Wannenes president on auction houses post-pandemic future

Guido Wannenes, president of Wannenes auction house, discusses the impact of COVID-19 on the art market and his company's digital transformation. He notes that Wannenes had already invested in technology, including its Wannenes+ platform, virtual tours, and 3D viewing, which allowed it to thrive during lockdown. In Q1 2020, the house saw a 66% increase in sales compared to Q1 2019, with online auctions up 172%. Wannenes predicts a permanent shift away from physical auction rooms toward telephone and web bidding, accelerated by the pandemic. He sees no commercial weaknesses in this transition, citing global reach and expanded revenues. Despite nostalgia for crowded salerooms, recent March sales attracted over 800 buyers from five continents. He does not anticipate a market contraction, noting art's anticyclical nature and strong interest in upcoming sales, such as the Design & Stile Italiano auctions on May 21-22, featuring 20th-century Italian and international design. The key strategy, he says, is quality of offerings. The interview is part of Artribune's series on auction houses during the pandemic, following pieces on Il Ponte, Sotheby's, and Christie's.