The impact of secondary market on the course of art history

Auctioneer, art dealer, curator, photographer and dj, Simon de Pury is one of the leading figures in the art world. Renowned for his legendary performance on the auction podium, which have earned him the moniker “the Mick Jagger of auctions”, de Pury has auctioned and secured some of the most legendary art collections. Moreover, as an active charity auctioneer, it is estimated that de Pury has raised several billion dollars for a number of charities and cultural institutions over the course of his career. As a mentor and curator, de Pury has been instrumental in championing the careers of many contemporary artists, photographers and designers, and has been the subject of and featured in several documentaries and films, including BBC documentary ‘The Man with the Golden Gavel’ and more recently, Darren Star’s comedy-drama series, ‘Emily in Paris’. In 2021, de Pury launched de PURY Presents, a new exhibition series collaborating with international artists in their studios. In 2022, he introduced the innovative online platform de PURY, a dynamic community focused on discovery and art collecting. The platform thoughtfully curates various art forms, including architecture, photography, design, and more, shaping contemporary culture. In 2022, de PURY initiated online themed auctions, with its inaugural auction WOMEN – Art in Times of Chaos, followed by CREATE! – 21st Century Architecture & Design and FIRE! – Contemporary Glass & Ceramics in 2023. These online auctions on the de PURY platform ensure artists and galleries receive 100% of the Hammer Price and reap the greatest benefits of their work. The platform continues showcasing emerging and established artists through the de PURY Presents… series and online auctions, with works showcased online and available to purchase. Simon de Pury is the former chairman and chief auctioneer of Phillips de Pury & Company, former Europe chairman and chief auctioneer of Sotheby’s, and former curator of the Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection.

Independent Art Consultant and Curator, Hervé Mikaeloff currently advises and curates for the LVMH group as well as the Louis Vuitton Foundation. Over the years, he has also supported Sanofi, the Bic Group, various private banks and important private art collectors as their advisor. The native Frenchman graduated from l’Ecole du Louvre in Paris in 1991, after which he went on to work at La Fondation Cartier for Contemporary Art, followed by the renowned gallery Emmanuel Perrotin. He first worked as a curator at the Caisse des depots Art Collection in 1995, where he was in charge of the collection and exhibition program for shows in France, Portugal, USA, Brazil and Japan and Hong Kong. Since then, he has curated countless group shows and solo exhibitions around the world, amongst which, the Hennessy 250th anniversary project, an exhibition series on the Silk Road, and Esprit Dior which showcased the link of the legendary fashion house with artists from 1950’s to Contemporary Women Artists. In 2021, he orchestrated an exhibition dedicated to Huang Dodinh at the MuséeGuimet in Paris and the Correr Museum in Venice, and presented the installation by Indian artist Subodh Gupta at the Cipriani during the last Venice Biennale. In 2022, he curated the Noor Festival. Hervé Mikaeloff was knighted “les insignes de Chevalier des Arts et Lettres” by the French Ministry of Culture.

Sabine Taevernier is an art expert and advisor to public and private collections. She holds a master's degree in art history from the KU Leuven. In 1983, she began working as a freelance curator specialising in the art of the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and organised several exhibitions on Symbolism, Expressionism and, in particular, James Ensor in collaboration with the museums of Ghent, Antwerp, Milan, Rotterdam and Frankfurt. She was recruited by Christie's in 1988 and remained there for 10 years as an expert in Impressionist, Modern and Contemporary art. She became an independent consultant and resumed her curatorial activities in 1998. As a specialist in James Ensor, she founded the Ensor Advisory Committee in 2002 and took part in most of the artist's national and international exhibitions. Since 2005 she has been associated as an expert with the Belgian Chamber of Art Experts. experts. In 2015 she became a member of the Council for the Conservation of Movable Cultural Heritage in Flanders (Topstukkenraad) and in 2019 she was appointed Vice-Chairman. Since January 2021, she has been a trustee of the King Baudouin Foundation, an independent and pluralist Belgian and European charitable foundation. An art enthusiast, she has always collected contemporary art.