Viewing Art Can Be As Satisfying As Buying It

For some, visiting an art exhibit can be as satisfying as buying a painting, according to new study, throwing a huge wrench into pro-acquisition thinking. Buyers, however, admit to wanting a more long-term, intimate relationship with the painting.

Study author Yu Chen of Oakland University says: "The consumption modes—that of either purchasing or viewing art exhibits—provide two different circumstances of consumption: one is through a private, permanent ownership-linked approach; the other is through a public, temporal, and circumstantial approach."

Collectors differ from visitors in their desire for a long-term intimate relationship with the artworks. Visitors, on the other hand, want to avoid repetition and dullness, and like the experience of sharing art communally.

Chen also found that the experiences of both art purchasers and art viewers do not always correspond with their expectations. "This contradiction implies that desire and illusions, more than value and perceptions, are the driving forces behind consumption," writes Chen.

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