Market & Auctions

Market trends, sales, auction results, major lots, records, and analysis from Christie's, Sotheby's, Phillips and others.

Most recent stories

Phillips to open new Hong Kong headquarters in West Kowloon Cultural District market-auction
Auction house Phillips is planning a new headquarters in Hong Kong's West Kowloon Cultural District, specifically in the WKCDA Tower designed by Herzog & de Meuron. The move…
Met receives $125 million donation for modern wing renovation from Tangs market-auction
The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has received a $125 million donation from Oscar Tang and Agnes Hsu-Tang to renovate its modern art wing. The gift will fund nearly 7,500…
Art-Rite Milan Launches Old Masters Department market-auction
Milanese auction house Art-Rite, known for modern and contemporary art, comic art, jewelry, and numismatics, has opened a new Old Masters department. The debut sale, "Arte Antica…
Guida ai migliori siti di e-commerce per arte e design market-auction
L'articolo presenta una selezione di piattaforme online per l'acquisto di arte, design e oggetti di collezionismo, in un contesto di crescita dell'e-commerce in Italia (+15% nel…
Online Art Sales Surge and Opportunities for Emerging Artists market-auction
In 2020, the art market and global economy experienced their first notable drop in transaction volume since 2009, even though revenue and top-lot prices increased. The pandemic…
Hong Kong December 2021 Auctions: Young Artists Drive Record Sales market-auction
Phillips and Christie's held contemporary art auctions in Hong Kong between November 30 and December 1, 2021, achieving strong results driven by demand for emerging artists.…
Ans Azura: nuova piattaforma online per l'arte extra-occidentale market-auction
Ans Azura, a fresh online hub for contemporary art from Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa, will kick off its first auctions on December 2 and 9, 2021.…
I Sodi di S. Niccolò Celebrates 40 Harvests with Art Book and Christie's Auction market-auction
The Super Tuscan wine I Sodi di S. Niccolò, produced by Castellare, is marking its 40th vintage with a limited-edition art book and auctions at Pandolfini and Christie's. A…
Blindarte Winter Auction: Guttuso and Christo Lead Results in Milan market-auction
During Blindarte's winter auction in Milan on November 25, 2021, the event garnered notable success thanks to strong global interest. The auction featured a wide range of…
Mario Schifano record auction at Sotheby's Milan market-auction
Sotheby's Italia closed its autumn contemporary art sale on November 24, 2021, at Palazzo Serbelloni, achieving €9,639,160, surpassing the high estimate and confirming a positive…
Phillips and Sotheby's New York auctions hit record totals with Bacon, Lichtenstein, and US Constitution market-auction
On November 17, 2021, Phillips set a new auction record with a total of $137.9 million during its contemporary art evening sale, managing to sell 44 out of 46 lots. The…
Il Ponte's November 2021 Auctions: Modern and Contemporary Highlights market-auction
Il Ponte Casa d'Aste will hold online auctions for its November 2021 session, with a preview exhibition from November 26 to 28. The main sale takes place on November 30 and…
Hamilton Aphrodite, thought lost, resurfaces at Sotheby's London auction market-auction
The Hamilton Aphrodite, a Roman marble sculpture from the 1st or 2nd century AD, believed lost for over 70 years, will be auctioned by Sotheby's in London on December 7, 2021,…
Giuseppe Penone designs Barolo labels for charity auction at Castello di Grinzane Cavour market-auction
The first edition of Barolo en primeur, a charity auction coordinated by Christie's, raised €600,000 on October 30 at Castello di Grinzane Cavour, with an average price of €125…
Villa Litta Carini, la 'Piccola Versailles' del Lodigiano, all'asta senza riserve market-auction
Italy Sotheby's International Realty ha annunciato che Villa Litta Carini, una tenuta di 11.000 metri quadrati a Orio Litta, in provincia di Lodi, sarà battuta all'asta dal 23…
Macklowe Collection sets record with $676.1 million Sotheby's auction market-auction
On November 15, 2021, Sotheby's New York achieved the highest-value single-owner auction ever with the first tranche of the Macklowe Collection, totaling $676.1 million and…
Sneaker Culture: From Air Jordan to Eco-Crisis market-auction
The sneaker, once a mere athletic tool, transformed into a cultural icon after Michael Jordan's 1984 Nike deal launched the Air Jordan. The NBA fined Jordan for breaking uniform…
Christie's New York Impressionist and Modern Art Auction Totals Over $500 Million market-auction
On November 11, 2021, Christie's New York held a major auction at the Rockefeller Center, featuring the Edwin Lochridge Cox Collection of Impressionist masterpieces followed by a…
George Hoyningen-Huene's Queer Portrait of Cecil Beaton as Elinor Glyn at Paris Photo market-auction
At Paris Photo 2021, Vienna's Galerie Johannes Faber presented a vintage silver gelatin print by George Hoyningen-Huene titled 'Cecil Beaton as Elinor Glyn' (1930). The photograph…
Patricia Urquiola's Hybrida sold out at Christie's for Capodimonte school garden market-auction
All pieces from Patricia Urquiola's Hybrida collection, created with students of the Istituto Caselli-Real Fabbrica di Capodimonte for EDIT Napoli, were sold at a Christie's…
