Prior to mass digitalization, the art market was structured hierarchically, with dominant centers in New York, London, and Hong Kong. Cross-cultural communication followed a “center–periphery” model, where Western institutions acted as gatekeepers, determining which art was deemed relevant. The rise of the digital economy disrupted this paradigm, replacing it with a networked model. Online platforms such as Artsy and 1stDibs, together with social media, now provide artists worldwide with direct access to global audiences. This phenomenon has been described as the “death of distance” in art.
