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Arts & Communication Transnational mobility and art market centers

early 17 centuries is often credited with enabling the expanded the scope of their regional and global operations.
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Dutch Golden Age. Likewise, the status of Paris as the Major auction houses and galleries such as Sotheby’s and
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capital of modern art was bolstered in the 19 and early Christie’s have established their presence in emerging
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20 centuries by its ability to attract artists from across markets such as Hong Kong and Dubai, further driving
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Europe. The migration of prominent European artists the circulation of art professionals who operate across
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and dealers to New York during the 1930s and 1940s these markets. Finally, the growing emergence of centers
played a crucial role in the emergence of the city as a new in cities such as Singapore, Lagos, and São Paulo triggered
global artistic center. 9,10 by attempts at challenging the traditional dominance of
The nature of human mobility underwent a radical Western art centers impels regional mobility patterns. 24-27
transformation in the latter half of the 20 century. This study purposes to elucidate how the transnational
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The patterns of human movement altered fundamentally mobility of art market actors influences the geographical
because of factors such as the advent of commercial aviation dynamics of the global art market. In so doing, this study
in the 1950s, reduced transportation costs, advancements contributes to the growing body of literature exploring the
in information and communication technologies, and intersections between migration, mobility, and art. Such
the integration of global economies and societies. These research has yielded significant insights into how new forms
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transformations have caused increased hypermobility, of mobility impact artists, their lives, and their work. 28,29
a concept denoting the condition of individuals who Dogramaci and Mersmann advocated for a “migratory
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frequently engage in long-distance travel and often cross turn” in art history, emphasizing the need to examine how
multiple time zones. This phenomenon is both a product artistic identities and social, political, religious, ethnic,
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of and a contributor to globalization. 14 and sexual identifications are transcultural negotiated
Hypermobility may be defined as the multifaceted through migration processes. Indeed, much of the relevant
augmentation and complexification of human movements, extant research has focused on how artists navigate plural
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which have become more frequent, durable, distant, and identities in an increasingly hypermobile world. Similarly,
multidirectional. First, people transgress borders more studies have examined how artists confront challenges
frequently and with increased speed, resulting in less time related to crossing borders, handling distances, and
spent in each location. Second, more people now spend experiencing estrangements and how they often express
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significant amounts of time in places that are neither their such occurrences in their creative work. 32,33 Kobyshcha
countries of origin nor countries in which they aspire to highlighted that migrant artists navigate geopolitical
stay permanently; thus, they increasingly settle and resettle mobility regimes, negotiate socioeconomic networks, and
across different locations. Third, the distances traversed engage with the esthetic domains of different localities.
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by such human movements have increased in tandem Much of the current research focuses on artists; however,
with growing cross-continental mobilities. Fourth, a studies remain scant on how new forms of mobility affect
diversification has occurred in who moves and where they other key players in the art market such as collectors,
move; this divergence transcends traditional conceptions dealers, and curators. These actors are instrumental in
of economic migrants moving from the Global South to the shaping esthetic values and essential for the symbolic
Global North or wealthy elite expats moving away from the construction of places as centers of the global art market.
Global North. Highly mobile middle classes from a diverse This study aims to contribute to the academic debate on
range of countries are now increasingly represented. 17 conditions mandated for the emergence of new art market
Global human mobility has been a key component centers in the context of globalization. Cities such as Istanbul,
of art markets since the inception of modernity but the Singapore, Hong Kong, and Doha have become key art
aforementioned hypermobility marks a significant shift centers since the 2000s, as evidenced by the establishment
in human movement. First, the interconnectedness of the of new galleries, fairs, auction houses, biennials, and
global art network is intensified by the multiplication of museums. 35-37 These hubs located beyond Western Europe
short-term mobilities facilitated by art fairs, biennials, and and North America are asserting themselves as new nodes
artist residencies. 18,19 Second, durable mobilities have also in the expanding global art market; they also as alternative
progressed, particularly among key art market institutions spaces that facilitate the decentering of the uneven,
employing hypermobile professionals and cultural hierarchical, and hegemonic global art market. 38-41 These
entrepreneurs who move and resettle in varied cities. 20-22 This trends have sparked discussions about the underlying
trend is evident in the career trajectories of many curators impetus for the emergence of these new centers. This study
and gallerists who frequently relocate to manage or establish seeks to add to this debate by focusing on mobility as a
new institutions. Third, some major art market actors have key factor for the grasp of such geographic dynamics. It

Volume 3 Issue 3 (2025) 2 doi: 10.36922/ac.3734