Arttactic

On this week's episode of the ArtTactic Podcast, host Adam Green is joined by Hokhang Cheung, a Hong Kong-based freelance art reporter who contributes to ARTnews, The Art Newspaper and the South China Morning Post, to recap the autumn auctions in Hong Kong. Sales at Sotheby's, Christie's and Phillips brought in just over $220 million, up from the spring and boosted by the Joe Lewis sale at Sotheby's. Hokhang explains why autumn sales tend to outpace spring ones, and why China's economy is a mixed picture, with traditional sectors still soft, tech driving growth, and uncertainty making collectors more cautious at higher price points. He also describes how a new generation of Asian collectors from tech and finance is moving away from headline-grabbing purchases toward acting as tastemakers, sponsoring exhibitions and curatorial projects for the artists they believe in. While several trophy lots struggled or were withdrawn, younger artists set new auction records, and Vietnamese artists performed strongly as Sou

James Cahill and Justine Freeman on Hockney's Beverly Hills Housewife by ArtTactic

In this week's episode of the ArtTactic Podcast, host Adam Green welcomes back Richard Polsky, founder of Richard Polsky Art Authentication and author of the new book I Sold Alice Cooper's Andy Warhol, available now for pre-order. Richard recalls buying a dollar sign painting directly from Warhol's studio in 1986 and meeting the artist shortly before his death. He then tells the story at the heart of the book, a red Little Electric Chair painting bought for $2,500 in 1972 as a birthday gift for Alice Cooper, which was rolled up in a tube and forgotten in his garage for decades. Richard walks us through how he authenticated the Warhol and why works outside the catalogue raisonné are such a hard sell at the major auction houses. He also explains how a fully contracted Bonhams consignment, with a $2.5 to $3.5 million estimate, fell apart just before the sale. He closes with an update on his authentication practice, including the surge in Basquiat inquiries and what the closure of artist authentication boards has

In this week's episode of the ArtTactic Podcast, host Adam Green is joined by Kyla McMillan, Director of the Armory Show, to preview the fair's 2026 edition, running September 24–27 at the Javits Center. First, Kyla explains the decision to move the fair later in September and why it finally creates a true Armory Week in New York. Next, she shares what she's hearing from galleries heading into the fair and why optimism is building despite a challenging market. Then, Kyla discusses the Armory's identity as a fair of discovery, its role in cultivating new collectors, and how it supports young galleries and lower price points. Also, she walks through this year's highlights, including curated sections celebrating artists of Caribbean descent, expanded performance programming, and two new museum acquisition prizes. Finally, Kyla reflects on what fairs are meant to do, bringing artists, collectors, curators, and institutions together to kick off the season.

In this week's episode of the ArtTactic Podcast, host Adam Green speaks with David Schrader, founding partner of Pace Di Donna Schrader, the secondary-market gallery he launched with Marc Glimcher and Emmanuel Di Donna after years leading private sales at Sotheby's. David explains why the three saw an opening for a dedicated high-end secondary dealer and how the gallery will balance a few rigorous exhibitions a year with discreet private sales. They also discuss why private sales tend to be counter-cyclical, the growing depth of bidding for trophy works, the mismatch between eager buyers and reluctant sellers, and how new wealth and the coming generational transfer of collections could reshape the top of the market.

In this week's episode of the ArtTactic Podcast, host Adam Green sits down with Rachel Johnston of Sophie Macpherson Ltd, the art world's leading talent specialists, to take the temperature of a shifting job market. Against a backdrop of gallery closures and a softening market, Rachel shares how she's advising candidates navigating uncertainty, and discusses the firm's recent survey with the Toledo Museum of Art exploring the divide between the commercial and museum worlds. She makes the case for why museums should look harder at candidates from the commercial side and what those candidates bring that institutions might be missing. The conversation closes with a look at AI's emerging role in art world hiring, and whether employers are starting to expect it.

In this week's episode of the ArtTactic Podcast, host Adam Green is joined by Tim Schneider, journalist and founder of The Gray Market, and Anders Petterson, founder of ArtTactic, to analyze the global auction market’s strong rebound in the first half of 2026. They discuss how major single-owner collections and high-value Impressionist and Modern works drove the headline growth, why the broader art market still feels more subdued, and what the decline in younger artists at auction reveals about today’s more selective collecting environment. The conversation also explores the rise of online-only auctions, the expanding importance of watches and other luxury collectibles, the differing strategies of Christie’s, Sotheby’s, and Phillips, and what the second half of the year may hold for buyers and consignors.

