Buying a prized Picasso painting could be as simple as swiping your finger.
That’s the idea behind Fair Warning, a new app from a former Christie’s specialist who made mountains of money for the British auction house.
Loïc Gouzer left the art world behind after spearheading some of its most gonzo sales — like the $450m auction of Salvator Mundi, a Leonardo da Vinci painting whose price tag smashed records.
Gouzer has been called a Christie’s “rainmaker” and “the daredevil of the auction world.” He once politely volleyed away a comparison to… Roger Federer.
With Fair Warning, he wants to disrupt traditional art sales, using a fast bidding system with a clubby feel.
Fair Warning will be more exclusive than other auction platforms like Artsy, with Gouzer screening the collectors.
A single work will be auctioned off roughly every week, starting Sunday. Buyers will swipe to bid, and each sale may last just a few minutes.
The bidding may be limited to the Sotheby’s set, but the app has everyman roots: Gouzer launched it after deciding against selling the works over Zoom.