In the Design Marketplace

There is a question which has been popped up in discussions within the collectible design world over and over again, and it is related to the territory of contemporary furniture and lighting. As this is territory has developed at the heart of the world’s finest design galleries, which have been taking the leading role in selecting, exhibiting, promoting, and supporting theoretical studies, pushing the envelope and making the production of contemporary design enormously ambitious, this question is becoming more and more relevant.

as collectible contemporary design accomplished a presence in the secondary market? Does it hold its value? I have been asked this question by clients and architects considering acquisitions of museum-quality contemporary furniture and lighting, which have come to dominate the interior decor of our age. Since the international auction houses rarely present pieces of 21st-century design, and since much of this material has moved from hand to hand in a private manner, it has been difficult to respond. However, this question has been partially answered in the past weekend when a chair by Wendell Castle fetched $175K at Rago Auctions, matching its current value. More to come.