From Hong Kong to London:

The Autumn Sales at Christie’s, Sotheby’s and Phillips

Here’s a clear run-through of the key modern and contemporary auctions landing over the next couple of months, with London’s Frieze Week sitting at the centre and Hong Kong setting the tone just before.

 

First up, Christie’s opens the autumn run in Asia. Its 20th/21st Century series in Hong Kong is slated for 26–27 September and is already flagging headline material: Zao Wou-Ki’s 17.03.63, Yayoi Kusama’s Pumpkin [TWAQN] and a strong post-war contingent including Kazuo Shiraga, plus modern names such as Tamara de Lempicka and Paul Cézanne. If you watch Asia for price signals ahead of London and New York, this sale is the early read.

Back in London, Frieze London runs 15–19 October, and the houses time their marquee sales accordingly. Christie’s frames its week with the Post-War & Contemporary Art Evening Auction, which is led by Gerhard Richter’s Schädel (Skull) and anchored by mini-collections like “Beyond the Monochrome” (Manzoni, Klein, Fontana), while its companion Thinking Italian auction is headlined by Fontana’s Concetto spaziale, La fine di Dio. Expect deep bidding on canonical post-war lots and Italian material that continues to feel secure to collectors.

 

Running into Frieze Week, Sotheby’s has two strands to watch. Before the fairs, the single-owner sale Pauline Karpidas: The London Collection (17–18 September) brings what’s being billed as the most significant Surrealist ensemble to hit the London rooms in years, with Magritte, Carrington and Les Lalanne among the standouts and guidance suggesting in excess of £60m across some 250 lots. Then, once the fairs are underway, Sotheby’s stages its Contemporary Evening Auction on 16 October, followed by the Contemporary Day Auction on 17 October, keeping the focus on blue-chip 20th/21st-century names and a measured dose of ultra-contemporary.

 

Phillips, meanwhile, aligns tightly with Frieze. Its Modern & Contemporary Art Evening Sale is set for 16 October, with the Day Sale on 17 October. The early teaser image suggests the mix will range from established post-war through to rising names (for example, a 2019 painting by Sasha Gordon has been previewed), which is consistent with Phillips’ positioning and should make the day sale especially useful for benchmarking demand under £1m.

 

One last note on rhythm: the London evening sales traditionally act as a market temperature check ahead of the November New York cycle. With Hong Kong in late September and the London sessions in mid-October, the next eight weeks should give a clean read on depth for post-war mainstays and on where the appetite sits for the newer names.

 

References:
August 21, 2025