MM Art Indices Found Global Art Market Shows Signs of Synchronized Recovery in Spring 2026 Auctions After Post-Pandemic Correction
The global art market is showing signs of a synchronized recovery in Spring 2026, with indices for Chinese, Impressionist, and Contemporary art all trending upward. Data from the Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business indicates that while Chinese art remains a strong long-term performer, the recovery is uneven across different sub-categories.
Why it matters
The recovery of the art market serves as a barometer for global economic confidence and investor sentiment following post-pandemic corrections.
BEIJING and MILAN , July 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The global art market showed signs of synchronized recovery in Spring 2026, with Chinese art, Impressionist art and Contemporary art indices all rising in the same auction season, according to the latest MM Art Indices released by Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business (CKGSB) in partnership with SDA Bocconi School of Management.
Led by CKGSB Professor of Finance Jianping Mei , the indices provide one of the world's most comprehensive quantitative analyses of global art market performance. The report found that the MM Chinese Art Price Index rose 1.7% in Spring 2026, while Impressionist Art rebounded 15.0% and Contemporary Art gained 10.8%. The simultaneous increase points to renewed confidence across major segments of the global auction market after several years of post-pandemic correction.
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