Art Expertization, Appraisal and Valuation. Conservation Issues in the Spanish Contemporary Art Market

The need to apply conservation-restoration criteria in museums, heritage and public collections has been widely studied in previous publications. However, the functions of the conservator-restorer in the face of the problems of the Spanish Contemporary Art Market have hardly been addressed in scientific literature. This research is based on two objectives: firstly, to investigate how the specific technical and artistic knowledge of the conservator-restorer covers a need in the ecosystem of the Contemporary Art Market by means of expert reports, appraisal and valuation. Secondly, to analyze how these specific skills and knowledge are transferred through Higher Education programs. Based on a comparative study, the specific problems of the Spanish Art Market shall be mapped, and protocols proposed that are respectful of conservation-restoration criteria and transferable through university programs to the future contemporary art stakeholders.