Post-War and Contemporary Art

Alexander Rotter

Global President

New York

Alex Rotter is Global President of Christie’s, where he is responsible for developing and driving business across all categories, developing innovative strategies for auction and private sales across individual objects and collection. In addition, he oversees a global team of specialists spanning the full scope of 20th and 21st Century Art, including Post-War and Contemporary Art, Impressionist & Modern Art, Design, Photographs, Prints, American Art, Latin American Art, and Modern British Pictures. Rotter is recognized as a leading authority in Contemporary art and has become known for his innovative strategies for driving business and his astute understanding of the rapidly evolving international art market.

Sara Friedlander

Chairman

New York

Sara Friedlander is the Deputy Chairman of the Post-War & Contemporary Art Department at Christie’s New York. In this role, Sara works with important private collectors, institutions and museums, advising on acquisitions and sales both privately and at auction. Since joining in 2006, Sara has distinguished herself as both a team member and specialist.

Johanna Flaum

Vice Chairman, 20th and 21st Century Art, Americas

New York

Johanna Flaum joined Christie’s in October 2017. As Vice Chairman, 20th and 21st Century Art, Americas she oversees the Post-War and Contemporary sales in New York working closely with the individual sale heads and the international team to collaboratively and strategically develop the sales and other business across multiple venues. Additionally, she focuses on cultivating client relationships and advising clients on consignments and acquisitions for both international auctions and private sales.

Ana Maria Celis

Head of Department

New York

Ana Maria Celis is a Senior Vice President, Senior Specialist where she is responsible for maintaining Christie’s market-leading position in the category. Prior to joining Christies in 2013 she worked at another international auction house for almost six years where she held the post of Head of the Contemporary Art Afternoon Sale. Since joining Christie's, Ana Maria has worked on a number of curated sales including the record breaking "Looking Forward to the Past" and "The Artist's Muse." Born and raised in Caracas, Ana Maria is fluent in Spanish and English and plays a key role in our international team through the fostering and development of collectors in the Americas.

Joanna Szymkowiak

Senior Vice President, Senior Specialist, Head of Private Sales

New York

Joanna Szymkowiak is Senior Vice President, Senior Specialist, and Head of Private Sales for Post-War and Contemporary Art in the Americas. Since joining Christie’s in 2011, Joanna has worked on the Evening sales and led the Day sales, and in her current role has helped shape the firm’s private sales strategy by working closely with collectors, institutions, and estates to place major works through discreet, strategic transactions. She remains actively involved in the company’s auctions by managing key consignments and cultivating relationships with buyers to drive exceptional results.

Emily Kaplan

Senior Vice President, Senior Specialist, Co-Head of 20th Century Evening Sale

New York

Emily Kaplan is a Senior Vice President and Senior Specialist within Christie’s Post-War & Contemporary Art Department and is the Co-Head of the 20th Century Evening Sale in New York. Her focus is the Post-War period, specializing in Abstract Expressionism, Pop, and Minimalism, among others. In May 2021, she pioneered the first 20th Century Evening Sale to outstanding results - totaling $481 million.

Edmond Francey

International Director, Post-War & Contemporary Art, Europe

London

Edmond Francey is Head of Post-War and Contemporary Art in London, overseeing the management and development of highly successful auctions and private sales. He moved from Christie’s Paris in 2015, where he was head of the department, having joined as a specialist in Post-War and Contemporary art in 2012. Prior to joining Christie’s, Edmond gained over 15 years of experience in the international contemporary art market.

Alice de Roquemaurel

International Director, Head of Private Sales

London

Alice de Roquemaurel has played a pivotal role in shaping the private sale landscape, leading the business for Post War and Contemporary art in Europe and driving its critical success within the organization. With a deep understanding of the market, Alice has personally facilitated private sales at the highest level, including the placement of masterpieces in prestigious institutions. As part of the private sale team, Alice has played a role in various innovative private selling exhibitions.

Tessa Lord

International Specialist, Head of Department

London

Tessa is Head of Post War and Contemporary Art London, overseeing the management of the London auction platforms with a focus on the bi annual Evening auctions. Previously Head of the Evening Sale, Tessa has been key in delivering a number of record prices for artists including Daniel Richter and Banksy. Her passion for figurative painting, from Francis Bacon to Lynette Yiadom-Boakye has continued the evolution of the Post-War and Contemporary Art Evening Sale platform, bringing the very best artists to the fore in the London market.

