Christie’s had a lot of excitement brewing for its 20th and 21st Century Evening Sales, with highly anticipated works from famous artists like Basquiat, Haring, Monet, Van Gogh, and more expected to hit the auction block. However, just days before the big events, technical issues arose, casting a shadow over the auctions. On May 10th, visitors to the site were greeted with a message apologizing for the site being down, stating, “We apologize that our website is currently offline. We are working to resolve this as soon as possible and regret any inconvenience.”
This disruption was particularly frustrating given that the auctions were originally projected to generate around $840 million, according to The Art Newspaper. Kicking off on May 14th with Miami collector Rosa De La Cruz’s live auction in New York, the sale featured 26 lots, including works by Ana Mendieta, Peter Doig, and Hernan Bas, with expectations to surpass $30 million.
However, the breach raised concerns over cybersecurity. Although online bidding is available for the upcoming auctions, this isn’t the first time Christie’s has faced such issues. In September of the previous year, a data breach exposed sensitive information, including GPS coordinates for 10% of the artworks uploaded for review. This history of security lapses has left many buyers wary about potential risks.
Despite these challenges, the 2024 art market remains cautiously optimistic. While it hasn’t reached the heights of the $2.8 billion peak seen in 2022, there’s still anticipation around the 21st Century Evening Sale, which is expected to generate over $100 million. Notable works such as Brice Marden’s Event (2004–7) and Jean-Michel Basquiat’s The Italian Version of Popeye Has No Pork In His Diet (1982) are anticipated to fetch over $50 million and $30 million, respectively.
Just two days later, the 20th Century Evening Sale is expected to rake in approximately $500 million. With top pieces like Vincent van Gogh’s Coin de Jardin avec papillons (1887) and Monet’s Moulin de Limetz (1888), the 64 lots will surely be a highlight of the season.
