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  • © 2020

The Sociology of Arts and Markets

New Developments and Persistent Patterns

Palgrave Macmillan
  • Contributes to a better understanding of the crucial role played by intermediaries such as galleries, art fairs, collective platforms
  • Analyses the valuation tools (typically rankings) defining artists’ and artworks’ worth
  • Confirms the increasing marketization of the arts with reference to the growth of metric assessments in capitalist societies

Part of the book series: Sociology of the Arts (SOA)

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Table of contents (17 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xvi
  2. Introduction

    • Andrea Glauser, Patricia Holder, Thomas Mazzurana, Olivier Moeschler, Valérie Rolle, Franz Schultheis
    Pages 1-15
  3. Creators in the Market: Artists Between Aesthetics, Critique, and Trade

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 17-17
    2. A Star Down-to-Earth: On Social Critique in Popular Culture

      • Désirée Waibel, Robert Schäfer
      Pages 47-71
  4. Artistic Career Paths: Trajectories and Inequalities in the Market

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 73-73
    2. Visual Artists’ Professional Situations and Trajectories Between Institutions and the Market

      • Pierre Bataille, Johannes M. Hedinger, Olivier Moeschler
      Pages 97-128
  5. The Economy of Idiosyncrasy: Art Dealers and the Commodification of Individuality

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 157-157
  6. Marketable Art: Galleries and Gallery Owners as Central Intermediaries

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 237-237
  7. Market Assessments: The Increasing Role of Art Rankings

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 317-317

About this book

This edited collection offers an in-depth analysis of the complex and changing relationship between the arts and their markets. Highly relevant to almost any sociological exploration of the arts, this interaction has long been approached and studied. However, rapid and far-reaching economic changes have recently occurred.

Through a number of new empirical case studies across multiple artistic, historic and geographical settings, this volume illuminates the developments of various art markets, and their sociological analyses. The contributions include chapters on artistic recognition and exclusion, integration and self-representation in the art market, sociocultural changes, the role of the gallery owner, and collectives, rankings, and constraints across the cultural industries. Drawing on research from Japan, Switzerland, France, Italy, China, the US, UK, and more, this rich and global perspective challenges current debates surrounding art and markets, and will be an important reference point for scholars and students across the sociology of arts, cultural sociology and culture economy.

Editors and Affiliations

  • University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna, Austria

    Andrea Glauser

  • University of St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland

    Patricia Holder, Thomas Mazzurana

  • University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland

    Olivier Moeschler

  • University of Nantes, Nantes, France

    Valérie Rolle

  • Zeppelin University, Friedrichshafen, Germany

    Franz Schultheis

About the editors

Andrea Glauser is Professor of Cultural Studies at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, Austria.

Patricia Holder is a freelance researcher and curator, and was previously a research assistant at the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland.

Thomas Mazzurana is an innovation manager, and was previously a research assistant at the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland.

Olivier Moeschler is Senior Researcher at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland.

Valérie Rolle is Lecturer at the University of Nantes, France.

Franz Schultheis is Professor Emeritus of Sociology at Zeppelin University, Germany. 



Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: The Sociology of Arts and Markets

  • Book Subtitle: New Developments and Persistent Patterns

  • Editors: Andrea Glauser, Patricia Holder, Thomas Mazzurana, Olivier Moeschler, Valérie Rolle, Franz Schultheis

  • Series Title: Sociology of the Arts

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-39013-6

  • Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan Cham

  • eBook Packages: Social Sciences, Social Sciences (R0)

  • Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-030-39012-9Published: 16 June 2020

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-3-030-39015-0Published: 16 June 2021

  • eBook ISBN: 978-3-030-39013-6Published: 15 June 2020

  • Series ISSN: 2569-1414

  • Series E-ISSN: 2569-1406

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XVI, 431

  • Number of Illustrations: 14 b/w illustrations, 4 illustrations in colour

  • Topics: Sociology of Culture, Cultural Policy and Politics, Cultural Management, Media Sociology

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access