exceptional book provides an enjoyable and scholarly look at the gallery spaces, art fairs, and the gallerist profession today.” —Victoria D. Alexander, Professor of Sociology and Arts Management, Goldsmiths, University of London, UK

“Superbly researched, this book offers the most comprehensive and revealing insight into this opaque area of the contemporary art world. A must read for both academics and professionals in this field.” —Arturo Rodríguez Morató, Full Professor of Sociology, the University of Barcelona, Spain

From the Publisher