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The Ethnology Notebooks. 2025. № 6 (186), 1544—1551

UDK 7.07.658.849.7

DOI https://doi.org/10.15407/

ART AUCTIONS AS A TOOL OF DEVELOPMENT UKRAINIAN ART MARKET AND POPULARIZATION OF ART

KULIVNYK Mykhailo

  • ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-6436-8168
  • Senior Lecturer, Department of Art Studies and Art Education
  • Kyiv State Academy of Decorative and Applied Arts
  • and Design named after Mykhailo Boichuk,
  • Contacts: 32, M. Boychuk Str., 01014, Kyiv, Ukraine

Abstract. The research is devoted to a comprehensive analysis of art auctions as an economic, cultural, and educational phenomenon of the contemporary art market. The relevance of the topic is driven by the growing role of auctions in shaping market prices, promoting national art, and integrating Ukraine into the global cultural space, which is especially important in the context of globalization, digitalization, and wartime challenges. The purpose of the study is to determine the impact of auction activities on the development of the Ukrainian and international art markets, as well as to identify their key functions, trends, and prospects. To achieve this, the current state of the global and Ukrainian art markets was analyzed, the mechanisms of auction operations and their role in pricing and art promotion were investigated, and the history of Ukrainian auctions and modern practices related to digital technologies, NFTs, blockchain, and artificial intelligence were traced.

The information base included scientific and analytical sources by Ukrainian and foreign authors, as well as open data from auction platforms: Goldens (formerly «Golden Section»), Dukat Auction House, Kupava Auction House, Arsani Auction House, and Mercury Auction House. The study applied historical-typological, cultural, economic, and comparative-analytical methods, which made it possible to identify the characteristics of the Ukrainian art market and trace the evolution of auction practices from ancient trades to modern digital formats.

The results demonstrate that art auctions serve as a kind of «price indicator», ensuring transparent formation of market value for artworks and enhancing their investment appeal. At the same time, they possess significant cultural and educational potential: they contribute to the development of collector culture, promote Ukrainian artists, and expand the international presence of national art. Special attention is given to contemporary challenges — the transition to online formats accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, the introduction of NFTs and blockchain technologies, and ethical and legal issues regarding authorship of works created using artificial intelligence.

Keywords: art auctions, Ukrainian art market, digitalization, online auctions, NFTs, blockchain, art promotion, authorship, ethical aspects, institutional development.

Received 15.10.2025

REFERENCES

  • Butnyk-Siverskyi, B. (2010). Art market of Ukraine: problems of formation and development. Kyiv: Mystetstvo [in Ukrainian].
  • Danylenko, V.Ya. (2014). Cultural policy and the art market of Ukraine in the global context. Kyiv: Akademvydav [in Ukrainian].
  • Zhuravel, H. (2016). Art auctions as an institutional practice of the art market. In: Culture and Modernity, 2 (14), 45—52 [in Ukrainian].
  • Kravchenko, A. (2018). Ukrainian art market: current state and prospects. In: Bulletin of Kyiv National University of Culture and Arts. Series: Art Studies, 39 (1), 87—95 [in Ukrainian].
  • Melnyk, L. (2020). Art auctions in Ukraine: functions and significance. In: Art Studies, 12 (3), 101—109 [in Ukrainian].
  • Rybak, O. (2017). Commercial and cultural functions of the art market in Ukraine. In: Bulletin of Lviv National Academy of Arts, 31, 142—150 [in Ukrainian].
  • Fedoruk, O. (2015). Development of art institutions in Ukraine: global models and local adaptations. In: Kyiv Art Studies, 23, 56—64 [in Ukrainian].
  • Zinchenko, M. (2019). Art auctions as a cultural and economic phenomenon. In: Scientific Notes of NaUKMA. Art Studies, 2 (199), 22—28 [in Ukrainian].
  • Marbeks. (2021, March 15). How the price of an artwork is formed. Marbeks Art Blog. Retrieved from: https://marbeks.com/blog/yak-formuyetsya-tsina-na-tvir-mystetstva [in Ukrainian].
  • ResearchGate. (2020). Art auctions as a significant part of the modern art market. Retrieved from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/343021234
  • MediaSapiens. (2023, July 2). Artists protest against the sale of AI-generated works at auctions. Retrieved from: https://ms.detector.media/trends/post/35123/ [in Ukrainian].
  • McAndrew, C. (2023). The Art Market 2023: An Art Basel & UBS Report. Basel: Art Basel. Retrieved from: https://www.artbasel.com/about/initiatives/the-art-market 13.  Robertson, I., & Chong, D. (Eds.). (2008). The Art Business. London: Routledge. Retrieved from: https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203933670
  • Thompson, D. (2008). The $12 Million Stuffed Shark: The Curious Ecoяomics of Contemporary Art. London: Aurum.
  • Velthuis, O. (2005). Talking Prices: Symbolic Meanings of Prices on the Market for Contemporary Art. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Retrieved from: https://press.princeton.edu/books/paperback/9780691134030/talking-prices
  • Adam, G. (2014). Big Bucks: The Explosion of the Art Market in the 21st Century. London: Lund Humphries.
  • Thornton, S. (2008). Seven Days in the Art World. New York: W.W. Norton & Company.
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