Collectors who are unsure of what to buy or have little time to find what they want can rely on art consultants. Portrayed as art shoppers to the moneyed, art consultants actually provide more than leads or representation at auctions. They help institutions and individuals make informed purchased. More importantly, they provide an objective take on an artwork's value. "A number of my clients look into expanding their investment portfolio and see potential in collecting art," says art consultant Veronica Howe. "I consider their investment horizon and risk appetite, but the bottom line is always what they like." And what they like, as experience has proven, gets better with information.

"I make sure they understand what they ae buying and why it is important to acquire particular pieces." Howe explains. It is not an easy task. To acquire Rudolf Bonnet's 1954 Two Balinese Men in Front of a Landscape for a client, Howe had to research the piece thoroughly and rely on her international network for leads. "It wasn't easy convincing my client to hand over a quarter of a million Singapore dollars to bid on a piece that neither of us have seen. I had to demonstrate that I knew what I was doing and that the piece would close a gap in his collection." Howe won the bid for about $220,000, and spent the rest of her budget on freight and the $11,000 tax.

Art is often collected and enjoyed first by locals who are familiar with the artists ot the subjects and may have strong personal or social affinity with them. But when they enter the hundred-thousand-dollar sphere, they often become objectified, memorialised for how much they cost rather than what they mean to the public. They also call attention to their potential as investment that can be traded when the market is on an upswing.

Hammer price of Indonesia contemporary art has skyrocketed over the past five year or so. Although serious collection of such works began more than twp decades ago, the emphasis was different: the works were seen as visual history and social commentary rather than a money-spinning commodity. Gallery owners admit that although such prices indicate the current level of interest in Indonesian art, they also attract speculation.

Jasdeep Sandhu, owner of Gajah Gallery, a pioneer in promoting Indonesia art in Singaopre, feels that prices escalating too quickly threaten an artist's career. "When artworks change hands too fast, when they are commoditised, they lose part of their value no matter how much they make in auction or gallery sale," Sandhu points out.

He believes that educating the public on the real value of art is the antidote: "We put in the effort so that art is valued and understood in the proper context. Modern and contemporary Indonesian art have so much soul in them. There's so much meaning that can be read in them. He want to raise public awarness of their values, not necessarily monetary value." If this is archieved, he says, even if the art market craches, the artworks will remain valuable. Sandhu is alarmed by the level of speculation in the market, "Speculators are coming in tenfold, fanning the price war."

But who is to stop them? Rahardjo goes as far as getting buyers to sign an agreement that they would not re-sell what they buy for at least two years. "I want to see collecting as a serious activity. It is not like getting married to someone you don't love and filling for divorce when you want a new one," he jests. And Sandhu has caused the ire of buyers to whom has refused to sell.