CURRENT GLOBAL TRENDS IN FINE ART AUCTIONS

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to review the current global trends that are being implemented in the field of art auctions and reflected in modern multimedia digital forms. From the point of view of methodological support of the study, the following principles are important: objectivity, systematicity (integrity, all-roundness, complexity) and historical and logical. In a number of art and cultural approaches, scientific methods were applied, in particular, methods of evaluation (material and aesthetic) of artistic creativity, which, in turn, is the object and platform of auction activity: 1. the historical and cultural method (it allows for a systematic assessment of the peculiarities of the development of fine art in certain historical periods); 2. the historical and biographical method, the method of prosopography (these methodological techniques allow for a comprehensive study of the peculiarities of the life and work of artists (whose works are the subject of art auction activity), highlighting the significance of their work in the world, etc; 3. the historical-comparative method allows comparing the peculiarities and results of the work of visual artists with global, regional and glocal cultural and artistic processes; 4. the methods of diachrony and synchrony allow assessing the dynamic process of creating artistic works, the development of artistic styles, genres, trends, etc. from the cultural and art historical point of view; 5. the method of art historical comparative analysis allows identifying a work of visual art as an artistic phenomenon, its style, 6. the methodology of semiotics and semiology is the basis for aesthetic assessments of the works of fine art masters; it is based on art historical and cultural studies in the field of signs, meanings, senses, symbols, codes, etc., which in a certain way allow to characterise the features of the aesthetic platform of works of fine art in the sense of ethnic identity, universal archetypes, etc.; 7. application of modern methods of art history – formal and stylistic analysis, iconological method of interpretation of an artwork, etc., allows to systematically assess the features of artworks that are the subject of an auction sale; the method of stylistic analysis involves the study of the theme and plot of a work of fine art, features of its iconography, as well as composition, colour, colour scheme and other characteristic features in order to identify the work described as belonging to a certain chronological period, style or trend. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the up-to-date assessment of current trends in the global art market, in particular, in the space of art auctions – the leaders of the contemporary art market. The research has led to the following conclusions: 1. the modern art auction space takes into account the latest achievements in the multimedia digital sphere; 2. modern art auctions offer for sale both works of past historical and cultural periods and works created on the basis of modern techniques and technologies.