Inspired by the success of the first Art Markets Summer School held in Lyon in June 2019, a second edition of this unique research, training and networking experience will take place in July 2020 in Belgium. A team of international experts from relevant fields such art history, economics, sociology, finance and digital humanities will engage with participants with an academic or professional interest in the global art market. An exciting program combining lectures, workshops and field trips will familiarize the participants with the nature and structure of the art market system. Attention will be given to the theoretical and conceptual frameworks, the various actors in the art market and the available methodological tools to study this fascinating yet complex phenomenon. This immersive experience will inspire and shape new interdisciplinary thinking about the emergence, history and dynamics of art markets around the world.

Presentation

The art market is essentially a multidisciplinary object of study. While it is now a significant sector of the global economy, it has long played a seminal role in the circulation and reception of art, and provided the context within which artists created their work. Researchers from disciplines as diverse as economics, finance, law, history, art history or sociology have contributed to a better understanding of the complexity and specificity of this market arena. However, despite the advances made in each of these fields, research on the art market still too often suffers from a compartmentalization by discipline.

The Art Markets thematic school aims to bring together the international community of researchers working on the art market and to offer participants the opportunity to better understand the scientific approaches of other disciplines. Sharing a common knowledge base and concepts is a necessary condition for developing transdisciplinary collaborations. To this end, this training offers an interdisciplinary theoretical approach and familiarizes the participants with methodological tools in line with the most up-to-date analytical methods. The interaction between historical and contemporary analyses from the point of view of economics, finance, and sociology is particularly innovative.

In the era of globalization and digital technology, art markets are undergoing profound changes that are leading to a reconfiguration of the modalities of interaction between actors and intermediaries. Issues related to artistic exchanges, the emergence or decline of markets, financial speculation, the concentration of actors and the role of agents in building the economic and social value of art have accelerated the need to use robust analytical techniques to better understand these issues. It is also worthwhile questioning whether these developments are so new. For instance, the role of various institutions such as auction houses or art fairs benefit from being re-examined in the light of their historical roots in order to understand their function in an increasingly global art market system. At the same time, the analysis of contemporary art markets allows us to shed light with the advantage of hindsight on the practices, mechanisms and strategies put in place since the emergence of markets for visual arts from the 16th century onwards. In addition, quantitative analytical methods, data modelling and visualization have paved the way for important methodological and epistemological explorations

Training

The training is scheduled to last five days, from July 6 to 10, 2020. Participants are invited to follow the course in its entirety. It will be taught by about fifteen speakers, specialists in economics, finance, economic history, art history, sociology, and the digital humanities—all internationally recognized in their fields.

The training will include theoretical and methodological interventions, open to confrontation and exchange of views. A certificate of attendance will be provided so that doctoral candidates can possibly have their participation validated by their doctoral school.

The training will alternate theoretical presentations built around concepts and themes central to the analysis of art markets. Specialists from different disciplinary fields will present their approaches in dialogue with colleagues from different backgrounds. Following the theoretical talks and discussion, workshops will be devoted to methodological approaches in the form of interactive workshops offering practical exercises.

The program builds on the accomplishments of the first edition in terms of format and approach, but the sessions offered at the 2020 edition have been brought up to date to cover recent developments in scholarships and the market. We have also invited a number of different speakers who will share their views and expertise. Lastly, the fieldtrips to Antwerp and the Rubenianum and to Brussels and Sotheby’s will give the participants a rare opportunity to visit and interact with local art (market) institutions.

Participants

The training is aimed at the entire scientific community - professors, researchers, post-doctoral fellows, doctoral students, staff of research support. It should also be of interest for experts and professionals active in the art market. It is open to all participants from Master level onwards, preferably in a discipline related to the study of art markets: economic history, art history, economics, finance, sociology, law.

Language

Due to the international nature of this training, lectures and workshops will be conducted in English. We expect that the participants have the ability to understand and be understood in English, to ensure the best possible experience.

