London - Christie’s announces London Now, an innovative summer season of exhibitions, events and auctions taking place during June and July 2022 at its headquarters in the historic heart of London’s St. James’s.  London Now will celebrate the capital as a global cultural hub,  recognising the part London has played throughout the centuries bringing together artists, writers, poets and art lovers, a role it continues to play.  Honouring London’s unique identity and vibrant diversity, the London Now festival calendar will feature specially programmed exhibitions, talks and events free to attend and open to the public under the banner of The Art of Literature.

The Art of Literature: Auction Highlights Exhibition will run from 6 to 15 June, encompassing a selection of outstanding lots from Christie’s auctions during June and July. In addition there will be The Art of Literature: Loan and Selling Exhibition which will run from 6 June to 15 July.  Both exhibitions will be curated to present the finest examples of works from categories including books, antiquities, 20^th and 21^st Century Art,  Decorative Arts and Old Masters. Works of art will be united with the novels, poetry, drama and stories which have inspired them, and which they, in turn, have inspired. Curated by Christie’s next-generation of specialists, the exhibitions will seek to engage and provoke discussion.

Furthermore Christie’s is pleased to announce that it will be partnering with English PEN, one of the world’s first human rights organisations, on a landmark philanthropic literary auction to raise proceeds for the charity. First Editions, Second Thoughts an online sale taking place from 28 June to 12 July will offer prized first editions, uniquely annotated, illustrated or supplemented, by over 80 leading authors and artists of our time. Margaret Atwood, Salman Rushdie, Bernardine Evaristo and Edmund de Waal amongst many distinguished authors have added their handwritten thoughts, notes or illustrations within these remarkable books. 

Orlando Rock, Chairman, Christie’s U.K. comments, ‘Following the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in early June, Christie’s will celebrate London as one of the most culturally vibrant cities in the world, with an immersive summer festival of exceptional auctions, views, exhibitions and events. We look forward to welcoming visitors to experience the juxtaposition of outstanding works of art with literary influences.  It’s also our privilege to partner with English PEN, one of the world’s oldest human rights organisations, for an extraordinary auction of first editions with annotations by some of the greatest living authors of our time’.

Co-curators of The Art of Literature, Victoria Gramm (Specialist, Post-War and Contemporary Art); Mark Wiltshire (Specialist, Books and Manuscripts) and Annabelle Scholar (Associate Director, Client Advisory EMEA) comment, ‘As co-curators of The Art of Literature we have relished the opportunity to thread a narrative between writers and artists from the classical period to the present day. Works of art and literature on show will range from Dante to Hilary Mantel, and Roman antiquities to Marlene Dumas, truly bringing the correlation between the visual arts and their literary influences to the forefront of this exciting series of events during the summer season’.

London Now is part of a summer programme of cultural highlights taking place at Christie's locations across Europe this year.

The London Now programme includes:

Further details regarding London Now and events open to the public are to be announced in the coming weeks.

London Now will also encompass the 20^th and 21^st Century Art sales in June and will conclude with the Classic Week sales in July.

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