ArtTactic

In this week’s episode of the ArtTactic Podcast, host Adam Green is joined by Judd Tully, independent art journalist, to recap the major May New York auctions, where more than $2 billion worth of art was sold. While the headline numbers suggest renewed strength in the art market, Judd explains why the story is more nuanced, with the season defined by an extraordinary concentration of estates, major collections, and historically important works. Adam and Judd discuss how the sales performed overall, whether the results point to a broader market recovery or were driven by exceptional consignments, what the heavy use of guarantees reveals about confidence and risk, and what the mood of the market feels like as the art world turns to London and Art Basel.

In this week’s episode of the ArtTactic Podcast, host Adam Green is joined by Christine Messineo, Director of Americas for Frieze, ahead of Frieze New York. As New York’s May art week gets underway, Christine shares her perspective on the mood surrounding this year’s fair and the broader art market. Adam and Christine discuss what galleries are looking for when they commit to a major fair, how Frieze New York fits into the city’s busy cultural calendar, and the strengths and challenges of its home at The Shed. They also explore how Frieze supports younger galleries, the continued evolution of EXPO Chicago under Frieze ownership, and what visitors can look forward to discovering at this year’s edition of Frieze New York.

In this week's episode of the ArtTactic Podcast, host Adam Green is joined by Jori Finkel, a Los Angeles-based journalist who writes for The New York Times and The Art Newspaper, to discuss the highly anticipated new building at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Designed by Peter Zumthor, the project has been years in the making and has generated significant attention across the art world. Jori recently visited the museum and published an in-depth review, and in this conversation she shares her perspective on the experience of the new galleries, the vision behind the building, and how it compares to traditional museum models. They also explore the broader response from critics and the public, place LACMA within the context of Los Angeles’s rapidly evolving art scene, and consider what impact the museum’s transformation could have on the city’s cultural landscape moving forward.

On this week’s episode of the ArtTactic Podcast, host Adam Green speaks with Callum Hale-Thomson, founder of First Thursday, a platform that helps galleries turn collector interactions into lasting relationships and drive sales. They discuss First Thursday’s recently released AI in Galleries Report, which offers a data-backed look at how galleries around the world are engaging with artificial intelligence. The conversation explores what motivated the report and how it was developed, key findings including the high level of AI adoption among gallery professionals, and the most common ways these tools are being used in practice. They also examine important questions around client confidentiality and data security, how gallery staff feel about integrating AI into their workflows, and why concerns around job displacement may be less pronounced in the art world. Finally, they look ahead to how AI could further shape the gallery landscape and what dealers should be paying attention to in the years to come.

On this week's episode of the ArtTactic Podcast, host Adam Green speaks with Valentina Castellani, adjunct professor at NYU Steinhardt and author of Trading Beauty: Art Market Histories from the Altar to the Gallery, Castellani challenges the long-held idea that art and money exist in separate worlds, tracing how commerce has shaped the production and circulation of art from the Middle Ages to the present day. The conversation explores influential figures such as the pioneering Impressionist dealer Paul Durand-Ruel and the legendary partnership of Leo Castelli and Ileana Sonnabend, while also examining Castellani’s own experience working at Gagosian and organizing major historical exhibitions typically associated with museums. Together they discuss how the roles of galleries, museums, artists, and dealers have evolved over time and what the changing dynamics of representation, social media, and artist autonomy may mean for the future of the art market.