Alessandro Diotallevi

International Specialist

London

Alessandro Diotallevi is a Senior Director and Senior Specialist in the Post-War & Contemporary Art department in London. He started his career as a researcher in Christie’s London office in 2010, before cataloguing his first Italian Sale in 2012. In 2014, he was the Junior Specialist on the historic Eyes Wide Open: An Italian Vision, the sale of one of the most important collections of Arte Povera which realized fifteen artist records including those for Michelangelo Pistoletto, Janis Kounellis, and Alighierio Boetti.

Claudia Schürch

Senior Specialist

London

Claudia Schürch is a Senior Specialist in the Post-War and Contemporary Art department at Christie’s in London. She has been with the company for over eight years, holding a range of roles across both the auction and private sales teams. From 2023 to 2024, she was the Co-Head of the Evening Sale and subsequently took on the role of Acting Head of Department during a maternity leave cover.

Arno Verkade

Managing Director Senior Specialist

Amsterdam

Arno Verkade is the Managing Director of Christie's in Germany and the Netherlands. Arno joined Christie’s in 1993 as a graduate trainee in the 19th Century Art Department in Amsterdam. He subsequently became a Specialist in the 20th Century Art Department and the Post-War and Contemporary Art Department in Amsterdam, which he headed for almost 10 years.

Prapavadee Sophonpanich

General Manager

Bangkok

As General Manager, Thailand since January 2018, Prapavadee is responsible for all business and client development activities, working closely with the Hong Kong office to expand Christie’s footprint in Thailand. Prapavadee has a wealth of experience across industries including luxury, residential real estate development, and art institutions, which included representing the retail franchises of The Metropolitan Museum of Arts and Thai National Museum of Bangkok. Prior to this, Prapavadee spent the early part of her career at McKinsey & Company and Bain & Company.

Dr. Ridha Moumni

Chairman, Middle East & Africa

Dubai

Dr. Ridha Moumni is a historian of Art and Archaeology, specialising in antiquity and the early and modern art of Tunisia. He holds a PhD in North African Roman Architecture from La Sorbonne University.

Meagan Kelly Horsman

Managing Director Middle East

Dubai

Meagan Kelly Horsman is the Managing Director of Christies Middle East, having joined the team in May 2022. Based in the UAE since 2010, Meagan has worked in both the primary and secondary market, starting her career at Bonhams, and specialises in modern and contemporary art from the Arab World, North Africa and Iran. Meagan’s extensive experience also includes collection management and development for some of the most important private collections in the region.

Marie-Claire Thijsen

Head of Sale, Specialist, Post-War & Contemporary Art London/Dubai

Dubai

Marie-Claire is a specialist in the Post-War & Contemporary Art department at Christie’s based between London and Dubai. She is passionate about discovering and promoting emerging and overlooked artists with a particular interest in artists from the Middle East and North Africa. In her role as Head of Sale for Modern & Contemporary Middle Eastern Art, she has contributed to the growth of the category and has helped to give it a contemporary and international profile through successful auctions and private selling exhibitions in London, Dubai and Paris.

Bastienne Leuthe

Head of Post-War & Contemporary Art Germany

Dusseldorf

Bastienne Leuthe is International Director, Post-War & Contemporary Art, based in Germany from where she works in close relationship with her colleagues across the EMEA and global teams. She advises a distinguished portfolio of clients throughout the region, bringing important works and collections to market across global auctions and private sales. Bastienne began her career in the auction world in Paris in 2005, subsequently working in London and returning to Germany in 2010, where she focused on cultivating high-value client relationships.

Prof. Dr. Dirk Boll

Deputy Chairman 20th and 21st Century Art, EMEA Managing Director, Germany

Dusseldorf

Dirk Boll studied law in Göttingen and Freiburg (Br.) and had his judicial traineeship at the Higher Court in Stuttgart and the German Chamber of Commerce in Brussels. A post graduate study in Art Management in Stuttgart-Ludwigsburg earned him a Master of Art degree. He wrote his Ph.D.

