For this edition, we draw on a recent report by Esperanza Belda, Director of Galerie MO11 and collaborator of "Curator's Pick," which offers a clear-eyed look at where the art market stands today.

The global art market is currently experiencing a contraction in overall turnover. Yet at the same time, the number of transactions continues to grow — driven largely by works priced under $5,000.

What the numbers reveal is not a shrinking market, but a widening one. A new generation of collectors is entering the art world, quietly but steadily. What moves them is not investment alone. There seems to be something more fundamental at work — a desire, conscious or not, to engage directly with the work itself and with the act of creation behind it.

This is why contemporary art occupies such a particular position today. While the markets for modern and post-war art have long matured — requiring significant capital to enter — in the contemporary space, value is still taking shape. Prices reflect not only where an artist stands now, but the room ahead: future exhibitions, curatorial recognition, institutional exposure.

In her report, Belda looks to the early collectors of Impressionism back in the days as a point of reference. Those who supported Monet, Renoir, and Degas did so at a time when these artists had yet to be validated, when their work sat far outside accepted standards of value. That act of collecting was not speculation — it was cultural foresight.

The sensitivity to read market currents and sense what lies ahead — this has always been, throughout history, the very essence of building a collection, and so it will remain.



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For the first international gallery collaboration of Curator's Pick, we are delighted to welcome Galerie MO11, a leading force in the Cannes art scene. Directed by Esperanza Belda, MO11 is known for its program of experimental dialogues between emerging and mid-career artists, curating works by masters such as Picasso and Matisse through a contemporary lens.

For this collaboration, we have been invited to present works by MO11 artists Anaïs Vindel and Ignasi Buneri across two dedicated features, each organized around a distinct theme. You are welcome to explore the individual works and themes of each artist below.