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Greenlit: Christie’s At 250, BBC2

Christie’s At 250 w/t (2 x 60′)  – Christie’s is the world’s largest auction house – a great British institution that has not only flourished across three centuries but has evolved into an international brand, pre-eminent in its field. It’s a name that conjures up great works of art, world-beating prices and the fine art of ‘the sell’. But outside of the saleroom we know little about the workings of this great British success story. Now, for the first time in its history, cameras have been given in depth access to its global empire, from New York to Shanghai and Dubai to Hong Kong.

This two-part series comes at a time when the stakes are high for the auction house. In 2016, Christie’s celebrates its 250th anniversary, and amid the celebrations the pressure is on to make this a ‘bumper year’. Yet the business faces a year of considerable challenges from global economic uncertainties to the fallout from Brexit.

Will enough great art works come through their doors? Can they achieve the sky high prices of recent years? Will their 250th year be a year to forget, rather than celebrate?

With exclusive access, we watch how this important year unfolds, charting the highs and the lows, filming the drama and excitement of sales of iconic art works at key auctions across the globe. The films uncover a compelling cast of auction ‘ insiders’ – movers and shakers from global art markets; the people who try to keep the wheels of this huge enterprise in motion. We see how Christie’s tries to attract the top consignors and buyers, and how its experts go about selling a rare work of art to get the top price.

This series will reveal what it takes to remain a market leader over hundreds of years, explore the fascinating turning points in the company’s colourful history and show how Christie’s approaches the task of always being at the crossroads of taste, collecting and wealth, in both old and new markets.

Platform: BBC2

Producer: Matchlight

TX: Autumn 2016

Source: BBC press release

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