Opinion
Is China the Undisputed King of the Art Market?
A press release from Artprice, an art market information source, has some interesting stats — even if they sound far too sunny — about the state of art auctions around the world.
Auctions
News
How Will We Know If Our Warhols Are Real?!
The Warhol Foundation is dissolving it's Warhol Authentification Board, Inc. According to Warhol Foundation president Joel Wachs, the: " … decision was driven by the financial toll the board's operations have taken on the institution has a whole."
Art
Christie's Auction to Benefit Haiti: An Earnest Attempt or Not?
Ben Stiller, David Zwirner and Christie's are teaming up to raise money for Haitian humanitarian non-profits by selling some of today's most notable artists' works. The auction is offering all proceeds to charity, a tax write-off for buyers and a waiver for all fees usually taken by the high-end auc
Art
Tribeca Film Fest Special: In Saint Laurent Film, Opposites Attract
When fashion impresario Yves Saint Laurent was once asked to name his favorite poet, he paused for a moment, smiled and spoke Pierre Bergé’s name in a soft tone. This “poet” was the designer’s devoted companion for over fifty years. He was also the impresario that ran the logistics of the Yves St. L
Opinion
Why China's Auction Market is Tops
A study by Artprice finds that the Chinese art market is the largest in the world — but only in terms of auctions. The misleading news bite is telling in other ways, though. The Chinese domestic auction market is growing so quickly in part because Western auction houses like Christie's and Sotheby's
News
The Ides of March Auctions
The New York Observer has a report about the recent New York art auctions and it lists who the author thinks are some of the winners and losers … In other news, BBC announced that China just became the second biggest auction market in the world.
Art
WTF is... the Secondary Market?
Throughout the course of NYC's art fair week, I overheard questions over what art work was being sold, and who it was being sold to. Of course, art fairs exist to sell work, and the work on display is there to be sold. But where do these works come from? This is where the secondary market comes in.
News
'Orgy of the Rich' Protest Hits Sotheby's
British news sources are reporting that nearly a dozen protesters "set off alarms and threw fake £50 notes in the air at Sotheby's before unfurling a large banner bearing the words 'orgy of the rich.'" Another protest outside staged a mock auction of public workers. The actions were in response to t
Art
New Year's Resolutions for the Art World
The new year is always a time of idealism. We want to improve ourselves, lose weight, find success in a new career: everyone has high aspirations. Why shouldn’t we do the same for the art world? Here’s a list of resolutions I have for the contemporary art community in 2011. There are some suggestion
News
Candy Sells For $4.5 Million At Philips de Pury Auction
Halloween is already past, so candy is supposed to be on sale, right? Not at last night's Philips de Pury sale [http://www.phillipsdepury.com/auctions/online-catalog.aspx?sn=NY010710&search=&p=&order=] when a lucky bidder ended up paying $4.5 million for 200 pounds of blue cellophane-wrapped treats.
News
Art-trafficking Ring Surfaces at Paris Auction House
The New York Times reports on a serious scandal that’s rocking the Hôtel Drouot, which is “France’s oldest, largest, most storied and most profitable auction site, a frenetic three-story bazaar of marvels and junk: Picassos and Basquiats, stamps and used handbags, dusty carpets, couches, clattering glassware.” Insiders don’