Discover the 2026 Report on the Contemporary and Ultra-Contemporary Art Market
Artprice’s 33rd Contemporary Art Market Annual Report reveals the emergence of a new equilibrium
The restructuring and/or closure of iconic galleries plus major tensions in the Middle East and rising costs; everything suggests the market faced a series of unexpected pressures this past year (1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026). However, Contemporary Art continued to circulate with ever-increasing intensity: 208,000 artworks sold at auction in twelve months, in 558 cities across 64 countries. The Contemporary Art market is now sixteen times larger than it was twenty-five years ago.
But this sustained increase in the number of transactions has not entirely offset other changes in the market. While artworks change hands more easily, prices have no longer been reaching the peaks set during the post-pandemic euphoria or even a decade ago. The highest prices appear to have been revised down, with collectors becoming more selective, less impulsive and favoring works whose rarity and significance justify the highest valuations.
The case of Jeff Koons tells part of this story. His sculpture Louis XIV, sold for $10.8 million in 2015, and, when it returned to the market in 2026, it only fetched $8.6 million. Even the most established names are therefore no longer immune to substantial corrections. Meanwhile, higher transport, insurance and customs costs have been adding more weight to art transactions, not helping the Contemporary Art Market to regain the momentum that periodically carries it.
“Long-term price adjustments, increased costs and geopolitical instability are combining to call into question the functioning of a Contemporary Art Market that was once considered increasingly fluid and globalized.”
Thierry Ehrmann, CEO of Artmarket.com and Founder of Artprice
In short, last year we saw more works sold in a broader geography, but at less sensational prices. Artprice’s 33rd Contemporary Art Market Report explores the different driving forces of this transformation: price evolutions, including a continued contraction in the Ultra-Contemporary segment, the rise of female artists, the emergence of new hubs and a special focus on the geography of 7- or 8-digit auction results (the million-dollar-plus price range).
More information on: artprice.com