Between art fairs and art markets: the role of women at the beginning of the contemporary art ecosystem

Objective

What is the role of women at the beginning of the contemporary art ecosystem? How did female gallerists and artists impact the European art market? Was there a heterophilic attitude among the gallerists, or were female artists portrayed and promoted unfairly because of their gender? Was there a correlation between the beginning of “Women Studies”, and the presence of the female gender in the art markets? This study will address all of these research questions by focusing on gallerists and artists who participated in Art Basel, initially known as Art, the main European and international contemporary art fair founded by a woman, Trüdl Bruckner. The research will analyze all catalogs released between the 1970s and 1989 for two purposes. The 1970s saw major change in the art world, with the contemporary art system emerging as a result of a growing gallery presence and the rise of curated exhibitions, and Art was crucial in establishing contemporary art fairs as a powerful force, fostering international relationships. At the same time, it coincides with the publishing of the most well-known academic texts dedicated to women in the arts, like Linda Nochlin's, and the emergence of “Women Studies”, such as courses held at Yale University. The second date marks the fall of the Berlin Wall, which signified a new geopolitical framework for Europe, as well as the beginning of a different, globalized art system and market, together with a New Economy. As a project devoted to the interdisciplinary fields of art market studies with contemporary art history, the research will combine qualitative and quantitative methodologies in an unprecedented way, delivering measurable results over a twenty-year empirical observation time span, considering the gender gap and determining which names were most influential in shaping the origins of contemporary art markets in Europe and how.