Page 18 - AC-3-3

Arts & Communication Transnational mobility and art market centers

have accrued via short-term acts of mobility such as Global North can move freely around the globe with much
participating in a fair greater ease and benefit from less stringent visa procedures
2. Local scene-making. The specific contributions of and greater financial resources.
hypermobile individuals to the making of their local art Curators are instrumental in shaping the cultural
scene are noteworthy even though all art market players narratives and institutional frameworks of art centers.
56
contribute to this phenomenon. First, hypermobile They draw global attention to local artists and institutions
individuals can tap into transnational communities, by curating international exhibitions and biennials. Their
including nationality-based groups. They establish extensive networks and capacities to attract international
weak ties that bridge discrete communities and thus artists and audiences significantly enhance a city’s visibility
generate organizational dynamics that can result in the global art arena. Hypermobile curators often travel
57
in new trends. Second, the prior experiences of and resettle to research and develop their careers. Their
hypermobile individuals with the art arenas of other mobility can be short-term or long-term: for instance,
cities make them adept at identifying gaps in the local they could undertake interim positions at biennials,
landscapes. 47,48 They can import ideas seen elsewhere festivals, and other events or accept long-standing posts at
and adapt them to local contexts (e.g., launching a established institutions. Cultural institutions in some cities
gallery weekend). Third, hypermobile professionals diversify their workforce by employing staff members
are particularly active in place-making. They tend from varied backgrounds to expand the range of expertise
to be located in internationalized neighborhoods in they can mobilize. Such diversity enhances the abilities
which they can engage with an international clientele of institutions to curate globally relevant exhibitions and
and diverse art market players. 49,50 Moreover, they enriches the local cultural landscape. However, migration
can launch place-making strategies in emerging regimes often constrain the ability of art institutions to
neighborhoods by entrepreneurially opening spaces recruit and retain diverse curatorial talent. Visa policies
in nascent art districts and striving to attract attention. and other immigration controls can pose significant
Thus, they can contribute to the urban expansion and barriers to the mobility of art professionals from certain
esthetic enrichment of the art scene of a city 51 countries. 58
3. Hub-city-making. Once established in a city,
hypermobile individuals actively represent their Art dealers who operate across varied international
59,60
metropolis in the global art market and help build its markets facilitate the transnational circulation of art.
reputation. They mobilize their networks and sustain Their strategic decisions to open new branches often
long-distance connections to position the city as a signal their confidence in the potential of local art scenes,
crucial node of the art world. They also symbolically attracting other market players and fostering growth.
52
construct the city into an emerging center by framing Hypermobile dealers can become extremely itinerant
and performatively establishing its status as an art hub. professionals through employment or entrepreneurship.
They produce and diffuse narratives that highlight the Key galleries and global auction houses offer art
professionals opportunities for global mobility as they
city’s contribution to the global art scene and thus
accelerate its emergence as a key art center. 53 grow into multinational companies, and simultaneously
integrate local professionals with diverse education and
Hypermobile artists, dealers, curators, and collectors experiences from around the world. Such people can
offer discrete rationales for their mobilities and enact bridge local and global art landscapes and enhance cultural
distinctive roles in the emergence of hub cities. and economic exchanges in the international art market.
Artists often move between cities for exhibitions, Dealers can also become cultural entrepreneurs who
residencies, and collaborative projects, carrying diverse establish galleries in new cities to cultivate new markets.
artistic influences and practices with them to the locales Moreover, dealers become highly mobile because of short-
61
with which they engage. This mobility facilitates the term movements associated with art fairs, which enable
exchange of ideas, enriching local art milieux and fostering them to target diverse markets without incurring the costs
innovation. They view their mobility as a means of building of complete relocation or opening a permanent branch.
54
international careers or attaining creative inspiration. Some Collectors can profoundly impact local art ecosystems,
artists resettle in new cities but many undertake short-term both as buyers and patrons. Their acquisitions and their
mobilities for exhibitions and residencies. The inequalities establishment of private museums or foundations can
in mobility opportunities emanating from disparities in stimulate local art markets and create new opportunities
passport privileges must crucially be highlighted in this for artists and galleries. 62,63 Hypermobile collectors
context. Artists from certain privileged countries in the evince varying profiles and capacities to influence the art
55

Volume 3 Issue 3 (2025) 4 doi: 10.36922/ac.3734