Christie's ONE: A Global Sale of the 20th Century

In July 2020, Christie's made auction history with "ONE: A Global Sale of the 20th Century" — the first-ever live-streamed, relay-style auction connecting salerooms in Hong Kong, Paris, London, and New York in a single continuous event. Featuring works by Picasso, Lichtenstein, Brice Marden, and others, the sale totaled over $420 million, selling 94% of lots by count and 97% by value, with more than 20,000 viewers watching live.

I came on as EP and production consultant as Christie's was still defining what this event could be. Their vendors had advised running four separate auctions, citing technical limitations around switching between locations in real time. I pushed back, making the case that a seamless relay format was both achievable and essential — that four disconnected auctions would undermine the very thing that made this moment historic. After considerable discussion, Christie's agreed, and the single continuous format became the defining feature of the night.

From there I guided their internal team on content, pacing, and the overall viewer experience, helping shape something neither Christie's nor the broader art world had attempted before. The reaction from those inside the room said it best: one auctioneer described the technical ease of bidding across cities as "sublime — not what I'd ever expected."

The full livestream is also available for those who want to experience all four hours of it: https://www.youtube.com/live/hbBy8Mr_cw0?si=dl1nF3d_bZRRl75F

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