The Shift : Art and the Rise to Power of Contemporary Collectors

An updated edition of Marta Gnyp’s widely acclaimed account of the global culture of art collectors

This new, updated edition of the widely acclaimed book on contemporary art and collectors takes the reader on a fascinating journey through the world of contemporary art. Author Marta Gnyp’s updated introduction addresses significant art-world developments pertaining to collectors that have occurred since the first edition was published in 2016.

Analyzing the motives and behavior of internationally operating collectors, The Shift explains the popularity of contemporary art among the wealthy and discloses the unwritten rules, active networks and persistent myths of the rapidly expanding territory of art collecting. Collectors engage in ingenious ways with artists, galleries, museums, and auction houses while pursuing their passions and goals. Examining the attraction of collecting at large, its multifaceted social life, and the financial opportunities it seems to offer, The Shift also addresses how taste is formed and identifies possible radical shifts in the art system.

Marta Gnyp is a Dutch art historian at the University of Amsterdam and the author of You, Me and Art: Artists in the 21st Century.