Location

The school will take the form of a residential stay offering the unity of place conducive to the development of a scientific community. Accommodation and most of the courses, workshops, and meals will be held at Hotel Dennenhof, in Brasschaat. The hotel is situated in a green area, close to Antwerp: https://www.hoteldennenhof.be/en The Rubenianum in Antwerp and Sotheby’s in Brussels will also host talks and workshops.

The course is held at the Dennenhof Hotel. To give ample opportunity for students and lecturers to mingle and interact in a relaxed atmosphere, we deliberately opt for a rustic setting in the outskirts of Antwerp. Fieldtrips include a study session at the Rubenianum in Antwerp, a visit to a major art collector and Sotheby’s auction house in Brussels

Tuition and registration fees

Professionals: €800   

Students: €550  

The rates include the cost of the five days of training, meals and accommodation at Hotel Dennenhof. The workshop on provenance issues at the Rubenianum (Antwerp) and a dinner hosted by Sotheby’s (Brussels) are included as well.

Transport costs remain the responsibility of the participants. The Dennenhof can easily be reached via the Noorderkempen train station, which has an hourly direct connection with both Amsterdam (Schiphol) and Brussels (Zaventem) airports.

Registration

As the number of participants is limited, a pre-selection on file is made by the scientific committee when submitting an application

Applicants will send a file including a cover letter and a CV by April 1st, at the latest.

Applicants will be notified of their acceptance around April 10, 2020

They will be invited to finalize their registration and pay the fees.

Information and registration: https://artmarkets.sciencesconf.org/   

List of speakers

(January 2020, subject to minor change)

Art trade : Iain Robertson (London, Sotheby’s Institute of Art)

Economics of Art : Nathalie Moureau (Montpellier, Université Paul Valery)

Finance : Kim Oosterlinck (Brussels, Université Libre de Bruxelles), Fabian Bocart (Artnet)

Art History : Hans J. Van Miegroet (Duke University, USA), Sophie Raux (Lyon, Université Lyon 2),  Anne-Sophie Radermecker (Brussels, ULB)

Art History/Digital Humanities : Koenraad Brosens (Leuven, KUL), Christian Huemer (Vienna, Research Center, Belvedere), Fiene Leunissen (Duke University, USA), Sandra Van Ginhoven (Los Angeles, Getty Research Institute)

Global Art Markets : Filip Vermeylen (Rotterdam, Erasmus University) 

Sociology of Art : Olav Velthuis (Amsterdam, University of Amsterdam), Naomi Oostermann (London, City University of London -Rotterdam, Erasmus University)

Provisional programme

Mon July 6 : Hotel Dennenhof  

Lunch : Welcome – Introduction Afternoon : Talks and Discussion: Art Markets and Actors

Tues  July 7 : Hotel Dennenhof    

Morning : Talks and Discussion: Global Markets

Afternoon : Talks and Discussion: Digital tools

Wed July 8 : Brussels                         

Morning : Talks and Discussion: Economics

Afternoon : Workshop: Playful Rules (The Ins & Outs of Auctions)

Evening : Dinner offered by Sotheby’s Brussels

Thurs July 9  Antwerp, Rubenianum     

Morning : Talks and Discussion: Art History

Afternoon : Workshop: Provenance Issues/ Sources

Fri July 10 : Hotel Dennenhof               

Morning : Workshop: Digital tools                                    

Noon  : Lunch and concluding remarks

Organizing and Scientific committee 

• Koenraad Brosens, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven 
• Kim Oosterlinck, Université Libre de Bruxelles
• Sophie Raux, Université Lyon 2 – LARHRA
• Filip Vermeylen,  Erasmus Universiteit, Rotterdam

Co-organised by:

• the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
• the Université Libre de Bruxelles, Erasmus University, Rotterdam
• the Laboratoire de Recherche Historique Rhône-Alpes  (LARHRA)