London, Hong Kong & New York
March 2021
As part of a new generation of international auction events, our 20th Century series celebrates the biggest names in Impressionist, modern, post-war and contemporary art. Fielding bids simultaneously from London, Hong Kong and New York, the three livestreamed evening sales on 23 March totalled £198,716,619 / US$274,825,084 / HK$1,655,333,300.
Beginning in Hong Kong, Basquiat’s landmark WARRIOR sold for £30,265,619, becoming the most valuable western artwork ever sold in Asia. In London, Banksy’s Game Changer soared nearly five times above its high estimate to sell at £16,758,000, with proceeds from the sale benefitting the NHS. Top prices were also achieved for works by Joan Miró, Pablo Picasso and Jean Fautrier, whose Pièges tripled its high estimate at £4,522,500, setting a new world record for the artist at auction.
Christie’s set new world auction records for the sale of works by rising stars in contemporary art, including Claire Tabouret’s The Last Day at £622,500, Issy Wood’s Over Armour (non-linear, non-violent) at £250,000 and Joy Labinjo’s No Wahala at £150,000 — each realising well above their high estimates.
20th Century season kicked off in New York and London on 1 March with A Family Collection: Works on Paper, Van Gogh to Freud and the Modern British Art Evening Sale achieving a total of £43,702,515 and selling 98% by lot and 100% by value. Sir Winston Churchill’s Tower of the Koutoubia Mosque was the top lot at £8,285,000 — a new world auction record. More than 400,000 people tuned into the livestreamed event through Christie’s website and social media channels, including YouTube, Facebook and WeChat.
The season continues through March with our ongoing online-only sales, First Open: Post-War and Contemporary Art Online, Banksy: I can’t believe you morons actually buy this sh*t and Prints & Multiples — all still open for bidding.