The Shift

While analyzing the motives and behavior of internationally operating collectors, author explains the popularity of contemporary art and discloses the unwritten rules, active networks, and persistent myths of the rapidly expanding territory of art collecting. Collectors engage in ingenious ways with artists, galleries, museums, and auction houses while pursuing their passions and goals. Examining the attraction of collecting at large, its multifaceted social life, and the financial opportunities it seems to offer, this book also addresses how taste is formed and identifies possible radical shifts in the art system. The book is based on Dutch art historian Marta Gnyps PhD research 'The art world of cosmopolitan collectors : in relation to mediators, institutions and producers'.