Abstract

This project proposes an innovative and interdisciplinary approach by exploring the social and cultural dynamics that shape art collecting in Portugal. It aims to understand the factors influencing the acquisition of art objects, interpreting the identity-related and symbolic implications of consumption, ownership, and everyday coexistence with these objects within the domestic space. Drawing on qualitative methods, with a particular emphasis on ethnography, the project will conduct an in-depth study of the practices underpinning the selection and acquisition of objects by a group of leading collectors. The research is intended to contribute to the understanding of cultural consumption and of the aesthetic experience of art in the private realm.