ERC: research project MOOVA - Anne-Sophie V. Radermecker

What do old porcelain, antique wooden furniture and silverware have in common? Many of these antiques fall into the category of informal heritage. Regardless of their cultural significance, many of these objects remain on the margins, both in cultural institutions and scholarly research.

The MOOVA’s project is led by Anne-Sophie V. Radermecker (Cultural Management, Department of History, Arts, and Archaeology, Faculty of Philosophy and Social Sciences, GRESAC/CEBRIG).

By studying the contemporary economy of antiques, MOOVA’s prime objective is to highlight the potential of these objects regarding the safeguarding and promotion of informal heritage, sustainable consumption, new business models for ageing sectors, and local place branding.

More specifically, MOOVA aims to achieve the following objectives: 1) highlight the complex cultural value of ordinary antiques and the patrimonial role of local antique dealers as safe-guarders of informal heritage; 2) explore the supply and demand for antiques in the digital era; 3) understand the perceived value of antiques among younger generations (Gen Z); and 4) develop theoretical and applied models for reassessing the meaning, relevance, and value of these objects nowadays. Through selected case studies (European decorative arts) and a multi-transversal approach (cross-markets, objects, countries), the project will combine theories, data, and methods from art history, cultural economics, cognitive science, and arts marketing to investigate this ecosystem holistically.