With the art market reaching new highs, the plague of middlemen taking portions of multi-million dollar sale prices rises, ultimately decreasing the seller’s proceeds (Christie’s typically takes 20% of the first $500,000 and 12% of the rest of the work’s sale price). As a result, a new hedge fund known as the Art Trading Fund was born with hopes of exploiting the art market’s current inefficiencies. Founded by Justin Williams, an investor well-versed in the sale of highly-priced fine art, and partner Chris Carlson, former trader and Deutsche Bank and UBS, the fund hopes to have raised more than $50 million by the end of the summer. (more…)

In the UK, Justin Williams and Chris Carlson have set up the Art Trading Fund, an investment group aiming to trade art much like a hedge fund. According to their website, they are “focused on 3 to 12 month returns” and “buys and sells art via its global network of dealers, renowned artists, auction houses and galleries.” (more…)