Marta Herrero. “Auctions, Rituals and Emotions in the Art Market”

Abstract

Marta Herrero employs the Collins’ theory of interaction rituals in her study of art auctions. By the example of the Irish sales in London the author demonstrates the influence of a pre-existing group membership on the creation of collective emotions during the performance of an auction ritual, on functioning of objects of art as material symbols representing a group and on the success of an auction as such.