Post-War and Contemporary Art

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.

Rotter’s progressive approach to presenting extraordinary works of art to the market has yielded many of the most groundbreaking moments in auction history. His Christie’s career highlights include the 2017 sale of Leonardo da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi, which sold for $450 million, becoming the most expensive object ever sold at auction, Jeff Koons’ Rabbit from the Collection of S.I. Newhouse, which sold for $91.1 million and set a world auction record for a living artist, and Andy Warhol’s Shot Sage Blue Marilyn, which sold for $195 million and became the most expensive 20th century work sold at auction. He also established the new main sale category 20th and 21st Century Art at Christie’s, a re-imagined sale strategy that positions art within the period that it was created, as opposed to the movement that defined it.

In 2020, Rotter’s keen market intelligence and creativity were integral to the implementation of the first-of-its-kind global relay auction, live-streamed from Christie’s salerooms in Hong Kong, Paris, London, and New York. Rotter also pioneered the concept of private auction, which fundamentally changed the landscape of private sales. In addition, Rotter is a leading contributor to Private Sale at Christie’s, facilitating the sale of several works in excess of $100 million.

Prior to joining Christie’s, Rotter was Worldwide Co-Head of Contemporary Art at Sotheby’s (2008-2016), where he oversaw the rise in the firm’s global contemporary art sales.

Growing up in a family of art dealers in his native Austria, Rotter studied at the University of Vienna. He currently lives in New York with his wife and two sons.

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. She has led and contributed to some of Christie’s most important auctions and consignments including The Eppler Family Collection, Property Sold to Benefit the Donald and Barbara Zucker Family Foundation, The Barney A. Ebsworth Collection, and The Robert B. and Beatrice C. Mayer Family Collection. Previously, Sara oversaw seven of Christie’s most successful auctions as the head of the New York Evening Sale, including the highest grossing sale of all time.

Sara graduated from Brandeis University with a B.A. in Art History, with minors in Creative Writing and Women’s Studies. She completed her Master’s degree in Fine and Decorative Arts at the Sotheby’s Institute in London. Sara is the Co-Chair of the Contemporary Circle at the Jewish Museum, on the Contemporary Council of the American Friends for the Israel Museum, is a member of the board of the Children’s Museum of Manhattan and is on the board of the Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies Program at Brandeis University

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. Prior to joining Christie’s, Johanna worked for another international auction house for 12 years where she led the highest grossing and most successful series of sales in the Day Sale category. In her role, she was responsible for achieving day sale auction records for works by Andy Warhol, Ellsworth Kelly, Ed Ruscha, Gerhard Richter and Mark Rothko. Johanna received a B.A. with Honors in Art History and Fine Art from the University of Pennsylvania in 2005.

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. Ana Maria has a BA from New York University in History of Art and Latin American Studies.

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. She is also recognized as one of the company’s top private sale transactors. She has overseen significant placements of works by artists including Joan Mitchell, Jackson Pollock, Gerhard Richter—notably the 2022 sale of Abstraktes Bild, 1994 for $36.5 million—as well as Helen Frankenthaler, Ed Ruscha, Alexander Calder, Frank Stella, Richard Diebenkorn, Morris Louis, and Wayne Thiebaud. Joanna is also recognized for breakout results with artists such as Ruth Asawa, Neil Jenney, and Robert Colescott. In November 2024, Joanna spearheaded Beyond Form: A Revolution in Expression, a single-owner collection that realized $31.7 million—the second-largest collection of the season. The grouping was led by Willem de Kooning’s Untitled, 1982, which sold for $13.29 million against an $8–12 million estimate. Joanna holds a BA in International Letters and Visual Studies and French from Tufts University and an MA from New York University."

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. Emily has worked in the auction world for 11 years and joined Christie’s in 2018. Prior to running the Evening Sale, Emily has spent much of her career focused on Day and Midseason sales of Post-War and Contemporary Art, where she presided over the highest Day Sale total in history in November 2019 at Christie’s. Born and raised in New York City, Emily was exposed to the arts from a young age. Emily has a BA from the University of Pennsylvania in Art History.

