Art Market Research and Discipline Construction of Art Sociology

For reasons of “anti-market”, “de-marketing” and “division of labour”, art market research has been relatively neglected in the emerging Chinese art sociology. However, the art market is not only an important part of the modern art system, but also forms the central axis of the art world, profoundly influencing and shaping its organisational structure, power patterns and operational mechanisms. Thus its study is an essential part of art sociology. To bring the art market back into Chinese art sociological research, it is necessary to explore unique research methods, perspectives and approaches with a sociological disciplinary self-awareness, and on the other hand to grasp the market’s formation mechanisms, mechanisms of change and development characteristics, based on China’s own experience and practice, while establishing an awareness of the overall issues facing society and art itself. Taking art market research as a grip to promote the disciplinary construction of art sociology can help break through the current imbalance of “discursive over empirical” and the ambiguous positioning of the discipline, construct the empirical character of Chinese art sociology, and promote art sociology as an empirical science. In the process of comparison and dialogue with neighbouring disciplines, it will clarify its own disciplinary orientation and establish its own research horizon and academic paradigm.