Cristian Albu

Deputy Chairman, Head of Auction and Private Sales, 20th and 21st Century Art, APAC

Hong Kong

Based in Hong Kong, Cristian Albu is Deputy Chairman, Head of 20th and 21st Century Art at Christie’s Asia Pacific. Cristian manages sales and operations for the category in Asia and is instrumental in furthering the presentation of Western contemporary art at Christie’s in the region. Since Cristian joined Christie’s, the 20th and 21st Century Art category has attained historic results in two consecutive years – achieving US$550 million in 2021, the highest annual total for the category at Christie’s Asia, and US$402 million in 2022, the second highest.

Eric Chang (張丁元)

Deputy Chairman, Asia Pacific and Chairman, 20th and 21st Century Art, Asia Pacific

Hong Kong

Based in Hong Kong, Eric Chang is Deputy Chairman of Christie's Asia and Chairman of Modern and Contemporary Art, Asia Pacific. Since joining Christie’s in 2001, Eric has been the driving force in helping Asian art to gain international recognition. Under Eric’s leadership, Christie’s Hong Kong pioneered a sale entirely devoted to Asian contemporary art in 2004.

Ada Tsui (徐文君)

Senior Vice President, Head of Department, 20th/21st Century Art, Asia Pacific

Hong Kong

Ada Tsui is Senior Vice President, Head of Department, 20th/21st Century Art at Christie's Asia Pacific. With deep art market expertise, she oversees the management of all sales for the category in Asia and plays a pivotal role in developing and strengthening collector relationships across the region and internationally. Over more than a decade at Christie’s, Ada has advanced through leadership positions across Online, Day, and Evening Sales before assuming her current role.

Arco Yu

AVP, Specialist, Head of Evening Sale, 20th and 21st Century Art, Asia Pacific

Hong Kong

Arco Yu, based in Hong Kong, joined Christie’s in 2018, bringing with her years of experience focusing on Impressionist and Modern Art. Responsible for researching and promoting significant Impressionist and Modern art at Christie’s auctions in major cities like New York, London, Paris, Hong Kong, and Shanghai, Arco offers extensive knowledge in fine art and its market. Arco provides valuable insights ranging from institutional works to auction results, imparting wisdom through lectures, previews, and various client events held across Asian cities.

Ziwei Yi（易紫薇）

AVP, Specialist, Head of Day Sale, 20th and 21st Century Art, Asia Pacific

Hong Kong

Based in Hong Kong, Ziwei Yi is a Specialist and Head of the 20th Century Day Sale at Christie’s Asia Pacific. Since joining Christie’s in 2022, she has played a pivotal role across both the Evening and Day auctions in Hong Kong and Shanghai, with particular expertise in 20th Century Art. Ziwei has been instrumental in cultivating a new generation of collectors for the category, championing significant artists such as Zao Wou-Ki, Wu Guanzhong, and Sanyu.

Wendy Fang

AVP, Private Sales Specialist

Hong Kong

Wendy Fang is a Private Sales Specialist at Christie's Asia Pacific, based in Hong Kong. A seasoned art specialist with a keen eye for curation, market strategy and sale management, Wendy plays a pivotal role in shaping and expanding Christie’s Private Sales of 20th and 21st Century Art in Asia. Wendy makes strategic consignment decisions and executes Private Sales exhibitions, ensuring the presentation of outstanding works that reflect the ever-evolving collecting tastes of today.

Beatriz Ordovas

Head of Post-War & Contemporary Art Iberica, International Specialist

Madrid

Beatriz Ordovas is a Director and Specialist Head of Christie’s Post-War and Contemporary Art Private Sales in London. Beatriz oversees all private sales transactions in this category throughout Europe. She is also responsible for client coverage across Europe, with a particular focus on Spain, Portugal, Italy and Latin America.

Elena Zaccarelli

Senior Specialist, Head of Sale, Milan

Milan

Elena Zaccarelli is a Senior Specialist in the Modern and Contemporary Art Department at Christie’s in Milan, and she is responsible for the 20th/21st Century: Milan Sales. Elena joined Christie’s in 2010, dealing with international teams of Impressionist and Modern and Post-War and Contemporary Art, being formerly a sale coordinator, cataloguer, junior specialist in the same department. She is now gathering for Milan and international auctions, focusing on italian art.