Isabella Lauria is a Senior Vice-President and Specialist within the Post-War and Contemporary Art department at Christie’s and Head of the 21st Century Evening Sale in New York. In this role she is focused on introducing new and established collectors to well-known, as well as emerging and underrecognized artists of the Contemporary period. Isabella has worked in the auction world for 8 years and previously ran the mid-season sales at Christie’s. Born in Caracas and raised in Miami, London, Washington, D.C., and New York, Isabella speaks Spanish, English and French. She received her Master’s in Art Business with a focus on Contemporary Art from the Sotheby’s Institute of Art in New York.

Kathryn Widing is a Senior Vice President, Senior Specialist in Post-War and Contemporary Art and Head of the 21st Century Evening Sale. Previously at Christie's, she was the Co-Head responsible for the department’s highly successful Day Sales in May and November from 2019-2023. In addition to offering works by some of the most famous artists of the postwar and contemporary era, she also has a specialty and interest in works by emerging artists, as well as female and under-recognized artists. She has worked on major collection sales within Christie's including the Rockefeller Collection, Bucksbaum Collection, Sonnabend Collection, Getty Collection, and the Anderson Collection. She has led Christie's partnerships with non-profits and museums in highly successful auctions, including for the NYC AIDS Memorial, Art for Acres, LAXART, Storm King Art Center, Public Art Fund, the Bronx Museum, among others. She also assists the department in business-getting initiatives and client communications for both auction and private sales, as well as appraisals for private clients and museums. In addition to her work on the East Coast, she also assists with initiatives in the Aspen area as well as the Bay Area. She joined Christie’s in October 2014 in the Post-War and Contemporary department. Prior to joining Christie’s, she was a sales assistant to the president at Pace Gallery in New York and curatorial assistant at High Line Art, the non-profit public art program of Friends of the High Line in New York. She earned a M.A. degree in the History of Art and the Art Market with a focus in Modern and Contemporary Art from Christie’s Education and a B.A. from Colgate University with a major in Art History, where she received high honors for her thesis on the art of Robert Colescott.

Rachael White Young is a Senior Vice-President, Senior Specialist and Head of Core Market Sales for the Post-War & Contemporary Art department in New York. She is responsible for the management, strategy and growth of all Core Market auctions for the department in New York, including the Day, Post-War to Present and First Open Online Sales, collectively amounting to more than $200 million in annual sale totals.

She has eleven years of experience at Christie’s. She previously served as Head of the Post-War & Contemporary Art Day Sales (2018-2023) and Head of the Post-War & Contemporary Midseason and Online auctions (2017-2018). During her tenure at Christie’s, she has overseen numerous records, including the highest figure ever achieved for a Day Sale—$110 million in November 2019—and an industry-record high for a work offered in a Day Sale: $8.5 million for a painting by Mark Rothko, achieved in November 2021. In addition to her function as Head of Core Market Sales, she provides top-to-bottom services for her client-base throughout the year, including global auction consignments and sales; private sales; and comprehensive appraisal services. Her specialization is post-war abstraction, including Abstract Expressionism, Color Field and Pop Art, but her passion spans the entirety of 20/21st century art.

Rachael earned a Masters of Fine Arts from the Sotheby’s Institute in London in 2012. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and European Studies from Vanderbilt University, with a Minor in History of Art, graduating in 2009. In between degrees, she began her professional journey at Sotheby’s Madrid.

In her free time, she donates her auctioneering services at fundraisers, galas and events for various charitable organizations across the globe.

Michael Baptist is a Vice President, Specialist, and Co-Head of the Day Sale in the Post-War and Contemporary Art department in New York. He previously served as head of sale for the Gerald Fineberg Collection, as well as the Collection of Thomas and Doris Ammann day sale auction. Michael was also the Head of Online Auctions for the Post-War and Contemporary Art department in New York from 2020-2023, during which time he drove the name-brand First Open online auctions to new heights, and conducted a number of online auctions dedicated to prominent private collections. From 2016-2020, Michael served as a junior specialist for the post-war and contemporary Evening Sale auctions in New York, and assisted in the sales of masterpieces such as Jeff Koons’ Rabbit and major collections such as the Robert B. Mayer Family Collection and the Barney A. Ebsworth Collection. Prior to joining Christie’s in 2013, he worked for the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art. Michael specializes in a range of post-war and contemporary artists, including the post-war period of American abstract expressionism, pop art, and 1980s New York artists. He earned a B.A. in English from Northeastern University in Boston, and studied art history at Studio Art Center International in Florence, Italy.

