Over the past few decades, the financialization of the economy has transformed not only global markets but the very way we produce, perceive, and assign value in culture. In the art world, this shift is visible in the increasing prominence of metrics—auction prices, algorithmic valuations, social media reach—as proxies for artistic merit. But financialization is not merely an external force; it permeates aesthetic practices, institutions, and even artistic subjectivities.
This panel gathers critical perspectives on how the art world, contemporary art, and visual culture engage with systems of valuation under late capitalism. How do artists respond to the collapse of distinctions between aesthetic and economic value? What can we learn from historical and emerging forms of the artist-economist (Cras, 2019), entrepreneurial artist, or speculative practice? What happens to cultural institutions when assetization, datafication, and performance metrics shape funding, curating, and programming?
Grounded in historical research and contemporary critique, this session seeks to map how quantification and financial abstraction reshape both art and its histories
We invite papers that explore topics such as:
- The role of financial instruments and data in aesthetic production
- Artists who critically engage with money, speculation, or valuation
- Theoretical intersections of neoliberalism, aesthetics, and trust
- Metrics as curatorial or institutional strategy
- Transatlantic or global perspectives on art and economic imaginaries
Keywords:
Geographic Area: Global
Topics: Economics
Topics: Entrepreneurship
Financialization
Contemporary Art
Chairs:
Diana Angoso De Guzmán, Universidad de Salamanca and Paul D Melton, Fashion Institute of Technology State University of New York
Source: https://caa.confex.com/caa/2026/webprogrampreliminary/Session16555.html
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