Symposium At Christie’s: Mapping The Global Art Economy

by Jennifer Ford

Co-organized by Véronique Chagnon-Burke, Academic Director, Christie’s Education New York

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My area of research for my doctoral dissertation is the reciprocal relationship between art and the economic conditions under which they were created. Specifically I will trace the theme of Danae through its multiple appearances and how the golden shower reflects the monetary theories of their times. I have always been interested in this line of thinking because I have worked in many different roles in the art world from museums, to galleries, to artist studios.

The connection to Christie’s came through our 2013 New York residency when Koji Inoue spoke to my cohort. I was very interested in his background and approach to this very traditional establishment, and later at the IDSVA commencement dinner I had the opportunity to further the discussion with him and his wife who is also working in the arts field. IDSVA President George Smith called me later that spring to talk about a possible collaboration, and Dr. Moro of IDSVA, Ms. Chagnon-Burke of Christie’s, and I developed the Symposium format.

You can watch the symposium here.

Due to the amount of interest in the Symposium, we have decided to work together again next year and extend the programing to include possible workshops, more Q&A time and another panel of exceptional speakers.

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The names and bios of all of this year’s speakers are listed below.

Koji Inoue is Vice President and Head of Auction Channel, Post-War & Contemporary Art, Christie’s Americas. Under Koji’s direction evening sales of Post-War & Contemporary Art at Christie’s have grown significantly and since 2012 produced three consecutive world records for the category with $388.5, $412.2, and $495 million sold in the respective May, November and May Evening Sales. Highlights of his impact on this venue include the consignment and sale of the world record for Richard Diebenkorn, major works by Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, Alexander Calder, Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Vija Celmins and Jean-Michel Basquiat. He holds an MA from Christie’s Education New York, class of 2008.

Mahnaz Fancy writes and speaks as a freelance cultural critic and South Asian art expert. She serves as Development Director for the Alliance of Civilizations Media Fund. Fancy consults for a variety of organizations developing cultural programming and exhibitions in the areas of South Asian, Middle Eastern and Islamic arts. She has also curated exhibitions of contemporary Pakistani art in New York and advised on several major exhibitions of South Asian art.

Michael Findlay’s book on The Value of Art explains to the initiated and the un-initiated why and how paintings come by their prices. Findlay is a New York art dealer whose career spans the range of the art market from Madison Avenue to Soho in the late 60s and early 70s to Christie’s at the height of the Japanese art boom to the depths of 1990s art recession and, finally, more than a decade at Acquavella Galleries as the super dealers have come to dominate the top end of the market and host museum quality shows to rival their academic cousins.