Christie's New York auction sets records for young artists market-auction
Christie's New York held a contemporary art auction that achieved strong results, with several young artists setting new auction records. The sale demonstrated continued market…
Young Artists Dominate Auction Market as Demand Surges market-auction
During the latter half of 2021, the secondary market experienced a transformation due to the rising interest in emerging artists. At Phillips London in October, Serge Attukwei…
Italian Art Dominates Sotheby's and Christie's London Auctions During Frieze Week 2021 market-auction
In October 2021, during Frieze London, the auctions held by Sotheby's and Christie's in London signaled the resurgence of collectors after a 20-month hiatus, emphasizing Italian…
Sotheby's Hong Kong Contemporary Art Evening Sale totals HK$586.9 million market-auction
Sotheby's Hong Kong Contemporary Art Evening Sale on October 9, 2021 achieved a total of HK$586,862,000 (approximately €65 million), confirming Hong Kong as a key market for…
EU Anti-Money Laundering Directive: Italy vs UK in Art Market Compliance market-auction
The 5th EU Anti-Money Laundering Directive (2015/849), implemented in April 2018, now directly regulates the art industry for transactions of €10,000 or more. Italy adopted the…
Botticelli's $40M 'Man of Sorrows' to Lead Sotheby's Masters Week market-auction
Sotheby's will auction Sandro Botticelli's 'Man of Sorrows' (L'Uomo dei dolori) in New York in January 2022, with a pre-sale estimate of $40 million. The painting, dating from the…
Christie's and Sotheby's London Auctions Preview During Frieze Week market-auction
As Frieze London art week approaches, Christie's and Sotheby's are gearing up for their evening auctions on October 14 and 15. Christie's 20th/21st Century sale will showcase 38…
David Cohen Hosts New York Studio School Virtual Gala Silent Auction market-auction
David Cohen has the honor of being the master of ceremonies for the closing of the silent auction at the New York Studio School's virtual gala, which he describes as a significant…
New York Studio School Silent Auction Announced for October 2021 market-auction
A silent auction was organized by the New York Studio School in October 2021. The event was announced on October 12, 2021, through the artcritical website. The school, located in…
Astamaremma: Hypermaremma and Christie's Auction to Fund Summer Activities market-auction
After the successful third edition of Hypermaremma, the festival is set to introduce Astamaremma, an auction aimed at funding activities for the upcoming summer. This event will…
Banca Generali Acquires Works by Rosa Barba and Lara Favaretto for Milan Headquarters market-auction
Banca Generali has concluded the third edition of BG Art Talent, an acquisition project curated by Vincenzo De Bellis, director of the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. The…
Dolce & Gabbana launch first luxury fashion NFT collection 'Collezione Genesi' market-auction
Dolce & Gabbana, the renowned Italian fashion label, has made its debut in the NFT market with 'Collezione Genesi', featuring a blend of six distinctive digital and physical…
Art Rental Services: 6 Platforms to Borrow Works market-auction
Art rental services are gaining traction, allowing collectors to borrow works without purchasing. Six platforms are highlighted. Gertrude, launched by The Sunday Painter founders,…
Tiffany & Co. Campaign Featuring Basquiat Painting Goes Viral market-auction
Tiffany & Co. launched its 'About Love' campaign on August 24, 2021, featuring Beyoncé and Jay-Z alongside Jean-Michel Basquiat's 1982 painting 'Equals Pi'. The campaign, directed…
Sotheby's to Auction 11 Picasso Works in Las Vegas, Estimated at $100M market-auction
Sotheby's will hold a live auction on October 23, 2021, at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, featuring 11 works by Pablo Picasso consigned by MGM Resorts. The collection includes…
Summer auctions in Milan: Mediartrade, Cambi, and Sotheby's post strong results market-auction
Summer auctions in Milan from July 6-13, 2021, yielded strong results for Mediartrade, Cambi, and Sotheby's, driven by high demand for both modern and contemporary works.…
Historic Milanese bike brand Cinelli sold to US fund Asobi Ventures market-auction
Cinelli, the iconic Milanese bicycle brand founded in 1947 by former professional cyclist Cino Cinelli, has been sold to Asobi Ventures, a US investment fund led by Texas fashion…
David Zwirner and Hauser & Wirth Expand with New Galleries in New York and Los Angeles market-auction
Despite the ongoing pandemic, major art galleries are expanding their physical presence. David Zwirner will open a fourth New York space at 52 Walker Street in Tribeca in October…
Leonardo da Vinci's Bear Head Drawing Sells for Record £8.86M at Christie's market-auction
A rare Leonardo da Vinci study drawing, 'Testa d'orso' (Bear Head), sold at Christie's London for £8.86 million ($12.2 million, €10.3 million), setting a new auction record for…
Sotheby’s and Christie’s Summer Auctions: Calm Surface, Strong Sales Across London, Paris, New York, Hong Kong market-auction
Sotheby’s and Christie’s wrapped up their summer auctions, achieving impressive sales of £156.2 million and £153.6 million, respectively, marking their highest figures since 2018…

