Earlier today, upon the conclusion of its Hong Kong Evening sales, Christie’s offered a fascinating, and long awaited, announcement that confirmed both its global ambitions and the changing geography of the art market. Naturally, it’s all anyone is talking about.
On a superficial level, the auction house simply reported that it would inaugurate its new Asia Pacific headquarters in the special administrative region, in late September, with sales of 20th and 21st century art. This, of course, was hardly controversial. In the past, the auction houses have shared Hong Kong’s convention center as their colonial outpost, which prevented them from holding simultaneous sales. More recently, though, each has pivoted to a boots-on-the-ground strategy. Phillips opened a dedicated Hong Kong space last year; Sotheby’s new location will open in July, with sales slated for September 17-19. The new Christie’s venue will debut a week later.