Allison Immergut is a Vice President, Specialist, and Co-Head of the Day Sale in the Post-War and Contemporary Art department in New York. Her focus is Post-War Art, specifically Abstract Expressionism and Pop Art. She began her career at Christie’s working with the Andy Warhol Foundation property, which she continues to oversee. Allison has pioneered various initiatives with the Warhol Foundation, ranging from successful curated online sales to ‘buy it now’ pilots at Christie’s. She has also held roles in both Private Sales and the 20th Century Evening Sale, where she was instrumental in overseeing proposals, marketing, research and business-getting for the sale. A native New Yorker, Allison received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History from the University of Pennsylvania.

Nicole Sales Giles joined Christie’s in 2012, holding various positions primarily within the 20th and 21st Century Art departments in New York. In March 2021, she was the business lead for the historic sale of Beeple’s Everydays: The First 5000 Days, the first purely digital artwork to be sold at a major auction house. In 2022, she spearheaded the launch of Christie’s 3.0, the first fully on-chain NFT platform for an auction house, as well as led the sold-out inaugural sale of Diana Sinclair’s digital artwork. Prior to her current role, Nicole was the Associate Vice President and Business Manager of the Private Sales division and for the Online Sales group. She has also held management positions in Client Strategy and Business Intelligence. Nicole holds an M.B.A. from Columbia Business School and a B.A. in Art History and Economics from Duke University.

Kathryn Marber is a Specialist and the Head of the Post-War to Present Sale at Christie’s. With an interest in Abstract Expressionism, the New York School, and underrepresented artists in the history of art, Kathryn is responsible for offering an uplifting platform for consignors to realize the full potential of their art collection and for achieving market-defining moments on the mid-season sale platform. Since joining Christie’s in 2016, Kathryn has made an integral contribution to over a dozen Post-War and Contemporary Art Day sales, as well as numerous special curated, midseason and online sales, specializing in both established blue-chip and emerging markets. During her time as a specialist on the 20th Century Evening Sale, Kathryn oversaw business-getting initiatives and sale content production, contributing to important collection sales such as the Collection of Norman and Lyn Lear, as well as the world record breaking sale for Joan Mitchell in 2023. With over a decade of experience in the auction business, Kathryn earned her B.A. in Art History from the University of Michigan.

Sebastian Sanchez is a Manager of Digital Art Sales at Christie’s. He is passionate about pioneering a new form of art through digital ownership and the web3 ecosystem. Prior to joining Christie’s, Sebastian spearheaded web3 projects with brands such as Warner Brothers, HBO, and Discovery where he lead multiple projects and charitable initiatives from conceptualization to launch. He co-founded generative art platform ARTXCODE in 2018, where he worked with artists such as Tyler Hobbs and Dmitri Cherniak and was instrumental in cultivating the early generative art market and community. Sebastian is originally from Miami and is fluent in both English and Spanish. He is a certified Full Stack Engineer with a degree from App Academy and holds a B.B.A in Design Management from Parsons the New School for Design

Emily Rose Fitzgerald is an Associate Specialist on Christie’s Post-War and Contemporary Private Sales team in New York. Since joining Christie’s in 2018, she has contributed to the department’s research, appraisals, valuations, and business development for both private and public sales, playing a pivotal role in setting auction records for artists such as Alina Szapocznikow and Bob Thompson. A trained artist herself, Emily Rose is particularly passionate about paintings from the Post-War era and takes great pride in matching exceptional works with discerning collectors through the Private Sales platform. Originally from Palo Alto, California, she holds dual Bachelor of Arts degrees from the University of Michigan — one in the History of Art from the School of Literature, Sciences, and Arts, and another in Studio Art from the Stamps School of Art and Design.

Emory Conetta is a Junior Specialist in the Post-War and Contemporary Art department in New York. She joined Christie’s in August 2022. Previously, Emory was Assistant Curator at the Sarasota Art Museum in Sarasota, Florida, a contemporary, non-collecting institution. While acting as Assistant Curator, Emory developed original and traveling exhibitions for Contemporary artists, including Robert Colescott, and Felix Gonzalez-Torres. Emory earned a Master of Science degree in Art, Law and Business with a focus in Modern and Contemporary art from Christie’s Education with recognition of an Award of Academic Excellence for her thesis, which focused on underrecognized Post-War artist Lee Krasner and the evolving secondary market for female Post-War painters. Emory earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History and Studio Art from Furman University and earned the Art History Award for Academic Excellence.