Browse by theme

Exhibitions
Solo shows, group exhibitions, openings, extensions, and closings in galleries, museums, and independent spaces.
Artists
Profiles, interviews, new works, residencies, collaborations, and careers of contemporary artists.
Market & Auctions
Market trends, sales, auction results, major lots, records, and analysis from Christie's, Sotheby's, Phillips and others.
Awards
Awards, scholarships, recognitions, nominations, and winners in the art world.
Festivals & Fairs
Art fairs, biennials, triennials, festivals and cultural manifestations — Art Basel, Frieze, TEFAF, Venice Biennale and beyond.
Institutional
Appointments, leadership changes, museum policies, funding, acquisitions and institutional strategies.
Cultural heritage
Restorations, protection, restitutions, UNESCO heritage, legislation, and conservation.
Architecture & design
Architectural projects for museums, galleries and cultural spaces, design reviews and new buildings.
Digital & new media
Digital art, NFTs, AI art, virtual reality, new technologies applied to art.
AI & Technology
Artificial intelligence, language models, machine learning, AI research, tools and infrastructure — from Anthropic and OpenAI to academic papers.
Economy & Finance
Economy, finance, markets, luxury and geopolitics — macro signals that influence the art market and collecting.
Publications
Art books, catalogs, magazines, essays, and new sector publications.
Opinion & reviews
Editorials, critical reviews, analyses, commentaries, and viewpoints on the contemporary art world.
Other
Everything else — obituaries, interdisciplinary projects, and news that does not fit the main categories.