In this week’s episode of the ArtTactic Podcast, host Adam Green speaks with Martin Wilson, CEO of Phillips, about the auction house’s strong first-half results and his first 18 months leading the company. They discuss the broader recovery in the auction market, Phillips’ significant year-on-year growth, and the remarkable expansion of its watches business. Martin also explains how initiatives including Priority Bidding and Drop Shop are bringing innovation to the traditional auction model, attracting new and younger collectors, and shaping Phillips’ strategy as the company looks toward the second half of 2026.

In this week’s episode of the ArtTactic Podcast, host Adam Green is joined by Greta Scarpa and Chimère Cissé, co-founders of STELLA, an international community created to strengthen the presence, visibility, and influence of women collectors in the art world. Greta and Chimère discuss what inspired them to launch STELLA, what they felt was missing for women collectors around access, community, and visibility, and how the alliance is helping collectors support one another both during major art world moments and throughout the year. They also share their perspectives on how women collectors are shaping the art world through patronage, philanthropy, support for underrepresented artists, and long-term cultural impact, as well as the upcoming STELLA Report, produced in collaboration with ArtTactic, which aims to establish a global benchmark study focused specifically on women collectors.

In this week’s episode of the ArtTactic Podcast, host Adam Green is joined by Elisa Carollo, arts reporter for Observer, to recap Art Basel Switzerland 2026. Fresh from reporting in Basel, Elisa shares her perspective on a fair that reflected the broader mood of the art market: cautious, selective, but still active at the highest levels. Adam and Elisa discuss where buyers showed confidence, how the energy compared between blue-chip secondary market material and younger primary market presentations, and what sales at the fair may signal following a stronger-than-expected May auction season. They also look beyond the main fair to Liste, where younger galleries and more accessible price points offered a different view of market activity, and consider whether the growing presence of Art Basel Paris has changed the role of Basel week. The conversation also touches on standout exhibitions and presentations around the city, and what this year’s fair may suggest for the rest of the 2026 art market.

In this week’s episode of the ArtTactic Podcast, host Adam Green speaks with Will Jarvis, Founder and CEO of Gertrude, a contemporary art platform and mobile app that directly connects emerging and independent artists with art buyers, and co-founder of the London gallery The Sunday Painter. Will discusses how Gertrude works, why he believes the current art world landscape has created opportunities for new models, and how the platform aims to support artists who may not have traditional gallery representation. He also shares his perspective on the challenges facing younger galleries, smaller galleries, and rising artists, as well as the barriers that can prevent new collectors from entering the art market. Together, Adam and Will explore what it would take for the art world to become more open and accessible, and how platforms like Gertrude can provide collectors with access, context, and confidence while helping artists build visibility and sustainable careers.

In this week’s episode of the ArtTactic Podcast, host Adam Green is joined by Judd Tully, independent art journalist, to recap the major May New York auctions, where more than $2 billion worth of art was sold. While the headline numbers suggest renewed strength in the art market, Judd explains why the story is more nuanced, with the season defined by an extraordinary concentration of estates, major collections, and historically important works. Adam and Judd discuss how the sales performed overall, whether the results point to a broader market recovery or were driven by exceptional consignments, what the heavy use of guarantees reveals about confidence and risk, and what the mood of the market feels like as the art world turns to London and Art Basel.

In this week’s episode of the ArtTactic Podcast, host Adam Green is joined by Christine Messineo, Director of Americas for Frieze, ahead of Frieze New York. As New York’s May art week gets underway, Christine shares her perspective on the mood surrounding this year’s fair and the broader art market. Adam and Christine discuss what galleries are looking for when they commit to a major fair, how Frieze New York fits into the city’s busy cultural calendar, and the strengths and challenges of its home at The Shed. They also explore how Frieze supports younger galleries, the continued evolution of EXPO Chicago under Frieze ownership, and what visitors can look forward to discovering at this year’s edition of Frieze New York.

In this week's episode of the ArtTactic Podcast, host Adam Green is joined by Jori Finkel, a Los Angeles-based journalist who writes for The New York Times and The Art Newspaper, to discuss the highly anticipated new building at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Designed by Peter Zumthor, the project has been years in the making and has generated significant attention across the art world. Jori recently visited the museum and published an in-depth review, and in this conversation she shares her perspective on the experience of the new galleries, the vision behind the building, and how it compares to traditional museum models. They also explore the broader response from critics and the public, place LACMA within the context of Los Angeles’s rapidly evolving art scene, and consider what impact the museum’s transformation could have on the city’s cultural landscape moving forward.

