Art sales were happening in Slovenia long before the commercial art gallery scene was formally established. Artworks were changing hands at art exhibitions, fairs, antique stores, picture framing workshops, as well as in galleries operating within companies, institutions, and other settings tolerated by the government. Artworks were also available for purchase in unofficial commercial art galleries, which formalized their activities in the nineties after being recognized by the new authorities. By interviewing gallery owners and other market participants and examining written records, media sources and archives, the author offers an overview of art dealership in commercial art galleries in Slovenia during the nineties. The Slovenian gallery scene enjoyed a significant boom in this period and entered its so-called golden age. The paper examines the reasons behind this surge, as well as the differences between Slovenian and foreign, i.e. Western art markets.
