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Arts & Communication Transnational mobility and art market centers

The study noted across the four studied cities that 8. Conclusion
hypermobile art professionals often assume lead roles
in local scene-making by building and sculpting art Hypermobile professionals function in varied ways to
ecosystems. They leverage their international experiences contribute to the rise of emerging hubs in the global art
market. Curators leverage their international networks
and networks to establish international standards that and expertise to bridge local and global art worlds. Mobile
advance the positioning of their chosen cities. This art collectors lay the groundwork for the development of
progression is evident at the institutional level, such as robust local art ecosystems through extensive acquisitions
in Doha where curator Abdellah Karroum implemented and the establishment of cultural institutions. Art managers
new modes of organizing and displaying the collection and local art leaders with international experience identify
of modern Arab art. Besides promoting individual gaps in local art environments and address these lacunae
institutions, hypermobile professionals help to address to foster the growth of local art ecosystems. Dealers make
gaps in local art environments, as in Singapore where strategic decisions to open new branches to signal their
Eugene Tan could detect the types of structures lacking in confidence in the potential of the local art landscape, which
the local art ecology. attracts other market players and fosters growth. Such
Moreover, hypermobile professionals are vital to the hypermobile individuals establish gallery associations and
construction of the imaginary landscapes of emerging hub foster collaborative environments. Their engagement with
cities and can thus position their chosen cities on the global such activities strengthens gallery operations to support
art map. The strategic efforts of hypermobile curators and the careers of artists in the long-term and enhances the
artists facilitated by the Istanbul Biennial have positioned cultural landscapes of the chosen cities.
Istanbul as a significant node in the global art market. The present study contributes to the extant literature by
The biennial’s ability to attract high-profile curators with emphasizing the subjective dimensions of human mobility
extensive international networks has heightened the city’s and exploring how personal aspirations, imaginaries, and
reputation and created a platform for continuous cultural career strategies have influenced the emergence of new art
exchanges between Istanbul and other major art centers. centers. Moreover, it draws attention to the ways in which
Curators such as Hou Hanru have fashioned a discourse power structures shape mobility by examining how urban
that transcends mere place branding and genuinely captures governments, economic elites, and other powerful actors
the zeitgeist of the local art milieu and its contributions to leverage the mobility of global talent as a tool to position
global discussions. Hypermobile professionals also help their cities as global art market centers.
the formation of such hub cities by building new regional The aspirations of hypermobile individuals can function
networks. For example, Mizuma’s development of gallery crucially in the rise of hub cities; however, mobility regimes
outposts across discrete Asian cities reinforced the idea of have become increasingly restrictive. The worldwide
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Singapore as a Southeast Asian hub. proliferation of art events has contributed to the expansion
The strategies of foot-voting, local scene-making, of short-term mobilities in the art market. Mechanisms
and hub-city-making are interconnected and mutually such as artist residencies that typically last a few months also
reinforcing. Hypermobile professionals actively participate encourage short-term. However, long-term professional
in the local scene-making of their new city and help to mobility through means such as employment in galleries
build its art ecosystem when they decide to relocate to and art institutions remains constrained because it involves
an emerging art hub. In turn, the success of such efforts migration and settlement. Art professionals belonging to
reinforces the city’s stature and reputation as an art market countries with less powerful passports confront significant
hub. Local actors are acutely aware of the importance of mobility restrictions. Such constraints limit their ability
influential mobile art professionals in constructing their to contribute to the global art world and hinder their
city’s reputation as an emerging art center and often potential to foster a more equitable global art landscape.
actively strive to recruit them. For instance, the hiring Restrictive mobility regimes allow long-term resettlement
of hypermobile professionals directly supported Doha’s only to an exclusive elite of skilled workers and wealthy
ambitions to become an art hub by ameliorating its cultural entrepreneurs; in so doing, they obstruct the emergence
institutions and international reputation. In more general of alternative art scenes. Short-term mobilities enable the
terms, wealthy patrons and proactive local governments appearance of new hub cities and promote a multipolar art
recognize that hypermobile professionals can serve as world but cannot fundamentally challenge the hegemonic
a crucial component of their strategies and use their structure of the prevailing global art market.
resources to attract global talent to propel their city onto This study attended to relatively privileged hypermobile
the world stage. art professionals. However, further explorations must

Volume 3 Issue 3 (2025) 10 doi: 10.36922/ac.3734