Conference: “Artistic Networks of Trust: Collecting and Dealing in Times of War and Diplomacy”, Calouste Gulbenkian Museum Lisbon.

Taking Calouste Gulbenkian as its central figure and placing particular emphasis on the role of Armenian networks, this event seeks to shed light on the complex social, political, and cultural dynamics that shaped the production, circulation, collecting, and display of artworks from the late nineteenth to the mid-twentieth century.

Calouste Gulbenkian emerges as a key figure within these transnational networks, acting as a collector, businessman, diplomat, and patron. His activity was closely intertwined with a broad network of relationships – many of them within the context of the Armenian diaspora – revealing how personal trust, community solidarity, and cultural affinities were essential to sustaining artistic exchange during periods of profound geopolitical upheaval.

Over the course of three days, a group of scholars will examine how these networks of trust supported the art world in contexts marked by migration, war, and diplomacy. Panels will address a wide range of topics, including the emergence of art markets in the Qajar and Ottoman Empires; the impact of WWI and WWII on dealing and collecting; the role of international exhibitions in moving objects and people, as well as marking alliances; and the intersections between art, philanthropy, and benevolence.