The Art of Collecting

This book introduces the reader to the Philippine art market, specifically its primary and secondary sectors. Specific components of both sectors are discussed, such as art galleries, art fairs, and auction houses, which have been generating shock waves with the staggering prices that a number of art pieces have fetched in auctions in recent years. The book is mostly descriptive rather than analytical as it means more to apprise, not appraise. Personal experiences of the author as collector, researcher, and briefly as art gallery co-owner and adviser to a fledgling collector serve as basis for the discussion, coupled with media reports and writings of scholars who have analyzed the art market in other countries. It turns out that many (but not all) findings by foreign studies seem to hold true for the Philippine setting, and there are crucial lessons especially for those who treat artworks mainly as investment instruments.