Every period of turbulence brings the same question: does art protect wealth? A gallery’s honest answer is: sometimes, under certain conditions, and never on its own.
What art has going for it
A work of art is a tangible, unique asset that depends on no issuer. Its value rests on rarity, on the artist’s place in a history still being written and on collectors’ desire — drivers that do not follow the financial markets’ calendar. The annual Art Basel and UBS art market reports show a market that absorbs crises with a lag, and unevenly across segments. Over a long horizon, works by artists whose careers are consolidating tend to hold, because their supply is by nature limited.
What should not be forgotten
Art is not a liquid investment: reselling takes time and costs fees. The spectacular results reported in the press concern a handful of names and say nothing about the vast majority of works. And authenticity, provenance and condition weigh as much as the signature. A gallery is not a financial adviser, and we never present a work as a return.
What makes the difference
Three things matter: buying what you love, because you will live with it; buying on the primary market, from a gallery that follows its artists over time, with an invoice, a certificate and a history; and looking at the artist’s path — exhibitions, fairs, collections — rather than at passing trends. This is how we work with the gallery’s artists, in Marseille and at international fairs.
For companies
In France, buying works by living artists benefits from a specific tax framework, and leasing with a purchase option allows a work to be installed without being capitalised: we detail both routes in our article on art, business and taxation and on the leasing page.