For a generation whose lives have been meticulously documented online, Gen Z's approach to collecting is surprisingly discreet. The latest Art Basel and UBS Survey of Global Collecting finds that wealthy collectors under 30 spend more than twice as much on fine art as their older counterparts, yet increasingly prefer to keep their acquisitions behind closed digital doors.

In an industry where visibility has become something of a currency, perhaps the most interesting question is why those spending the most seem increasingly reluctant to be seen.

Gen Z Art Collectors: Record Spending, Growing Privacy

High-net-worth Gen Z collectors spent an average of $347,460 on fine art in 2025, more than twice as much as any older generation surveyed. Across the wider sample, average spending rose 13% to $124,265.

But their appetite for art doesn't seem to extend to showing it off. Some 42% of Gen Z collectors shared their collections through restricted or invitation-only groups, while 36% kept their online activity within private circles. For a generation accustomed to documenting almost every aspect of life, this newfound discretion is intriguing.

Their collecting habits are equally interesting. Some 42% ventured into at least two categories beyond fine art, from jewellery and design to other collectibles. Nor are these impulsive purchases: 80% reported conducting moderate or extensive research before acquiring a work.

What emerges is a generation of collectors who are curious, informed and willing to spend, but increasingly selective about who gets a glimpse into their collections. They want access to the art world, without necessarily inviting the art world into theirs.

What This Means for Galleries

Gen Z is buying art, but the Art world is still marketing to their parents.

For an industry built on luxury, exclusivity and carefully cultivated reputations, embracing a younger audience can feel like a risky proposition. Galleries have traditionally favoured immaculate photography, cinematic exhibition films and impeccably polished communications. Understandably so: when you're selling works worth six or seven figures you need to look the part.

However, credibility and relatability are not mutually exclusive. A beautifully produced, five-figure video budget doesn't necessarily translate into a new generation of collectors.

Museums and younger galleries have already shown how informal, personality-led content can make art more accessible without compromising its cultural value. Still, many established commercial galleries remain hesitant to experiment, often defaulting to familiar formats rather than risking something that might feel a little too casual.

The irony? In trying so hard to appear prestigious, galleries risk becoming irrelevant to the very collectors they should be courting.

So, where to start?

• Rethink the audience. Gen Z collectors are not a hypothetical market for 2035 anymore. They are already spending serious money. Galleries need to speak their language through artist-led storytelling, educational carousels, cultural commentary, and content that feels less like a corporate presentation and more like a conversation.

• Loosen up the content. Not every post needs the production value of a luxury fragrance campaign. Behind-the-scenes footage, candid artist interviews, installation mishaps, and staff perspectives can reveal the personalities behind the white walls. And if the prospect of an unpolished Reel on the main Instagram account sends the gallery director into cardiac arrest, there is always TikTok. Diversify your content outreach.

• Think beyond the public feed. Here’s where Gen Z gets interesting: they are spending, researching, and collecting, but they're not necessarily broadcasting it. A potential buyer might watch every artist interview, save an exhibition post, but never leave a comment. Public-facing Reels and carousels should spark discovery, while curated newsletters, Substack communities, Instagram Broadcast Channels, WhatsApp groups and private previews can turn that initial curiosity into meaningful relationships.

Of course, exclusivity needs to mean something. Adding someone to a Close Friends list only to show them the same exhibition photographs they have already scrolled past isn't exactly VIP treatment. Think first access to new works, studio visits, artist conversations and thoughtful collecting insights instead.

It might be time to reconsider what success looks like. Likes are validating, but qualified enquiries, private-preview registrations, repeat engagement and lasting collector relationships are more useful when it comes to selling art.

Ultimately, galleries don't need to abandon beautiful imagery, sophisticated storytelling or the discretion that makes collecting appealing. They need to recognise that a spontaneous TikTok and a polished exhibition film can serve different purposes, and that younger collectors deserve a place in the strategy today.

The next generation of collectors is no longer waiting to enter the market, yet it seems the market is waiting for galleries to notice they have arrived.

Instagram Is Becoming Reels-First but is the Art World Ready?

On 5 October, Instagram was reported to be testing an interface that opens directly into Reels, leaving the traditional feed just a swipe away. It's still a test, not a confirmed global rollout, but the direction is clear: Instagram is increasingly a video discovery platform, not simply a digital portfolio.

Two other developments reinforce the shift. Instagram has expanded its Your Algorithm feature, allowing users greater control over the subjects appearing in their feeds. Meanwhile, its recommendation systems have increasingly favoured original content over accounts that primarily repost other people's work.

For the art world, this presents both a challenge and an opportunity. Beautiful imagery has always been its strong suit. Capturing attention in the first three seconds? That's another matter.

What This Means for the Art World

A beautifully filmed exhibition walkthrough is not, by itself, a content strategy.

A slow pan across a white wall might look exquisite, but to someone unfamiliar with the artist, it's just another white wall. The real challenge is not producing more Reels, but giving people a reason to watch them.

Consider the difference between opening a video with an exhibition title and opening with "Why did this artist destroy their own painting?" Same exhibition but a tangible reason to stop scrolling.

This applies well beyond galleries. Museums have centuries of untold stories sitting in storage. Auction houses have objects with extraordinary provenance and potential for storytelling. Foundations can reveal the ideas and people behind their programmes, while art fairs can offer access to the personalities and conversations shaping the market.

The art world isn't short of content; it just needs to stop restricting compelling ways to package it.

So, what to do?

• Lead with the story, not the institution. Start with a surprising fact, a provocative question or an unexpected detail. Save the exhibition title, institutional logo and opening dates for after you've earned the viewer's attention.

• Create three formats you can repeat. Try a 30-second introduction to an unfamiliar artist, a "sketches behind the artwork" series, and a candid behind-the-scenes format. One good recurring series is more valuable than a dozen beautifully produced videos with no substance.

• Make originality your competitive advantage. Stop relying on recycled exhibition footage and generic art-world imagery. Your curators, specialists, artists, and teams have access to stories nobody else can tell. A conservator explaining a restoration, or an auction specialist revealing an object's unusual history, can be far more engaging than another cinematic montage.

• Measure discovery, not vanity. Look at non-follower reach, watch time, shares, saves, and qualified profile visits. Then connect those metrics to the main goal: exhibition attendance, event registrations, enquiries, new audiences or sales.

None of this means every curator needs to become an influencer or that auction houses should start filming dance challenges between lots. It means recognising that the format is changing, and institutional prestige alone won't stop someone from scrolling.