Sydney, 31 May 2011
Aboriginal art has only recently become available on the art market.
On 7 July 2008, Artcurial hosted its first auction dedicated to Aboriginal art. Collectors immediately took a keen interest, mostly because the Musée du Quai Branly had just opened and the tribal art market was thus faring well.
French collectors seem to have lost interest in tribal art, but it has continued developing in other countries. Until recently, Aboriginal art played an important role in the Australian art market, which is now increasingly focused on international contemporary art, as are the collectors. This has caused the local art markets and by extension Aboriginal art to undergo a slump.
In 2007, when Aboriginal art was at its peak, artist Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri sold one of his works for 2.4 M AUS$. In 2010, although Tajan and Gaïa invested much in this form of art, the general conclusion was that aboriginal art was headed for a fall. It is expected to worsen in the months to come.