Paul Nyzam

International Specialist, Head of Department, Vice-Chairman of Christie’s Paris

Paris

Graduated from Sciences Po and HEC, Paul Nyzam began his career at Christie’s in London before moving to France in 2011. For more than a decade now, he has overseen in Paris the sale of the most significant Post‑War and Contemporary works of art. Under his leadership, his department has established itself as a key player in the international art market, notably through the sale of major collections such as Regards croisés: Collection Marie‑Aline & Jean‑François Prat (2017), Love Stories, from the Collection of Anne & Wolfgang Titze (2023), Collection Danutė & Alain Mallart: Bruxelles‑Paris‑Vilnius (2024), and Collection Renault, un temps d’avance (2024).

Laëtitia Bauduin de la Brosse

Deputy Chairman

Paris

Laëtitia Bauduin de la Brosse began her career in the Maître Briest and Poulain-Le-Fur auction houses. When she joined Christie’s in 2006 she brought with her a wealth of experience in Post-War and Contemporary Art. As Head of Sale under the international supervision of Florence de Botton, she ensures Christie’s sales stand out in the global market for this category.

Josephine Wanecq

Specialist, Head of Evening Sale

Paris

After an Art Business Management master degree at Paris Dauphine University, Josephine first joined Christie’s Paris Post War & Contemporary art team in 2016 as a cataloguer and contributed to the great success of Claude Berri Collection sale (October 2016), achieving €8,320,125. From 2017, Josephine started overseeing cataloguing for both Paris and Milan PWC sales. Among many other sales, she was also involved in the cataloguing, exhibition setting and success of the Jean-François and Marie-Aline Prat Collection sale in 2017, which until now still holds the auction record for a private Post War and Contemporary art collection ever sold in France (€39m).

Mariolina Bassetti

Chairman, Post-War & Contemporary Art, Continental Europe and Chairman, Christie's Italy

Rome

Mariolina Bassetti became Head of the Modern and Contemporary Art Department in Italy in 1995, having joined the Christie's Rome office in 1987. Under her direction, Christie's Italy’s Modern and Contemporary Art sales have grown from €1 million to €16 million. Since its launch in 1999, Mariolina has been in charge of the Italian Sale, the annual and only international auction dedicated entirely to Italian 20th Century art, held at Christie's London.

Renato Pennisi

International Specialist, Director

Rome

Renato Pennisi is a Director and Senior Specialist of Christie’s global 20/21 Century Team for Modern and Contemporary Art, based in Italy. He joined Christie’s in 2001 and signed responsible as Co-Head for Christie’s Milan auctions as of 2007. In 2013, Renato launched a new sale format Milan Modern and Contemporary, a monographic sale focusing on the most desirable Italian artists, acclaimed alike by existing and new clients with sell through rates achieving over 90% by lot, even up to 100% result in 2015 and 2018.

Giulia Centonze

Junior Specialist, Head of Sale

Rome

Giulia Centonze is a Junior Specialist in the Modern and Contemporary Art Department at Christie’s in Rome. Giulia joined Christie’s in 2014 as Personal Assistant to the Italian Chairman Mariolina Bassetti. In 2018 Giulia became Cataloguer, working for London and Milan Italian Sales.

Jutta Nixdorf

Managing Director, Senior Specialist

Zürich

With more than 25 years in the art market both in the auction world and as an advisor and dealer, Jutta Nixdorf brings extensive experience to bear. Starting at Christie’s Stuttgart, Jutta then moved to Berlin as a Specialist for Contemporary Art and led Gallery de Pury & Luxembourg Zurich as Managing Director. She has been a private advisor and dealer specialising in Post War & Contemporary Art, as well as Director of More Gallery, Switzerland before returning to Christie’s in 2012.

Zoë Klemme

Associate Director, Senior Specialist

Zürich

Zoë Klemme is a Specialist based in Zurich, having previously headed both the Day and First Open auctions in London. After joining Christie’s Zurich office in 2011, she worked in Business Development for both the Impressionist and Modern Department and the Post War and Contemporary Department, as well as working intensively on the sale of the Estate of Ernst Beyeler in June 2011. In 2014, she moved to London as a Junior Specialist, with a particular focus on First Open, and was appointed Head of Sale in 2016.