This book is a collection of the original contributions, presented at the international workshop on The Economics of Art Auctions held by ICARE, the International Center for Art Economics of the University Ca’ Foscari, Venice, on January 17-18th 2002. The contributions were intended to supply a general view on the most recent approaches to this subject. They are therefore differentiated by discipline as well as by case. Some are in the nature of surveys, others have a modelling background and again others are case studies.
The topic of the economics of art auctions has been analysed focusing mainly on two aspects: the profitability of art investment and the strategic behaviour of the players involved in art auctions. Additional investigations about the problems arising from the new application of internet to auctions are also included, together with case studies on specific segments of the auction market.

Gianfranco Mossetto, professor of Public Finance at the University Ca’ Foscari of Venice, has been holding the first Italian chair of Cultural Economics since 1993. He is chairman of the International Center for Art Economics (ICARE) of the University of Venice, which he founded in 1991. He also co-founded the graduation program on Economics and Management of the Arts and Culture (EGART) at the University of Venice.
He is the author of: Museo contro museo (with P. Valentino, 2002), Economia del patrimonio monumentale (with M. Vecco, 2001), Aesthetics and Economics (1993), Italiani senza rendità (1993), L'economia delle città d'arte (1992), Economia del benessere e democrazia (1972).

Marilena Vecco is head of research for the International Center for Art Economics (ICARE). She lecturer in Cultural Economics at the graduation program on Economics and Management of Tourist Services (EGeST) and Social History of Art at EGART, University Ca’ Foscari of Venice.
She is author of: Biennale di Venezia-Documenta Kassel (2001).