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Arts & Communication Contemporary Portuguese art market tools

this purpose, placing Portuguese artists beside their the markets’ hierarchies, and a segmented approach to
international peers. operating and deconstructing notions of irrelevance or
Locally, the launch of new art fairs such as ARCOlisboa inactivation. Meanwhile, the feature of distinctiveness and
or Drawing Room Lisboa are tools for gaining international the unique characteristics of domestic markets fuel the
recognition and challenging global large-scale events Global South as a heterogeneous system and an operative
by opting for a boutique concept and a strategy of research concept.
distinctiveness, such as a focus on Africa. Thus, the art 5. Conclusions
produced by contemporary artists from the so-called
Global South thus finds an opportunity to be exhibited Returning to the core issues of this article, knowledge
alongside those produced by their peers, bringing a of markets outside of the main axis remains highly
sophisticated, rigorous artistic production; diversity; and fragmentary, which means that blind spots might exist in
the African diaspora into the semi-peripheral art market. the literature with respect to integrating research initiatives
Making the most of Portugal’s historical relationship with and fostering an understanding of art markets. Studying
Portuguese-speaking countries in Africa, ARCOlisboa acts markets from the Global South reveals unique and
as a stage for contemporary African art while using this dynamic new markets as well as a more comprehensive
feature to set itself apart from other art scenes. understanding of the functioning and interconnections of
Furthermore, the private sector, particularly in terms markets from semi-peripheral regions. The youthfulness
of living Portuguese collectors, has played a leading role and dynamism of the Portuguese art market show that
in supporting the visual arts through collecting art and despite being characterized by a precarious structure, it has
opening new art museums. In this regard, the lack of remarkable flexibility, resilience, and innovative capacity,
institutional support from the Portuguese state has paved standing in contrast to the hierarchical ties of global art
the way for private initiatives. Following institutional markets, bringing production from distinct latitudes
models such as the CAM, the Serralves Museum, and into a semi-peripheral market, and assuming a small-
the Berardo Collection, where the private sector played scale dynamic. All of these are qualities that contribute
a predominant role, living Portuguese collectors have to its adaptability and evolution within the larger art
contributed to transforming Portugal’s institutional art ecosystem. Ultimately, we are convinced that researching
scene, approximating international trends in elevating the mechanisms of activation in the Portuguese art market
private cultural facilities. In terms of the contents of clearly points toward the expansion of the Global South as
such collections, there has been a marked investment a field of research.
in foreign artists (especially in the case of Pedro Álvares
Ribeiro, Maria João Santos, and Armando Cabral), which Acknowledgments
has altered and brought an international dimension None.
to collection narratives. Contemporary Portuguese
collectors are increasing in number and boosting the Funding
local market. The institutions they helped create have None.
transformed the art scenes in Lisbon and Porto, serving
as platforms for the local and international recognition Conflict of interest
of artists.
The author declares no conflict of interest.
Given their significant role in nurturing and influencing
the artistic landscape, private collectors can be seen as Author contributions
driving forces behind the art market in Portugal. Over
time, they have broadened the scope and focus of their This is a single-authored article.
collections to include international content and encompass Ethics approval and consent to participate
artists from Europe, North America, and regions from the
Global South. Not applicable.
At this stage, returning to the research question Consent for publication
regarding the extent to which a semi-peripheral art
market can contribute to the transformation of such Not applicable.
markets at a global level, we argue that observing small- Availability of data
scale art markets provides an opportunity to understand
the struggle between local and international activities, Not applicable.

Volume 3 Issue 2 (2025) 8 doi: 10.36922/ac.3317