The art market most closely mimics the larger economy by obsessing over youth and constantly seeking new areas for expansion. Just as advertising covets a demographic in which age 34 begins to signify decline, the commercial-gallery system is skewed toward younger artists. The art world is also always on the lookout for fresh territories to incorporate. The rise of Chinese artists and collectors is an obvious example—or Takashi Murakami's transformation of Japanese anime culture into a global brand. Even a geopolitically unstable country such as Lebanon has recently seen a number of its artists achieve substantial critical... More >>>