On this week’s episode of the ArtTactic Podcast, host Adam Green speaks with Callum Hale-Thomson, founder of First Thursday, a platform that helps galleries turn collector interactions into lasting relationships and drive sales. They discuss First Thursday’s recently released AI in Galleries Report, which offers a data-backed look at how galleries around the world are engaging with artificial intelligence. The conversation explores what motivated the report and how it was developed, key findings including the high level of AI adoption among gallery professionals, and the most common ways these tools are being used in practice. They also examine important questions around client confidentiality and data security, how gallery staff feel about integrating AI into their workflows, and why concerns around job displacement may be less pronounced in the art world. Finally, they look ahead to how AI could further shape the gallery landscape and what dealers should be paying attention to in the years to come.

On this week's episode of the ArtTactic Podcast, host Adam Green speaks with Valentina Castellani, adjunct professor at NYU Steinhardt and author of Trading Beauty: Art Market Histories from the Altar to the Gallery, Castellani challenges the long-held idea that art and money exist in separate worlds, tracing how commerce has shaped the production and circulation of art from the Middle Ages to the present day. The conversation explores influential figures such as the pioneering Impressionist dealer Paul Durand-Ruel and the legendary partnership of Leo Castelli and Ileana Sonnabend, while also examining Castellani’s own experience working at Gagosian and organizing major historical exhibitions typically associated with museums. Together they discuss how the roles of galleries, museums, artists, and dealers have evolved over time and what the changing dynamics of representation, social media, and artist autonomy may mean for the future of the art market.

In this week's episode of the ArtTactic Podcast, host Adam Green speaks with James Cope, founder of James Cope Gallery and the Dallas Invitational, which returns April 16-18 at the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek. As art fairs become increasingly expensive and galleries grow more selective about where they participate, the Dallas Invitational offers an alternative model with lower participation costs and a more intimate setting. Cope discusses the origins of the fair, the thinking behind its careful and measured growth, and why the hotel format has resonated with both galleries and collectors. They also talk about the importance of the Rosewood Mansion as a venue, how the Dallas collector base has responded to the fair, and the recent expansion of the Invitational model to London during Frieze week.

In this week's episode of the ArtTactic Podcast, host Adam Green speaks with Will Korner, Head of Fairs at TEFAF, following the conclusion of TEFAF Maastricht and ahead of TEFAF New York this May. Known for its unparalleled breadth, TEFAF offers a unique art fair experience where visitors can encounter everything from Old Master paintings and antiquities to historic jewelry and cutting edge contemporary art all within a single fair. Adam and Will discuss what makes TEFAF Maastricht such a distinctive event in today’s crowded art fair landscape, how the latest edition performed commercially, the role contemporary art now plays within the fair, why TEFAF has largely avoided the conversation around art fair fatigue, and what collectors and visitors can look forward to when TEFAF New York opens this spring.

In this week's episode of the ArtTactic Podcast, host Adam Green speaks with Drew Watson, Managing Director and Head of Art Services at Bank of America, about the first-ever US Art Market Report produced in collaboration with ArtTactic. Together, they unpack how the report uniquely combines auction data with proprietary collector spending insights to offer a more complete picture of the art market. Drew explains why US auction sales surged 23.1% in 2025 despite broader perceptions of a downturn, and how both narratives can coexist. The conversation also explores New York’s growing dominance, now accounting for nearly 70% of global auction sales, as well as the remarkable outperformance of women artists over the past decade. Finally, they look ahead to 2026, discussing the economic signals, from interest rates to wealth creation, that could shape the next phase of the art market.

In this week's episode of the ArtTactic Podcast, host Adam Green speaks with Angelle Siyang-Le, Director of Art Basel Hong Kong, ahead of the fair’s 2026 edition opening on March 25. After a period of rapid growth during and immediately following the pandemic, the Chinese art market began to soften in 2021 alongside broader economic challenges. As the region prepares for its most important art market event of the year, Adam and Angelle discuss the current state of the market in China, whether signs of renewed confidence are emerging, and how Art Basel Hong Kong fits within an increasingly competitive landscape of art fairs across Asia. They also preview what to expect at this year’s fair, including how galleries are feeling heading into the week, notable presentations to watch, and the Asia debut of Art Basel’s digital art initiative, Zero 10.