Hype!

Art as a million dollar project

In our capitalist society, works of art represent the ultimate status symbol. The art market is booming, prices are rocketing. Why is it that people are willing to spend millions of dollars on works by van Gogh, Klimt, Keith Haring or Gerhard Richter yet other artists are completely ignored? In no other market is the value of the goods so unpredictable and volatile. And no other market is a source of such entertaining stories.

This book sheds light on the backgrounds, motivations and strategies of the key players in the art market. It combines an outline of historical developments with details of current trends, charting the terrain where cultural beliefs, economic interests, societal norms and the herd instinct all go towards creating a unique process of transformation, which finds its expression in the price of an artwork.

In this brilliant analysis, Piroschka Dossi lays bare many of the secrets of this notoriously impenetrable world. 

A must-read book for art dealers, artists and art lovers.