Art for Sale

From NFTs to the legal complexities of restitution: Dirk Boll appraises the art industry’s new trends and paradigm shifts

Over the past two years, structural changes in the art market have accelerated considerably. From virtual viewing rooms and private sales to NFTs and new distribution channels, the pandemic and increased digitization have had all-encompassing and lasting effects. With 25 years of experience at the forefront of the art industry, Dirk Boll, deputy chairman for 20th and 21st century art at Christie’s, offers insights into the latest developments and dynamics, as well as profound background knowledge. Where to start as someone who is interested in buying art? What distinguishes the Dutch from the English auction? What role does art criticism play in the canonization of art?
Expanding and recasting Boll’s 2011 publication Art for Sale, Art and Its Market provides in-depth information on the practical issues of acquiring art. Boll, who studied law, also sheds light on the legal framework surrounding acquisition and the highly relevant topic of looted art and its restitution.
Dirk Boll (born 1970) has been working for Christie’s since 1998. Until 2021, he was the President of Christie’s Europe, Middle East, Russia and India; today he is deputy chairman for 20th- and 21st-century art.