How do art auctions work?

Forget elitism - we bring you a glossary that demystifies the art auction, opening a door on a whole other world of collecting.
[This is archived content and may not display in the originally intended format.]

Image: Source Christie’s

Art Auctions are big business. On any year, international headlines report record sales of “trophy consignments”, those multi-million dollar sales that send jaws dropping and the mind reeling. It is not surprising that many of us box the art auction as a blood sport for the rich, wondering whether this world has any reality once you move beyond that top tier?

Unlock Padlock Icon

Unlock this content?

Access this content and more

Gina Fairley is ArtsHub's National Visual Arts Editor. For a decade she worked as a freelance writer and curator across Southeast Asia and was previously the Regional Contributing Editor for Hong Kong based magazines Asian Art News and World Sculpture News. Prior to writing she worked as an arts manager in America and Australia for 14 years, including the regional gallery, biennale and commercial sectors. She is based in Mittagong, regional NSW. Twitter: @ginafairley Instagram: fairleygina