Young people collect contemporary art!
I started visiting art exhibitions in the late 70s. I met established and famous artists in Santo Domingo at that time.
Entering an art gallery was a quasi-religious experience for me. My admiration for paintings, drawings, and sculptures was intense.
If I had not decided to be an artist as I wanted, I would have been an art lover.
One of the first crazy things I did as a professional was “marry” with art.
It is not a joke. In my first solo exhibition, I hired a model and actress to pretend together that we were getting married.
It was my wedding to art!
Today I spent several hours at the Modern Art Museum of Santo Domingo. I photographed the main details of two of my installations.
They are part of the National Biennial Art Contest. It is the main event of our visual culture.
A jury selected me for my two works to participate in the national contest.
While I was photographing, many young people between the ages of 12 and 30 entered the ample exhibition space.
I am excited to remember contemplating the interest with which they approached the pieces of art.
They commented, took videos and photos with their smartphones. And sometimes, they came to me. We were chatting, and they even allowed me to record some conversations!
Worldwide the phenomenon is similar.
More and more young people are buying and investing in contemporary art.
New and enthusiastic collectors are emerging. They are hungry for quality and creativity. And they are not interested in works that they consider outdated, such as those that hang on the walls of their father’s houses.
I have friends who collected paintings for years, and now their children don’t want anything they saw growing up.
It is a sociological phenomenon worth studying.
Millennials and Gen Y and Z are leading the way. Rich young people from Asia, especially China, Japan, and Korea, have energized the market and face-to-face and online auctions.
This is fabulous for those of us who live renewing our body of images and concepts. Those who stay at the forefront find an audience and money.
Reports from Forbes, Art Market, and other indicators say that sales in the pandemic era have been staggering. Billions of dollars have been moved to acquire contemporary art.
This is exhilarating!
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