Welcome to Art Market Trends, Artsy’s new research-driven report on the key topics shaping the art industry and collecting in 2025.
Rather than looking into a single slice of the art market at a time, as we have done in the past, we constructed this report from two concurrent surveys—one sent to galleries and another sent to collectors—which together yielded insights from over 1,600 respondents from across more than 60 countries.
The purpose of this report is to bridge these two pillars of the art market to generate a set of findings that holistically represent the current state of the market. Through our findings, we’re able to answer questions not just about galleries and collectors, but also about how they interact, such as whether the segments of the market that are most important to galleries are also the most desirable for collectors? Are digital-native collectors seeking out galleries with robust online sales operations?
We focus on topics including the need for increased transparency in the art market, the categories of art that are viewed as the most important commercially, art pricing trends, sales strategies, and the role of online channels.
What we have found overall is a nuanced picture of how collectors and galleries view each other. One key finding offers important context: Just 17% of collectors believe that the art market caters “very well” to them. Most collectors, we found, think art collecting would be easier with more transparent artwork pricing and information; a lack of transparency is viewed as a primary barrier to buying art online. But this sentiment is only partially matched by the galleries we surveyed: While most acknowledge that their collectors care about transparency, a minority say they took steps to improve it last year.
We also found that, in a challenging economic environment, galleries are turning to digital channels to reach new collectors more effectively. More than half of galleries said that they are expanding their online channels in response to the challenges facing their businesses. Meanwhile, collectors use online platforms like Artsy and Instagram to discover new artists. This trend is particularly notable among young collectors, who most galleries are prioritizing in their outreach efforts.
With online channels now an established pillar of the art market, galleries are looking to invest more in the digital space to meet growing collector demand and attract new collectors.
About 43% of galleries said they plan to focus more on online sales in the near future. When asked what new engagement strategies they are planning to implement in 2025, most (55%) said they are looking to create more online content, which can range from social media videos to online-only gallery shows. This response outranked hosting more in-person events (45%) and collaborating with other galleries or institutions (42%).
Collectors are keeping pace, continuing to buy art online. Some 59% said they purchased art online in 2024, with 73% of those saying that they purchased as much or more art online in 2024 compared to 2023.
Galleries are also using online channels to adapt to a challenging macroeconomic environment. Of the galleries surveyed, 75% selected economic uncertainty as one of the biggest challenges they face, followed by changing collector behavior or lack of demand (60%). To address these challenges, 57% of respondents said they are expanding their online presence.
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