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This session aims to analyze the role of artist associations in the professionalization of the arts in a comparative manner, in particular in contexts where artists were only just starting to organize themselves in a collective manner, including but not limited to postcolonial nations. The aim is to look at case studies of specific artist associations and unions, and to examine what brought them about, how they were organized, what missions they pursued, and what impact they had on the art worlds in which they operated. The relationship of these associations to state institutions such as ministries and art schools is also of interest. Of particular concern are case studies of countries that were in the process of nation-building at the time. By approaching the subject comparatively, it is hoped to determine to what extent associational groups operated under the same imperatives, what shared and specific challenges they faced, and what motivated them. It will become clear in what ways these associations, unions and collectives responded to particular contexts and what joint concerns they shared. Did they serve a nominal function, or did they act as a driving force in changing the working conditions of artists? And has this evolved over time? Ultimately, their role in institutionalizing the arts will be assessed.