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How can a collector build a collection sustainably?
Introduction
The 2024 wildfires in Los Angeles and numerous other frequent events worldwide underscore the profound impact of the Climate Emergency on the arts, including art collectors. It is not only large events such as wildfires that cause issues for art collections, but also smaller events. These developments have prompted collectors to reassess their purchasing decisions and consider how to safeguard their collections against rising risks.
Who can tell us better about rising risks than art insurers. Jean Gazançon, CEO of ARTE Generali, points out: “From an insurance perspective, the consequences of climate change are already clearly visible in the increasing volume and severity of natural catastrophe losses. This trend is further exacerbated by the existing protection gap: currently, only 40% of risks are covered by insurance, leaving a significant 60% of exposures unprotected.”
Sustainable art collecting involves acquiring, displaying, and preserving art in ways that reduce environmental impact and foster ethical, long-lasting relationships with artists and communities. It is more than just a passing trend; it has the potential to reshape the cultural and ecological footprint of the art world.
The traditional art market produces a significant environmental footprint. From international shipping and climate-controlled storage to energy-intensive exhibitions and non-recyclable materials, the carbon cost of art can be surprisingly high. Not to mention elements that fall outside the carbon emissions count but can have a significant impact, such as exploitation of labour or resources, toxic materials, and unsuitable displays.
Media, as well as more scholarly publications, frequently highlight sustainability initiatives in institutions such as museums, art galleries and art fairs, especially when stakeholders promote their own green credentials. For example, many museums have developed sustainability strategies, and art galleries such as Hauser & Wirth (and many others) are active members of the Gallery Climate Coalition (GCC). The Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum has published an extensive strategy and climate goals for example and Art Fairs, such as Art Basel, also undertake efforts to reduce their high waste by reusing materials and working with galleries to reduce carbon emissions through the use of more sustainable transport mechanisms. The auction house Christie’s has even gone one step further and had their environmental targets validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).
However, making sustainable choices is essential – and can be fulfilling – even for private art collectors. The following recommendations might inspire readers to consider new approaches to how they think about their day-to-day collecting activities, no matter how large or small the collection is.
The art market as a whole has not yet prioritised sustainability, despite the fact that agents within it—particularly insurance companies and shippers, who deal with the impact of the climate crisis daily—are actively supporting more sustainable practices, especially in relation to shipping, materials, and energy consumption. Additionally, ethical concerns, especially regarding artists' labour conditions and exploitation, should be included in discussions, as they are particularly significant in a global market where many collectors prefer to buy “from around the globe”.
Some collectors might consider wider conceptual approaches to sustainable collecting, such as the promotion to “slow art” (similar to slow fashion), supporting artists who either deal with the climate crisis as a subject matter, or try to work with a slower rhythm in their artworks. Similarly, some galleries are trying to reduce the number of exhibitions and art fairs in which they participate to “slow down” their overall activity.
The main practical areas to focus on include reducing carbon emissions in transport, storage, and display, using eco-conscious materials in packaging, and working with sustainable companies when dealing with suppliers. Let’s look at these in more detail:
7 Recommendations for sustainable art collecting
1. Support Local Artists
Since the Covid pandemic, the highlight has been on local art scenes and the advantages of supporting local artistic communities. Supporting local artists reduces shipping costs and the need for costly packaging, while also promoting the sustainability of local communities and their economies on various levels. Open studio days, local galleries, or art schools are excellent places to support local communities and start collecting art in a more sustainable manner. Buying directly from artists also ensures they receive all the profits from the sale. This can be a highly effective way to support artists' livelihoods directly.
2. Use Sustainable Materials
Work with transport agents, shippers, or galleries that pack art using sustainable materials. Professional shippers, in particular, have made great strides in developing more sustainable materials or reusing packaging materials where possible. Support these companies and their endeavours. The Gallery Climate Coalition released figures that “moving a piece of art by ocean rather than air can reduce its journey's impact on the climate by around 95%” and points out that best practice for materials will always be “Refuse, Reuse, Reduce, Repurpose, Recycle”. However, sea transport also poses risks to artworks, especially during long journeys, where salty air and elevated humidity levels can be detrimental. Therefore, the advantages and disadvantages of sea freight need to be carefully considered. Don’t hesitate to ask your shipper how they support initiatives for more sustainable business practices, and discuss the risk levels with your insurers.
