🔥 Alvaro minutes: The $84 Trillion Question + Harminder Judge

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-In a Minute-

🔥 Words I Like: wealth transfer, market shift, taste reset

The $84 Trillion Question: What’s Next for Art Collecting?

$84 trillion is switching wallets over the next 20 years, and guess what? A fat slice is wrapped up in boomer-owned art collections. It’s not just a money move; it’s an art-world earthquake. Millennials and Gen Z are inheriting big—and their tastes? Less Impressionism, more influencers. Auction houses are prepping for a tidal wave of estate sales, as masterpieces leave cozy boomer walls for the market.

But plot twist: not all of it is selling. A cool 72% of rich inheritors keep some of the art they get—whether for the nostalgia, the tax perks, or just straight-up indecision. So now we’ve got a market split—one lane zooming into emerging artists, the other hitting cruise control with blue-chip classics.

Why it matters: This generational baton pass isn’t just a vibe shift; it’s fracturing the market. One half sprints after trendy, emerging names. The other clutches its pearls around "proven" classics. Collectors ready to play bold could rewrite what "timeless" even means.

The moral: Adapt or get left holding dusty Monet prints. The market’s at a crossroads, and the stakes aren’t just financial—they’re cultural.

P.S. Imagine if Monet posted reels of his lilies. Would he out-viral Banksy? Think about it 👀

-Today’s Catch-

-The Understory-

Ever think the art world was just about passion and expression? Think again. Even a splash of paint can be a power move. This week, Hannah Seco unpacks how Jackson Pollock and Abstract Expressionism became tools in the CIA’s Cold War arsenal.

Art, Freedom, or a CIA Power Play?

Abstract Expressionism: Art Meets Geopolitics

What if rebellion was part of the plan? During the Cold War, the CIA backed Abstract Expressionism to position it as a symbol of American freedom. Artists like Jackson Pollock, celebrated for their raw and chaotic energy, unknowingly became weapons in a cultural chess match against the Soviets. Beneath the splattered paint lay a carefully orchestrated strategy to outshine Soviet rigidity.

Freedom for Some, Shadows for Others

Artists like Helen Frankenthaler and Lee Krasner also shaped the movement, but their contributions were often eclipsed by a male-dominated art world. The same system that championed freedom curiously sidelined its female pioneers. Abstract Expressionism, despite its rebellious aura, mirrored the very structures it critiqued.

Art as a Weapon in the Power Game

Pollock’s journey from angst-ridden genius to Cold War symbol reveals a deeper truth: art and power are inseparable. As art continues to influence politics and culture, it’s worth asking—are we seeing true expression or a hidden agenda?

Next time you stand before a Pollock, consider this: does the chaos on the canvas reflect freedom, or the strings of a bigger game? Let me know your thoughts at [email protected].

Article by Hannah Seco

Art Dealer | Broker of Blue Chip & Emerging Art | Private Sales at Liquid Mirror | Musician & Analog Producer

• Website: liquidmirror.art

• Contact: [email protected]

• Instagram: @liquidmirrorart