After 24 months of research, the MOOVA team has achieved substantial progress across its work packages.
WP1 – Heritage Value. A Systematic Literature Review helped clarify the terminology used to describe heritage “on the margins,” leading to the concept of liminal heritage—a framework capturing the cultural and transformative value of ordinary antiques. In parallel, the team reviewed disciplinary definitions of “antiques,” emphasizing processes such as heritagization and commercialization rather than the objects themselves. An eight-month multi-sited ethnography (Brussels, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Milan) revealed that generalist dealers in low-end markets engage in curatorial and care practices comparable to institutional heritage work. Analyses of online communities further confirmed the role of “informal expertise” in identifying and preserving under-documented antiques.
WPs2–3 – Economic Value. To assess antiques’ economic dimensions, both supply and demand sides were examined. Conceptual clarification of the “low-end market” led to a collective volume (Reassessing the Low-End Art Market, Palgrave Macmillan, forth.).
On the supply side, a mapping of antiques dealers at the city level confirmed the extensive representativity of this sector even in most remote areas. Qualitative research in Brussels highlighted the profession’s reliance on intuition and family-based expertise, while identifying key challenges—digitalization, mainstream competition, and evolving consumer behavior. Five innovative business models were also identified—platformization, artification, experience economy, rental/leasing, and circular/social economy—often driven by non-traditional actors such as waste-management companies. The analysis of 57 online sales platforms showed how traditional business models are transposed online, with tailored strategies to manage uncertainty and reputation. Further work explores 22 platforms through multilevel analyses and reputational features of art market platforms and informational challenges faced by users.
On the demand side, analysis of specialized press revealed that ordinary antiques align more with consumption than collecting, consistent with circular-economy principles. A circular model tailored for antiques (Refuse, Reduce, Restore, Reuse, Refurbish, Repurpose, etc.) was developed. A cross-country survey also identified second-hand habits, cultural practices, environmental concern, and early exposure as key predictors of antiques consumption, while education and income showed no significant effect. Price analyses of Murano glassware, Delftware, tapestries, and Val Saint Lambert crystalware confirmed that antiquity, use value, and proximity to production centers significantly influence prices, and highlighted a critical market decline post-pandemic.
WP4 – Perceived Value. We developed an empirical field protocol using eye-tracking to analyze how Gen Z perceives antique stores (REMIND method). Conducted in summer 2025 in a Brussels-based antiques store, the study produced valuable perceptual data, currently under analysis.
This collective work has led to participation in 32 academic events, 2 published papers, 2 book chapters, 1 conditionally accepted paper, and several works under review, including the edited volume. Each work package critically integrated theories and methodologies from heritage studies, finance/economics, and psychology, facing and addressing expected epistemic and transdisciplinary challenges. Among the project’s main achievements are the forthcoming publication of the collective volume, the near-finalization of data-sharing agreements with major online sales platforms (a significant step given the market’s confidentiality), and the team’s active participation in two major European policy groups: the European Commission Expert Group on the Dialogue with the Art Market and the ENCATC Working Group on Art Markets and Cultural Goods Integrity.
