Art Market Monitor

Global Coverage ~ Unique Analysis

  • AMMpro
  • AMM Fantasy Collecting Game
  • Podcast
  • Contact Us

Curators v. Collectors, Singapore Edition

January 16, 2012 by Marion Maneker

Alexandra Seno interviews Siu Li Tan, assistant director and curator of the Singapore Art Museum, on the continuing theme of her Art Stage Singapore coverage, the role of collectors as a foundational structure to the art market. Siu is careful to differentiate SAM’s Singapore and Southeast Asian-specific needs from the broader trends in the US and Europe.

Siu is forced to admit that collectors currently play a decisive role in the art market; though she does, at the end, offer a nice distinction between what the market seeks and what institutional buyers might seek when looking at the same body of work:

As curators, we are primarily concerned with the significance and merit of an artwork, not its market value.

Having said that, I should point out that museum curators do tend to go for rather different works as compared to collectors or speculators, many of whom will choose to pass up on more challenging or strident works, or works in mediums that are difficult to “collect,” such as performance or a large immersive/site-specific installation.

Are Collectors More Important Than Museums? One Curator’s Take (SceneAsia/Wall Street Journal)

More from Art Market Monitor

  • London’s Imp-Mod Sales Rise 59%, Near 2014 Peak SalesLondon’s Imp-Mod Sales Rise 59%, Near 2014 Peak Sales
  • Look East for ArtLook East for Art
  • Whitney Cuts Last in NYWhitney Cuts Last in NY
  • Salander Arrested and IndictedSalander Arrested and Indicted
  • The Met's New DirectorThe Met's New Director
  • Doig's Debt to CanadaDoig's Debt to Canada

Filed Under: Collectors, Museums

About Marion Maneker

LiveArt

Want to get Art Market Monitor‘s posts sent to you in our email? Sign up below by clicking on the Subscribe button.

  • About Us/ Contact
  • Podcast
  • AMMpro
  • Newsletter
  • FAQ

twitterfacebooksoundcloud
Privacy Policy
Terms & Conditions
California Privacy Rights
Do Not Sell My Personal Information
Advertise on Art Market Monitor