What If Emotions Could Be Used to Buy Art?

An Auction Based on Emotions. That’s what it’s called. You can read more about this project here.

It would surprise only a few to hear me say that on its face the project itself leaves much to be desired. What is of interest to me is this particular issue of using emotions to obtain property. I wrote about this back in 2008 in an essay, Structures, published by Unbound: Harvard Journal of the Legal Left. Go to page 67 for direct reference, but if you may want to start at the beginning so as to assess the development of my argument.

On this emotions-auction, what interests me is how emotions are being quantified for the acquisition of art. It is the quantification of emotions that interests me, as I am curious as to how this may lead to the commodification –and thus commercialization — of the emotions by those more prone to deep sentiment for the sake of profit. I’m not against it (not necessarily), but very curious as to how it will be instrumentalized. I have to give this more thought.

Let me know what you think.

Tags: aesthetic property rights, art, auctions, emotions, harvard journal of the legal left, law, sergio munoz sarmiento, unbound