Rachel Ng is an Associate Specialist in the Post-War & Contemporary Art department in New York. She began her career at Christie’s in August 2017 as a researcher for the Post-War & Contemporary Art Evening Sale. Prior to returning to Christie’s in April 2019, she worked at The Hole, a gallery focused on emerging contemporary art. Currently on the 20th Century Evening Sale team, Rachel assists the department with research, business-getting, appraisals and valuations, and building client relationships. In addition to a specialized focus on art of the Post-War era, her interests lie in highlighting the voices of emerging and diverse artists, particularly through charitable auction and sale initiatives. Originally from Los Angeles, Rachel earned her Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from Columbia University.

Rachel has successfully completed training in the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice facilitated by a certified AQB instructor from the Appraisers Association of America.

Shereen Al-Sawwaf is an Associate Specialist and Head of Online Sales for the New York Post-War & Contemporary Art department. In her current role, Shereen helps the department source, appraise and price works for auction. Additionally, she assists with researching, cataloging, and conducting expertise on works to be included in all upcoming sales. Shereen joined Christie's as part of the Graduate Training Program. Since joining the Post-War & Contemporary Art department full-time, she has been fortunate to work on landmark auctions such as Beeple: The 5000 Everydays, which marked the first purely digital work and the most expensive work ever sold in an online auction, and Andy Warhol's Shot Sage Blue Marilyn, which marked the most expensive 20th century artwork ever sold at auction. Shereen also has worked on prominent collections such as the Surrealist World of Rosalind Gersten Jacobs and Melvin Jacobs, the Collection of Thomas and Doris Ammann, the Collection of Sir Elton John, and the Gerald Fineberg collection. Shereen earned a Bachelor of Arts in Global Studies from the University of Chicago.

Taylor Nemetz is a Junior Specialist in the Post-War & Contemporary Art department in New York. She joined Christie’s in November of 2020 as Copyright Coordinator for the Christie’s 20/21 Division in New York, overseeing matters of copyright and intellectual property for the Post-War & Contemporary and Impressionist & Modern Art departments. Since then, as a Cataloguer for the Post-War & Contemporary Art Day Sale, Taylor has enjoyed taking on a significant role in research and catalogue production, with a particular specialization in contemporary art. She also actively assists the department with business-getting initiatives, appraisals and valuations, and developing client relationships. Coming from a background in collections management and art advisory, Taylor has previously worked for a number of significant private art collections based in the New York area, and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Art History and Global Liberal Studies from New York University. Taylor is most passionate about engaging with and bearing witness to art being made during her lifetime.

Taylor has successfully completed training in the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice facilitated by a certified AQB instructor from the Appraisers Association of America.

Paige Kestenman, a Specialist in Christie’s American Art department, is responsible for sourcing and sale curation for the American Art auctions in New York. Paige regularly provides clients with market updates, valuations and proposals for sale, and she works with a wide array of collectors on both auction and private sale acquisitions.

Since joining Christie’s in 2013, Paige has worked on several important consignments by American Modernist masters, including the world-record Abstraction by Marsden Hartley ($6.7 million), Edward Hopper’s Windy Day ($1.2 million) and Norman Lewis’s Street Scene (a record for a figurative work by the artist at $440,000). Other notable auction sales include Boston School Impressionist Frank Weston Benson’s The Reader ($2.9 million), iconic illustrator Norman Rockwell’s The Christmas Coach ($1 million) and Hudson River School painter Sanford Robinson Gifford’s Mansfield Nose ($519,000). Paige has also assisted clients with private treaty transactions for artists ranging from Rockwell, Milton Avery, Jacob Lawrence and Andrew Wyeth to John Singer Sargent and George Inness.

Paige earned her Masters in History of Art and Art World Practice: Art, Style and Design with Distinction from Christie’s Education London. She received her Bachelor of Arts from Princeton University with High Honors and is a member of the Sigma Xi Research Society and Phi Beta Kappa Society.