The Art Basel & UBS Survey of Global Collecting 2025 reveals that Gen Z collectors are reshaping the art market by treating art, sneakers, digital assets, and luxury goods as a single continuum of collectibles. Gen Z allocates 26% of their total wealth to art and collectibles—the highest of any generation—and spends 56% of that on non-traditional items like limited-edition sneakers, handbags, and digital artworks. Digital art ownership has rebounded sharply, with 23% of collectors planning to buy digital works, up from 19% in 2024, and Gen Z shows the strongest appetite for sculpture.
This matters because it signals a fundamental shift in how value and connoisseurship are defined in the art world. Gen Z’s collecting is social, performative, and digitally native—51% purchased via Instagram without seeing the work in person. The report suggests that traditional hierarchies (painting over sculpture over design) are flattening, and that digital and generative art are moving from fringe to foundational. This generational change could reshape auction houses, galleries, and market strategies for years to come.