Christie’s London Sale Puts the Zabludowicz Collection in the Spotlight
A major group of works from the Zabludowicz Collection is heading to Christie’s in London, with reports saying Anita and Chaim “Poju” Zabludowicz are parting with 100 works amid growing distance from sections of the art world. The sale is divided into two parts: a live auction taking place today and a second online sale that closes June 30.
The first session is estimated to bring in about $17 million to $26 million. The second is expected to fetch between about $385,000 and $574,200, and includes artists whose markets once surged but have since softened. Among the names in the live auction are Philip Guston and Damien Hirst.
The reported backdrop is not simply market timing. According to people quoted in the reporting, the couple has felt increasing strain over criticism tied to their relationship to Israel. Artist and dealer Joel Mesler said they were “disheartened” by the way they had been treated by people they had supported. He added, “It’s not revenge. It’s just, ‘We are getting out. Goodbye.’” The collectors did not respond to a request for comment on whether that criticism influenced the decision.
Christie’s vice chairman of 20th- and 21st-century art, Katharine Arnold, said she had been with the pair in Basel this week and that they were “looking at art and enjoying art.” That detail suggests a more complicated picture than a simple retreat from collecting, even as the sale lands during a contraction in the ultra-contemporary market.
The day’s news also brought two very different reminders of art world continuity and loss. Vienna-born, British artist Tess Jaray died at 88. Known for geometric public works embedded in major London museums, she was also the first woman hired to teach at the Slade School of Fine Art, where she taught for 31 years. In New York, Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the Whitney Museum of American Art announced a citywide partnership offering free admission through July 31, 2026 to participants who complete an arts activity guide.
Taken together, the stories point to an art world still shaped by money, politics, and institutions — and by the artists and collectors whose choices continue to define its public life.
