Uczestnik mimo woli? Uwagi o muzeach na rynku sztuki
A chance player? Remarks on museums and the art market

Summary/Abstract: There are a number of aspects concerning the presence of museums in the art market. A museum, while fulfilling its mission and acquiring works of art, becomes a direct player within art market interactions. Thus its actions directly influence the supply and demand of goods. However, there is also an indirect market influence created by museums – by setting the trends museums may shape the preferences of other art market participants and influence their perception of goods. This indirect influence is associated with museums’ activities, those apparently not connected with the trade in works of art: accessioning objects of art for collections or organizing exhibitions. In the first part of the article both of these aspects are outlined. In the second part, the relation between the market and museums is presented from the perspective of museum management. Thus, the focus has been put on the organizational, cultural and financial circumstances of museum participation in the art market. Finally the legal and ethical contexts of buying objects by museums is discussed.

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