Columbia College senior Michael Coiro is interning remotely at Universidad Católica’s Latin American Center on Economic and Social Policy (Clapes UC), working with Clapes research associate and Columbia Business School professor Arturo Cifuentes in researching the contemporary art market. Specifically, he is looking at data from online articles, reports, and essays to find trends in sales of paintings over the last 20 years.
Through this internship, organized through the Santiago Center, Coiro has gotten an in-depth look at how contemporary art sales make up a large portion of the art that is being bought and sold in the twenty-first century. He is also learning about the specific features of the art market as a potential financial asset for investors looking to create a collection of works. He has found that, even during a global pandemic, many people are still willing to experience, buy, and sell art through the enhanced digital platforms that have been created.
Coiro is a musician and art historian that enjoys being in New York to experience the art scene. Previously, he has interned at the Whitney Museum of American Art and the gallery Levy Gorvy. In the future, he hopes to work in the art industry and to continue to play music.
