White cube to auction block: is it ethical value adding?

Lending an artwork to a museum exhibition bolsters its provenance but is it also being used to drive up the hammer price?
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Magritte’s masterpiece included in a major tour to American museums was pulled at the first venue due to its recent sale at auction.

Recent international research has revealed a growing trend for blue-chip artworks loaned for major exhibitions at art museums to be sold immediately afterwards. In some cases, works have even been pulled from tour to be auctioned at a premium.

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Gina Fairley is ArtsHub's National Visual Arts Editor. For a decade she worked as a freelance writer and curator across Southeast Asia and was previously the Regional Contributing Editor for Hong Kong based magazines Asian Art News and World Sculpture News. Prior to writing she worked as an arts manager in America and Australia for 14 years, including the regional gallery, biennale and commercial sectors. She is based in Mittagong, regional NSW. Twitter: @ginafairley Instagram: fairleygina