3. Consider artworks that don’t drain resources.
This is not a one-size-fits-all consideration, but in certain locations and climates, specific artworks will perform better. Collecting and displaying works on paper in environments with highly fluctuating humidity levels will require more permanent air conditioning, whereas other materials are much more resilient to these conditions. Seek advice from artists or galleries on how best to care for the art to ensure it has a maximum lifespan and is well-maintained, without unnecessarily consuming natural resources. Include preventive conservation as part of your purchasing considerations from the outset, and consider which artworks suit your specific collecting environment. Sustainability begins not only with purchasing and shipping but also with ongoing, sustainable collection care, which is increasingly vital for responsible collecting. According to Gazancon, “Prevention is a critical pillar of risk management. We support our clients by providing access to risk experts and specialized service providers who can help improve the protection of buildings, art collections, and cultural institutions.”
4. Take your time
A recent conversation with an artist studio manager highlighted that buyers understand production might take time, but when they know the work is complete, they want it the next day. This often involves air transport rather than more sustainable options. Instead of organising a specific shipment, consider waiting until a transport comes your way. This might be a more affordable and sustainable option.
Also, take time to reflect on which artworks to buy: do you want to follow a current trend or consider if your decision-making is rushed and you might regret your acquisition. Flipping and speculative purchases, which boost the circulation of art objects in the market, are not sustainable practices on their own. Taking time to make sustainable choices is important in all aspects of art collecting and could lead to better purchasing decisions in the long term.
5. Talk to Artists
Some artists are already adapting their work methods, incorporating more natural materials into their art production. Have conversations with artists so that they start to think that collectors care about the materials used. Consumers often have the strongest power to effect change. The recent publication Touch Nature: Art in the Age of the Climate Crisis (by Sabine Fellner, Stephanie Buhmann, and Susanne Keppler-Schlesinger, Böhlau 2024) showcases fascinating discussions between artists and their considerations in light of the climate crisis.
6. Work with Eco-Conscious Companies
Support companies that care about the environment and the future of our planet. This ensures they continue their businesses. Only if more consumers make choices that involve—often difficult—questions about sustainable business practices will the art market as a whole follow these steps. This doesn’t end with shippers. Framers, conservators, galleries, and auction houses should all consider the environmental impact of their businesses and be able to answer questions about these. Most galleries have joined the above-mentioned Gallery Climate Coalition, but there are other, sometimes national networks that bring like-minded people together.
7. Be aware of barriers but don’t let them guide your decisions
There are many reasons why people think incorporating these issues into their buying practices is complicated: higher costs, lack of information, and worry about greenwashing. These are all understandable concerns. However, the more one engages with the available resources and has conversations that incorporate these topics, the more assured one will become. And often, sustainable choices do not cost more than traditional offers. Overall, this is not a flawless process, but a journey in which producer, mediator and consumer learn along the way.
However, there are also positive role models: the French couple Didier Saulnier and his wife, Emmanuelle Amiot-Saulnier, have been collecting art while being eco-conscious, as described in this interview.
Summary
Making sustainable choices when collecting is vital for multiple reasons. Not only are ethical choices generally positive, but they can also help to re-examine the questions of why and how we collect. Many elements of the purchase and resale of artworks are in themselves part of a circular economy, which many other industries struggle with. The value collectors place on artists and their objects is in itself a choice that speaks about care and longevity.
Although the art market overall has so far lacked a large eco-aware consumer mentality, if we all make small, positive choices, we can support the larger art world ecology and help future generations of collectors. As such, sustainability becomes a form of cultural stewardship.
Further Reading (in addition to embedded links)
Fowkes, Maja and Reuben, Art and Climate Change, Thames & Hudson, 2022.
https://galleryclimatecoalition.org/resources/.
Hencz, Adam, Sustainability in the Art World: Fighting the Environmental Crisis, Artland Magazine, https://magazine.artland.com/sustainability-art-world/.
Keenan, Annabel, Climate Action in the Art World, Lund Humphries, 2025.
Ware, Joe, “Fairs are one of the art world's biggest sources of emissions, so how can they become more green?”, The Art Newspaper, 11 October 2024.