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 While several trophy lots struggled or were withdrawn, younger artists set new auction records, and Vietnamese artists performed strongly as Southeast Asian bidders emerged among the season's most active, signs of a market that is becoming more selective rather than retreating. The conversation closes with what Hokhang will be watching through year-end, including Shanghai's November art season and Christie's return to auction in the city.

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 meant for collectors.

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.