Auctions have become increasingly popular: While they used to be a sales tool for the trade, many more private individuals are now taking part, with wines, watches, jewellery and even sneakers being auctioned off alongside art. In an interview with VIVID, Benny Höhne, the NRW representative of the Grisebach auction house, provides an exciting insight into the world of auctions.

Auction of Max Beckmann's ""Self-portrait yellow-pink" (1943) at Grisebach, Berlin 2022

What fascinates you about your job?

You meet all sorts of people. People who own works of art and want to sell them, but also people who are interested in art, collectors and representatives of institutions who want to acquire art. Unlike a gallery, we deal with works from a wide range of periods and genres. From the 19th century to contemporary painting. The job is therefore multi-faceted. As well as acting as intermediaries, we also research the history and provenance of the works and write the texts for the catalogues. Working in an auction house is interesting and educational. It is also very exciting to build relationships with clients, some of which last for many years. You only get the opportunity to sell such high-profile works of art as Max Beckmann's Self-Portrait, which we sold last year for €23.2 million, the highest accepted bid ever in the German-speaking world, if you have a great deal of trust.

What challenges do you face in your work?

One challenge is to convince people to entrust us with their important works of art. After all, there are major players in London and New York whose international appeal should not be underestimated. The successful sale of the Max Beckmann painting, for example, was a signal to the art market that prices of this magnitude can also be achieved in Germany.

What is it like to work at an auction house?

We are the link between buyers and sellers and have the contacts to bring a work of art to a new owner. This can be through an auction or a private sale. Through our network we know which collectors are looking for which works of art and we always try to achieve the best possible price for the seller.

How does a live auction work?

Our live auctions are always held at Grisebach's headquarters in Berlin. It is always a very special event: imagine a packed room, lots of people in evening dress, but also curious passers-by. You can hear a pin drop during the auctions, there is so much excitement in the air. But the mood is all the more relaxed after a bidding war.

“Das kann über eine Auktion oder innerhalb eines Private Sales vonstatten gehen.”

So what happens in a digital auction?
In a digital auction, we set a bidding period of about ten days. This usually starts on Friday afternoon and ends on Sunday evening. The bidding process is similar to eBay. You can place maximum bids or bid until the reserve is reached. The only difference is that if a bid is placed close to the end of the auction, the time period is extended by a few minutes to give everyone a chance to raise their bid.

What do I need to bring to take part in an auction?
If you are a private individual, you only need to bring your identity card and bank details. Companies are checked a little more carefully. We need an extract from the commercial register.

As a representative of Grisebach, have you noticed any trends?
The art market has become more transparent, which we very much welcome, because it creates trust. The trend, especially among the younger clientele, is towards online auctions. More contemporary art is being bought, that segment of the market is very lively. And people are collecting more in breadth than in depth. In other words, people are no longer just buying individual artists or groups of works; it has become more diverse. What is important here is that people are looking for iconic works. For example, a work by Richter that is clearly recognisable as a Richter. The concept of investment has also developed more strongly, especially among the younger generation.

Düsseldorf is an art city, and the Rhineland is known for its high density of collectors. Is Düsseldorf a special location from the point of view of an auction house?
Düsseldorf and the Rhineland are of immense importance to the art trade. The art academy, with personalities such as Joseph Beuys, has made a significant contribution, but gallery owners such as Hans Mayer and Konrad Fischer are also responsible. The Cologne Art Market, co-founded by Rudolf Zwirner, was the first art fair in the world. The collections of the Kunstsammlung NRW and the Kunstpalast are world-class. Then there are the galleries and the artists who live and work here, such as Andreas Gursky and Thomas Ruff. Not to mention the museums in the region, such as the Abteiberg Museum in Mönchengladbach, Schloss Morsbroich in Leverkusen and the Von der Heydt Museum in Wuppertal. They also represent an incredible density of institutions that is unparalleled in Germany. •

ABOUT BENNY HÖHNE

• studied art history and sociology at Heinrich Heine University in Düsseldorf and contemporary art theory at Goldsmiths College in London

• subsequently worked for the Julia Stoschek Collection and Galerie Max Mayer

• today, together with colleagues Silke Stahlschmidt and Sophia von Westerholt, he heads the NRW representation of Grisebach Auctions (head office in Berlin and offices in Zurich, Düsseldorf and Munich, around 50 employees).

Interview: Ilona Marx
Pictures Urban Zintel, Stefanie Loos, privat

You can hear a drop pin at auctions