Sotheby’s Maison Hong Kong.
Sotheby’s new presence in Hong Kong’s prestigious Landmark Chater neighbourhood marks a new milestone for the company’s expansion in the region. The new two-storey 24,000 square-foot Sotheby’s Maison is designed to engage collectors and visitors alike. Here, visitors can expect to view illustrious objects, spanning time and geographies as a way of bringing art and luxury closer to communities unlike the traditional setting of a four white wall gallery space.
An art powerhouse in the region, we sat down with Sotheby’s Asia Chairman, Nicolas Chow to find out the innovative concept behind the Sotheby’s Maison and what’s hot in the art market right now.
What are some of the trends you see for collectors in the region these days?
We’re witnessing a remarkable shift towards cross-category collecting, particularly pronounced in Asia. This trend reflects a broader demographic shift in recent years, fueled by the growth of art information that is now readily available online, a new generation of collectors emerged during the pandemic. With the present generation of collectors, it is incredibly difficult to predict what they are going to collect next. We have cases in the region, from China and Malaysia, the same buyer might collect across many fields, from a contemporary painting, a musical manuscript to a dinosaur or a piece of Chinese furniture.
Our new Maison located in Central Hong Kong sees 1.3 million people a month crossing. It is designed for collectors of the future. Presenting the ultimate retail experience, a range of desirable collectibles across more than 20 categories will be offered at Sotheby’s Salon, available at fixed price 365 days a year. It is going to be a unique place for the most extraordinary aesthetic experiences.
Nicolas Chow, Chairman of Sotheby’s Asia (Sotheby’s Maison Hong Kong)
Have you seen a shift towards digital for bidding and selling?
Absolutely. While online auctions have long been part of our strategy, the pandemic accelerated the growth of our online auctions, touchpoints and experiences and in turn, led to an increase of digitally savvy young collectors dealing with Sotheby’s. These new generations of collectors are millennials (age 40 and under) and comfortable making purchases online through digital interactions with our lots.
However, in the post-pandemic era, there is a yearning for physical experiences. We have been planning a physical-first experience for our Maison, to engage visitors with the greatest objects of art and luxury known to mankind.
How do you attract interest among young collectors who are new to the market?
The next generation of collectors is already making a significant impact on the art market. In 2023, Gen X accounted for over 40 percent of bidders in the $1m+ market globally, with both Gen X and Millennials actively participating in new and heritage categories. Particularly evident in our Hong Kong Spring Sales this April, millennials represented over half of all bidders at 55 percent.
At Sotheby’s, we’re constantly innovating to expand our reach and attract new collectors. Our new Maison, strategically located in the heart of Hong Kong, exemplifies this commitment. With its world- class design by Rotterdam based architecture firm MVRDV, featuring an impressive six-metre ceilings and a huge foot traffic, we strive to offer an unprecedented experience that brings art and luxury closer to the community, and thereby attracting new collectors through our doors.
All the salons at our new Maison will be tightly curated in a way that is both visually and intellectually engaging. Another World, our recently launched campaign, promises to deliver on that idea. It is our ambition to expand the curiosity and imagination of our existing collectors and new audience alike.
What do you hope visitors will experience when they visit the Sotheby’s Maison?
Our vision is to establish it as the pivotal cultural hub in Hong Kong. Far beyond the conventional gallery setting, this two- storey Maison unveils an innovative dual concept. The ground floor unveils a state-of- the-art, museum-quality space designed to deliver a truly immersive viewing encounter. Meanwhile, the first floor is home to Sotheby’s Salons, offering a diverse cross-category retail experience like never before—from dinosaur fossils to contemporary art and design—we have an array of objects spanning 80 million years of history and offered for instant purchase at prices ranging from HK$5,000 (approx. RM3,000) to HK$50 million (approx. RM30 million). Through this unique blend of spaces, we aim to redefine the boundaries of art curation and retail, setting the stage for an unparalleled cultural exploration in the heart of Hong Kong.
We aim to push to the absolute limit as one might expect from some of the most experimental museums in the world. We will test the limits of the aesthetic experience through tightly curated shows, contemporary performances and unique happenings.
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We are looking forward to unveiling exciting programmes such as Bodhi: Masterpieces of Buddhist Art, our inaugural ground-floor exhibition of monumental Buddhist sculpture tracing the development of Buddhist art.
Bodhi Masterpieces of Monumental Buddhist Art.
