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1、2010Text1Thelongestbullruninacenturyofart-markethistoryendedonadramaticnotewithasaleof56worksbyDamienHirst,“BeautifulInsideMyHeadForever”,atSotheby’sinLondononSeptember15th2008.Allbuttwopiecessold,fetchingmorethan£70m,arecordforasalebyasingleartist.Itwasala
2、stvictory.Astheauctioneercalledoutbids,inNewYorkoneoftheoldestbanksonWallStreet,LehmanBrothers,filedforbankruptcy.Theworldartmarkethadalreadybeenlosingmomentumforawhileafterrisingbewilderinglysince2003.Atitspeakin2007itwasworthsome$65billion,reckonsClareMcA
3、ndrew,founderofArtsEconomics,aresearchfirm—doublethefigurefiveyearsearlier.Sincethenitmayhavecomedownto$50billion.Butthemarketgeneratesinterestfarbeyonditssizebecauseitbringstogethergreatwealth,enormousegos,greed,passionandcontroversyinawaymatchedbyfewother
4、industries.IntheweeksandmonthsthatfollowedMrHirst’ssale,spendingofanysortbecamedeeplyunfashionable,especiallyinNewYork,wherethebail-outofthebankscoincidedwiththelossofthousandsofjobsandthefinancialdemiseofmanyart-buyinginvestors.Intheartworldthatmeantcollec
5、torsstayedawayfromgalleriesandsalerooms.Salesofcontemporaryartfellbytwo-thirds,andinthemostoverheatedsector—forChinesecontemporaryart—theyweredownbynearly90%intheyeartoNovember2008.Withinweekstheworld’stwobiggestauctionhouses,Sotheby’sandChristie’s,hadtopay
6、outnearly$200minguaranteestoclientswhohadplacedworksforsalewiththem.ThecurrentdownturnintheartmarketistheworstsincetheJapanesestoppedbuyingImpressionistsattheendof1989,amovethatstartedthemostseriouscontractioninthemarketsincetheSecondWorldWar.Thistimeexpert
7、sreckonthatpricesareabout40%downontheirpeakonaverage,thoughsomehavebeenfarmorefluctuant.ButEdwardDolman,Christie’schiefexecutive,says:“I’mprettyconfidentwe’reatthebottom.”Whatmakesthisslumpdifferentfromthelast,hesays,isthattherearestillbuyersinthemarket,whe
8、reasintheearly1990s,wheninterestrateswerehigh,therewasnodemandeventhoughmanycollectorswantedtosell.Christie’srevenuesinthefirsthalfof2009werestillhigherthaninthefirsthalfof2006.Almosteveryonewhowasinte