Swiss auction house Beurret Bailly Widmer Auktionen.
Artcurial
Paris auction house Artcurial has bought Swiss auction house Beurret Bailly Widmer Auktionen which will become Artcurial Beurret Bailly Widmer.
Founded in 2011 in Basel by Nicolas Beurret and Emmanuel Bailly, then joined by Markus Schöb from Galerie Widmer, the firm also has offices in Zürich and Saint-Gall and specialises in Modern and Contemporary art.
The company will continue with its three annual sales (physical and online) with the next Fine art sale to be held during Art Basel on June 21 in Basel.
Artcurial said it is also planning “several development projects over the next two years in Switzerland”.
Bonhams
Bonhams Scotland’s new home in Melville Crescent.
Bonhams is moving its saleroom in Edinburgh. The lease is ending at its current home in Queen Street in the Scottish city and it will move to a new saleroom in the New Town area.
Bonhams Scotland’s new home is a five-storey double-fronted 19th-century townhouse in Melville Crescent.
The building will house its the specialist departments and the valuations team, lead by May Matthews, managing director of Bonhams Scotland (alongside her role as head of Scottish pictures.
May Matthews, managing director of Bonhams Scotland.
Charles Graham-Campbell has been appointed director of private clients, Scotland. Other new staff members include a new picture specialist, general valuer and a client services department.
Matthews said: “Combined with our new sales calendar, and an innovative programme of exhibitions, we will be providing an unbeatable platform for Scotland.”
Harvey Cammell, deputy chairman, Bonhams UK, said: “Our digital transformation has proved that having live and online sales is a winning combination and Melville Crescent provides the perfect venue for this contemporary approach.”
John Taylors of Louth
James and Robert Laverack outside John Taylors of Louth's new location.
Lincolnshire auction house and estate agent John Taylors of Louth is moving – returning to the Victorian building where it was founded 130 years ago.
The firm has bought 127 Eastgate, a 8000sqft Victorian building in which the founder of the business – John Taylor – occupied and conducted auctions in the 1890s.
Its auction saleroom will relocate from the Old Wool Mart in Kidgate to the new premises later this year. The firm’s estate agency office, is also relocating to Eastgate, bringing the two parts of the business back together for the first time in more than 30 years.
Directors James and Robert Laverack (pictured) said the new premises will double its space for auctions and includes a double shop frontage, offices above, and a large hall on two levels behind. James said that the business was bucking the trend by returning to a high street location and added: “The withdrawal of the nationals retailers has provided an opportunity for the independent to expand.”
Blockbar
Jamie Ritchie, worldwide chairman of Sotheby’s Wine and Spirits, is joining Blockbar as Chief Operations Officer.
Blockbar is a marketplace for buying and selling wine and spirits via NFTs and the blockchain.
