Shark Taxidermy for $12 Million. Sold! The Whole Truth About the Contemporary Art Market

In retelling and analyzing the curious, astonishing, and shocking details that are so rich in the history of the creation and commercial success of the most famous and expensive contemporary art pieces, economist Donald Thompson constructs a narrative that keeps the reader in suspense from the first to the last page, no less than any detective novel. But let's not rush to judgments — in this case, we are not presented with a banal collection of anecdotes from the everyday life of the bohemia. Thompson's book is considered by critics to be one of the best studies of the contemporary art market. Captivating the reader's attention with scandalous stories of high-profile sales, the author concurrently reveals the very principles of the art business, usually hidden from the eyes of ordinary mortals. Thompson's book is a unique opportunity to penetrate behind the scenes of the world of auctions and art markets, dealers and gallery owners, artists whose fees are counted in seven-figure sums, and those who are just climbing to the top — that world where art comes into existence and where it acquires value. Published in a new translation.