BUILDING, MAINTAINING, AND SHOWING THE COLLECTION - Ethics of Collecting

Ethics of Collecting

Collectors acquire artworks and build their collection responsibly, exercising care when storing, preserving, and displaying artworks. Collectors strive to make artworks in their collection accessible when the adequate conditions are met.

1

ASSURING THE INTEGRITY AND LONGEVITY OF THE COLLECTION

Collector João has recently acquired a set of ten photographs from artist Farah. The artwork certificates clearly specify that the works must be shown without a frame, and are to be very simply pinned to the wall. João is very concerned that the absence of a frame will cause deterioration of the artworks. He is very tempted to frame them, especially if he is to lend them in the future. In the end, after several long minutes spent staring at the certificates, João decides not to frame them. Has he done the right thing?

A No. He should have framed them. The longevity of the artwork prevails over everything, including the will of the artist. After all, artworks are expensive, and collectors must preserve their investment.

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B Yes. While preserving the longevity of the photograph remains a duty for João, the will of the artist must take priority over João’s intention to protect the works. There are several other ways to protect the artworks when in storage and he should ensure the exhibiting conditions are appropriate and safe when lending the photographs.

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C No. He should have framed them. If the works deteriorate it will be impossible to lend the photographs, which renders this unethical.

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2

MAKING THE COLLECTION AVAILABLE FOR EXHIBITIONS

Collector Aida has been asked to loan five artworks by artist Tuğçe to the ARMO Museum for a group show next year. Aida is happy about this opportunity for Tuğçe, especially because her collection will gain notoriety. She immediately calls Tuğçe and her gallery to share the good news. When speaking to Tuğçe, Aida realizes that she has doubts about appearing in the show at ARMO. Tuğçe explains that the new director has recently been in the press for sexist comments and that as a feminist artist, she does not know if being in this show is the right thing to do. Tuğçe is visibly troubled by the situation. Following this conversation, Aida decides not to lend the artworks. Has Aida done the right thing?

A No. Collectors have a duty to lend artworks so they can be shown to the public, no matter what.

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B No. Aida has lost a great opportunity for her name to appear in the show and in the catalogue. The works belong to her, and she should feel free to lend them as she sees fit, to raise the profile of her collection.

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C Yes. While it is extremely important for artworks to circulate and be visible to the public, Aida was justified in feeling that the exhibiting context was not right in this instance. In particular, she understood that upholding the integrity of Tuğçe’s work is more important than showing her work at any cost, and is certainly more important than her aspirations to receive extra visibility for her collection.

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3

AVOIDING MANIPULATING THE MARKET

Collector Boaz has recently met young artist Tigran and finds his work very interesting and very affordable. Boaz contacts Tigran’s gallery and decides to buy 15 of Tigran’s paintings. He thinks that once he shows ten of them at his new exhibition space, and lends five of them to his collector friend Giovanni’s exhibition space downtown, that they will certainly gain at least 70% in value. At this point he plans to resell the work quickly through Giovanni’s auction house, and give a share of the gain to Giovanni. Is Boaz’s reasoning appropriate?

A Yes. He’s using the art market as any other market. He is just making a legal investment. And Giovanni is a good friend, he will help him out, especially if he gets a share of the gain.

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B Yes. It is undeniably in Tigran’s interest to sell more artworks, move to celebrity status and have his prices rise significantly.

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C No. Boaz clearly intends to manipulate the market to his advantage in cahoots with Giovanni. This operation would be exploitative of Tigran’s work, would artificially inflate Tigran’s prices and may negatively impact his career in the medium- and long-term.

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4

CONSIDERING THE ETHICAL AND REPUTATIONAL IMPACT OF FREEPORTS

Curator Joanna is preparing a new group show at ARMO Museum next spring. She has put forward a request to collector Akari for five artworks from Akari’s collection. She believes the five artworks would contribute greatly to the group show from a curatorial perspective. In her request, Joanna made it clear that ARMO is ready to pay for transportation and insurance fees, as is customary. After a few days, she receives a very dry response from Akari saying that she is fine to lend the five artworks but in addition to the typical transportation and insurance costs, ARMO should also pay for the freeport fees which are charged every time a work exits and enters the facility. This includes – but is not limited to – a report by a freeport inspector with a full evaluation. Joanna is very concerned by Akari’s response as she had no idea the works were in a freeport and did not know that such facilities charge extra fees when the works leave the premises. As a result, Joanna decides not to borrow the works. Was Akari’s response appropriate?

A No. Collectors have a duty to make artworks available for exhibitions when the transportation, preservation, and display conditions, as well as the exhibiting context, are adequate. While it is customary for the requesting institution to pay transportation and insurance fees, if Akari chooses to use a freeport to store the artworks, she should not require Joanna and ARMO pay the additional costs that entails.

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B Yes. Akari owns the works, and she is entitled to store them wherever she prefers. If someone requests the works for a show, they should bear all the costs of the loan.

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C Yes. Joanna is unprofessional and should have known better. She should have included more budget for loans in her plans for the group show.

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5

ASPIRING TO HIGH STANDARDS WHEN SHOWING THE COLLECTION IN PUBLIC

Collector duo Mikhail and Daniel have decided to show their collection to the public to mark its tenth anniversary. For that purpose, they have rented a large warehouse just outside of the city center. They will show 120 works from 50 young contemporary artists. Upon announcing the exhibition opening and the curatorial team, they receive a harsh response from the press. In particular, one article stated that, with the exception of one female-identifying artist among the 50 presented in the show, every person involved – from the artists, through all members of the curatorial, managerial, and installation teams, and including all of the security guards – is male. Is the press right in raising this concern?

A Yes. While collectors remain free to collect as they see fit privately, they should keep in mind that when showing their collection to the public, they are expected to aspire to high standards, valuing diversity and inclusivity. Of course, some collections focus on historical periods where diversity of artists cannot be guaranteed, but this can be balanced out with a diverse team managing the exhibition. In our specific case study, the artists shown are all young living artists and there is therefore no objective justification why Mikhail and Daniel should have not shown a more diverse set of artists and hired a more diverse exhibition team.

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B No. What matters is the quality of the artworks shown and the solidity of the curatorial selection.

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C No. Mikhail and Daniel are private collectors, and their taste choices are purely a personal matter, driven by their private passion. And it’s their prerogative to staff an exhibition as they please. In addition, Mikhail and Daniel stated in an interview: “It's still not that easy today, and we will not sacrifice quality in the name of diversity.”

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