Top lots from Sotheby’s New York Robert Mnuchin: Collector at Heart Evening Auction. Check out our snapshot report for more in-depth analysis @sothebys
* Editorial Spotlight * Islamic art in 2026: how geopolitics is splitting the market - words by Tehmina Amrolia
The Islamic and Middle Eastern art market entered spring 2026 under the shadow of renewed regional conflict and tightening regulatory scrutiny. The April auction season in London suggests the market has held but unevenly, and with some segments under visible pressure.
Headline figures point to a growing market. Sotheby’s April 2026 Islamic sale reached a total hammer of $11.8 million, up 57.3% from $7.5 million in April 2025, while Christie’s achieved $13.4 million against $9.8 million in May 2025. Sell-through rates at both houses held in the mid-to-high seventies, indicating that the majority of material consigned found buyers. However, beneath those figures, however, the hammer-to-estimate ratios tell a more cautious story. Both houses cleared above estimate, but the margin was thin. Sotheby’s cleared at a hammer-to-mid-estimate ratio of 1.02 and Christie’s at 1.26, figures that, set against the 1.19 Christie’s recorded in May 2025 before the current escalation, suggest buyers are less willing to push beyond pre-sale valuations.*
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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. #adamgreenartadvisory #arttactic #arttacticpodcast #friezenewyork #artmarket
Italian Artists Auction Market 2015-2025
The Italian art market for Modern, Post-War and Contemporary works rebounded strongly in 2025, with total auction sales rising by 53.9% to their highest level since 2019. Market activity also broadened, as the number of lots sold increased by 13.3% year-on-year, indicating a deeper and more active marketplace.
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In this week's episode of the ArtTactic Podcast, host Adam Green (@adamgreenartadvisory ) is joined by Jori Finkel (@jorifinkel ), 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. #arttactic #arttacticpodcast #adamgreenartadvisory #jorifinkel #lacma
* Editorial Spotlight * African collectors are buying; the market still is not built for them - by Brian Wandera
Demand is not the constraint. The African art market has plenty of it. What remains underdeveloped is the structure needed to sustain long-term growth within the region.
Following a period of market recalibration in 2024, global auction sales for Modern and Contemporary African artists reached $62.8 million in 2025, a 42.6% increase from the previous year, outpacing the 11.1% growth in the global auction market over the same period.¹ The number of lots sold rose to the highest level since 2016 at 4,785, while the average price climbed to $13,133, representing a 26.7% year-on-year increase.
Read the full story via ArtTactic.com
Modern & Contemporary African Artists Auction Market 2016-2025
The African Modern and Contemporary art market enters 2025 with renewed momentum, signalling a meaningful shift from the volatility of recent years. After a period of contraction, the market has rebounded strongly, with total sales value rising by over 40% and transaction volumes also increasing, reflecting a broader recovery in confidence and activity.
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Check out my weekly podcast on the art market that I host for @arttactic . Visit the Podcast section of my website to subscribe!
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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. #adamgreenartadvisory #arttactic #arttacticpodcast #artmarket #firstthursday #callumhalethomson
𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐀𝐫𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐀𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐥
The Contemporary art market has entered 2026 on a firmer footing than many had expected in our last survey in July 2025. Confidence has rebounded across both the primary and secondary markets, supported by stronger auction results, encouraging signals from major art fairs, and renewed momentum at the top end of the market.
Head to our website to download the report or join as an Analyst Pro member to unlock more art market intelligence you can trust.
Check out my weekly podcast on the art market that I host for @arttactic . Visit the Podcast section of my website to subscribe!
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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. #arttactic #arttacticpodcast #adamgreenartadvisory #artmarket #artresearch
@affordableartfairuk and ArtTactic proudly presents a comprehensive study dedicated exclusively to the sub $50,000 art market. The report reveals that this tier accounts for the majority of global art transactions, and the primary engine of new and younger collector growth, artist support, and long-term market resilience.
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