Planeamento

Aulas

Introduction to the course and information on assessment.

Introduction to the syllabus and bibliography.

Assessment consists of two elements:

1) an essay relating Pierre Bourdieu’s The Field of Cultural Production. Essays on art and literature (1993) with current-day art markets (50%);

2) an individual test encompassing all the program (50%), held in December (to be announced).



Essay’s length up to 2.500 words, to be delivered by email (luis.afonso@letras.ulisboa.pt) as a pdf file until December 22nd 2023 (FRI).


Introduction to the art markets

Introductory concepts: “art worlds”, “art markets” and “art industries”
The ecosystem metaphor: the art markets as a set of ecosystems.


The work of art: from the gift economy to financial capitalism

The work of art: from the gift economy to financial capitalism. Analogies with the financial markets.


What is art?

What is art? The philosophical and economic approaches.

Defining value: cultural value and economic value


Demand

1. The psychology of collecting

2. Needs and motivations: Maslow

3. Veblen

4. Baudrillard


Supply


Legitimation & validation

1. Museums and Kunsthallen 2. Biennials and exhibitions 3. Prizes and awards


Pierre Bourdieu’s theories I

Biographic information. Two books: L’amour de l’art (1968); La distinction (1979). Taste and distinction dissected.
Types of capital: economic, social, cultural, symbolic. The notion of “social distinction”


Bourdieu - part II

The notions of Field and Habitus.