Christie’s move last Spring to create a week of its own sales continues to reshape the selling of marquee art works. Late last week, Phillips—which bore the brunt of Christie’s scheduling changes—smartly did more than just move itself out of the way by scheduling its own mixed Modern and Contemporary Evening sale on Sunday.
Phillips has latched onto Christie’s strategy for its own growth agenda. Here’s Bloomberg’s Katya Kazakina with the news:
Phillips, scrambling to carve out a special time slot to launch its hybrid auction of modern and contemporary art, is moving its event to Nov. 8, Sunday, a day the auction houses use to host lavish client brunches and dinners, not sales.
“This will ensure the sale can take place at a dedicated time within a demanding auction schedule in New York in November,” Phillips said in a statement. Christie’s declined to comment on its schedule or the Phillips move. Sotheby’s declined to comment.
Auction Houses Jockey to Lead Sales in First Big Market Test (Bloomberg Business)