On Collecting

Art collectors and their collections make up an important part of the contemporary arts and crafts infrastructure. Not only do museums and art collectors improve an artist’s financial situation by buying their work, but their collections also have symbolic meaning. To be included in the right collection can give an artist a high level of recognition; at the same time, the purchase secures their work a place in a system whose aim is to preserve art for the future. Collecting is a selection process which has economic, social, political and art historical implications, and consequences for the artist, the art scene and the public.

In On Collecting the authors look at collecting from public, private and personal perspectives to shed light on some of the structures that are responsible for how artworks become ‘collectible’ and thus available to the public in museums and public spaces. On Collecting is the fourth volume in the series Documents on Contemporary Crafts. The series is published by Norwegian Crafts and offers critical reflection on contemporary crafts, seeking to stimulate discourse within the field. With essays by: Glenn Adamson, Liesbeth den Besten, Paul Derrez, Eivind Furnesvik, Margaret Wasz, Trude Schjelderup Iversen, Gunnar Kvaran, Knut Ljøgodt, Nanna Melland, Yuka Oyama, Anthony Shaw and Petter Snare.