Have art auctions become must-see TV?
Sotheby’s and Christie’s are preparing to launch a group of major auctions in New York, dealing with works of art belonging to the Impressionism, Modernism and Contemporary schools. During these auctions, one of Pablo Picasso’s paintings, which he created in 1932, is expected to fetch more than $120 million. In the midst of this, teams of technical experts, producers and directors are making preparations inside the sales halls, as if they were members of the CNN staff.
The members of these teams were keen to provide more space for video cameras, LED screens, and specialized lighting equipment, by reducing the space that had always been very valuable and designated for seating for art collectors and dealers interested in it, by approximately 30 percent.
Sotheby’s Chairman supervises the Freddie Mercury auction (Sotheby’s)
As is the case inside any television station, Sotheby’s and Christie’s have added control rooms filled with producers and directors who monitor every camera angle and follow what is happening inside the sales hall. Their attention is not only focused on the auction participants, but also on the experts representing the participants in the telephone auction, who lead the drama taking place inside the sales hall, and provide advice to their clients from London to Hong Kong to Doha.
Regarding this, Gillian Gorman-Round, marketing officer at Christie’s, said that these live broadcasts can “capture the energy of the moment.”
However, these massive preparations are not in the interest of the art world and major clients. Today, auction houses are broadcasting their auctions live in front of the eyes of millions of viewers around the world. The auction events are also broadcast live on social media sites, including YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram Live, in addition to the websites of the houses themselves. Ordinary viewers find themselves shocked by how the elite 1 percent of the global community spend their money.
What is noteworthy is that the method that began as a way of doing business during the pandemic has today turned into an evening entertainment item for new voyeurs to enjoy during the major auction house sales seasons in May and November.
Oliver Parker, Sotheby’s auctioneer, receives offers during an auction for the “Emily Fisher Landau Collection”… (AFP)
For his part, Adrian Mayer, head of private sales at Christie’s, and one of the senior dealers at the house’s auctions, said: “Twenty years ago, people believed that you had to be a member of the elite to be able to just walk through the door of the auction house. Now, you can watch a sale from your couch.”
Although many buyers still attend the sales — some watching from comfortable high boxes above the auction floor — online viewing is attracting people who simply don’t want to sit in the sales room for the three hours that are typical for any large auction.
Both Christie’s and Sotheby’s admitted that fewer major art collectors come to auctions, preferring to watch highlights online at home. “This is the age of secrecy,” said Sandy Heller, a veteran art consultant who has helped build some of the world’s largest collections. What is more discreet than following up on a sale from your home via your phone screen?
Even veteran auctioneer Steven Cohen, the billionaire hedge fund owner of the Mets, said: “Being able to watch these sales online certainly makes life easier.”
Charles Stewart, CEO of Sotheby’s, expressed his belief that auction houses boosted their sales via live broadcast during the closure period due to the pandemic in 2020, when people were unable to see works of art or go to the auction. “It was a long-awaited, important moment for us to expand digitally and rethink the physical auction experience.”
It is worth noting that the first auction organized by Christie’s and broadcast live during the pandemic attracted about 100,000 people, according to what the house announced. Mark Porter, head of Christie’s operations in the Americas, spoke about the auction that took place in July 2020, and included works of art belonging to the Impressionist, Modern, Post-War, and Contemporary schools. He explained that production was simple, and filming took place using only one camera. However, he added that this auction helped “launch what has now become a Broadway show.”
Sotheby’s employees receive bids by phone (AFP)
Since then, the big three auction houses (Christie’s, Sotheby’s and Phillips) have hired production companies, added more channels, and turned these events into what Stewart called “must-see television,” borrowing NBC’s famous advertising slogan. Although Phillips, the smaller auction house, did not reduce its sales halls, it was keen at the same time to make its large auctions available via YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. In addition, it is available within China via WeChat, Weibo, and RED.
The welcoming global reception came as a surprise to experts everywhere. From May 2022 until last May, Christie’s auction views increased by 25 percent, from 3.7 million to 4.6 million, with 10 cameras filming the auction events. (These numbers do not include people who watch the auctions later on YouTube.) For her part, Bonnie Brennan, president of Christie’s in the Americas, said: “We never expected these numbers, and they reflect the power of social media.”
With such a large audience and so much at stake, Sotheby’s auctioneers are now keen to limit any conversations they have without prior arrangement. At the same time, an editorial team writes the major sales texts with a brief description of each artwork offered via a teleprompter.
“Speaking using a teleprompter makes it easier,” said Oliver Parker, president of Sotheby’s in Europe and one of its most prominent dealers, who now makes bids not only from inside sales rooms and with bidders over the phone, but also via the Internet, making the process much easier. “Smoother, more professional, and also more challenging than before.”
It is noteworthy that sellers at Christie’s auctions face the same complications, but they use a teleprompter to announce data related to the sales floor, not the actual auctions.
Auction houses provide hair and makeup experts to auctioneers and collaborate with auction participants via telephone. Regarding this, Gorman-Round said: “I stress to the experts that they should not appear with a frowning face or exhibit any bad behavior.”
Just like TV shows, Sotheby’s also has advertisers. The phrase “In cooperation with Samsung” can be seen inside the Sotheby’s auction hall, on its websites, and in promotional videos. The giant electronics company is committed to paying a fixed sum of money, which it will not disclose, in return for this.
In a related context, Christie’s explained that it does not have the same type of advertisements, but during the pandemic, its male sellers wore Brioni suits, while the women wore clothes from Alexander McQueen. Brioni and Alexander McQueen are affiliated with the Kering Foundation, which in turn is part of the Artemis Group, the holding company that owns Christie’s.
As is the case with football matches, auction parties are becoming more popular day after day, and have become the topic of conversation on social media, while auctioneers have turned into stars on these networks.
* Service: “The New York Times”
