A more robust market, more geared to the local context and operating more strongly in the digital environment. These are some of the main findings of the 7th edition of the Pesquisa Setorial sobre o Mercado de Artes Visuais no Brasil, carried out by the Associação Brasileira de Arte Contemporânea (ABACT), with the support of Apex Brasil, the government agency for export promotion. The study involved 45 professionals and 76 galleries from every region of the country, updating the previous survey, carried out in 2018.
Conducted in 2024, the survey presents information relating to the year 2023, identifying a 21% growth in the sector's turnover, with revenue of approximately R$ 2.9 billion. Despite the advance, the result still represents 1.5% less than the volume of business recorded in 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic.
Although it represents less than 1% of the global turnover of the art market, the Brazilian sector shows particular characteristics. Domestic consumption predominates, with 77% of sales made to local buyers. However, there was an expansion in exports, with 24% growth in acquisitions made by foreign buyers. The United States, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Portugal and Hong Kong are the main destinations of the artworks sold. Together, these countries account for around 90% of international transactions.
The survey also shows that galleries invest around 25% of their resources in taking part in national and international events, with an equivalent return: national art fairs accounted for 25% of the average turnover of the galleries surveyed. In addition, only 3% of them were not present at fairs held in Brazil and only 29% did not take part in international fairs.
In this X-ray of the market, the survey reveals that each gallery represents, on average, 27 artists, with the top three accounting for 51% of sales. The Brazilian buyer gives preference to artworks costing up to R$ 50,000, which account for 59% of revenue, while only 9% of sales are of artworks priced above R$ 300,000.
The Sector Survey also showed the rise of online sales as a market trend. In 2024, business generated through digital channels reached 20% of the sector's revenues, whereas in 2018 they accounted for only 8% of turnover.
The full survey is available at this link, running to 82 pages. In addition to more in-depth analyses, it also presents recommendations and trends for the development of a more sustainable market.
