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Halfway through 2025, it’s clear: the global art market is shifting. Prestige-driven auctions are fading in dominance, and a new collector class is reshaping the rules. Headline-grabbing auction numbers still grab attention, but a shift is underway, driven by collectors under 40, powered by digital access, and oriented around works priced below five figures.

Here’s a summary of some of the 2025 art trends and why these matter to the Costa Rican contemporary art scene.

Artnet’s Intelligence Report: The Year Ahead 2025 details the following trends: fine art auction sales fell 27.3% in 2024, while lots over $10 million dropped 44.2%. Meanwhile, the $100,000–$1 million bracket showed surprising resilience, signalling that buyers are prioritising personal connection and curation over speculative status. It identifies younger collectors as the key catalyst for this transformation, citing their demand for transparency, immersive digital engagement, and cultural context.

Artsy’s Art Market Trends 2025 reports that only 17% of collectors said the market serves them well, with most seeking clearer pricing and background information. Galleries are responding with 43% reporting they plan to expand online sales, and 55% intend to increase digital content like viewing rooms, interviews, or online-only shows.

Meanwhile, the Financial Times recently suggested that the age of the large-scale, empire style gallery may be passing. Closures like Blum & Poe and Peres Projects underline the mounting challenge to sustain sprawling global gallery networks. We’ve seen this firsthand galleries closing permanent spaces in favor of pop-up exhibitions, regional fairs, and more flexible, event-driven models. A new generation of gallerists is cultivating leaner, more intentional models that are focused on artist-centred operations, regional connections, and community-driven curation.

What these 2025 art trends mean for Costa Rica 

At MÍRAME Fine Art, our mission has always been to support artists living and working in Costa Rica - worldwide. In order to do this, we've structured our gallery to meet exactly what younger, digitally oriented collectors expect: digital newsletters and invitations to preview new work; augmented reality previews to visualise pieces in your own space; and a smooth checkout system that includes clear shipping and insurance costs. We believe these tools are necessary features for a collector base that continues to demand great clarity, ease, and global access.

More importantly, these tools are connecting Costa Rican artists with collectors in the UK, Canada, the U.S., and beyond. That international attention is often sparked by a desire for art that feels meaningful, locally founded, and distinct from what’s typically found in more saturated markets.

Work that sells today isn’t necessarily the most expensive, but it’s often the most authentic. This supports Artnet’s assertion that the market is transitioning from speculation to storytelling, and from prestige collecting to personal curation. Costa Rican artists, many of whom explore themes like environment, cultural identity, and decolonial narratives, are especially resonant in this new context.

Why It Matters

As The Art Newspaper recently observed, “mid-market resilience is becoming the backbone of a stabilising industry.” While the highest-end sales still capture headlines, they no longer dominate the narrative. That leaves space for regions like Costa Rica and other countries across Central and South America to emerge as relevant players in a more democratised, global art conversation.

At MÍRAME, we believe that digital infrastructure and global curiosity are finally aligned in a way that gives our artists real international visibility. And with collectors increasingly seeking transparency, connection, and meaning, we’re well-positioned to help drive this shift by championing artists living and working in Costa Rica on a national and international level.

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2025 Art Trends