UK artist resale right at 20: how successful has the pioneering scheme been?

"Twenty years ago this month, the artist resale right (ARR) was introduced in the UK, entitling artists to royalties from the secondary market sales of their work. The legislation was initially met with hostility within the art trade. Major auction houses and dealers lobbied against it, fearing that high-value sales would move offshore as a result, particularly to the US and Hong Kong, where no such levies exist, and claimed that the additional bureaucracy and costs would outweigh any benefits."

"Zimmermann says a "global expansion" of ARR is the only way to level the playing field. "In particular, we need to get it introduced in the US and China, which are the two biggest art markets in the world." He acknowledges that getting US adoption is "a tall order"-legislation to introduce a 5% levy on works sold in California by Californian citizens was deemed unconstitutional and overturned in 2018."

The artist resale right (ARR) was introduced in the UK twenty years ago to entitle artists to royalties from secondary-market sales. Initial resistance came from auction houses, dealers and some artists who feared sales would move offshore and that bureaucracy would outweigh benefits. Over time the market adjusted and compliance increased, with trade bodies becoming more supportive while noting additional administrative costs. Calls for a global expansion focus on introducing ARR in the US and China to level the playing field. Other jurisdictions such as Canada and South Korea are working toward approving similar resale rights.

Read at The Art Newspaper - International art news and events