Christie's adapts to pandemic with digital shift and private sales

In an interview with Artribune, Christie's discussed its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The auction house paused all live sales and public exhibitions, with over 1,500 employees working remotely. It accelerated online auctions, including Pavilion Online: Chinese Art, and expanded its digital calendar for April and May 2020, aiming for a live season in July. Christie's has offered online sales since 2011, with over $270 million in online-only, written, and regular online bids in 2019. 64% of global clients bought or bid online in 2019, and 41% of new buyers came from online sales. Private sales saw a 27% increase in Q1 2020. The company noted that demand remains across categories and regions. Looking ahead, Christie's expects the market for established works to remain stable, while the young artist segment may suffer short-term but recover more balanced. The interview is part of a series on auction houses during the pandemic, following pieces on Ponte and Sotheby's.