India, May 27, 2015: Hugo Weihe, former International Director of Asian Art at Christie’s, joins Saffronart as its Chief Executive Officer from July 1, 2015. Weihe will oversee Saffronart’s presence in Mumbai, New Delhi, New York and London in building a market for Indian art and antiquities globally.
Weihe has been a longstanding advisor and friend to prominent private collectors worldwide. He has appeared as a panellist and moderator for discussions on South Asian Modern and Contemporary Art, including conducting interviews with artists and collectors, at various international venues and art fairs. Weihe has a Ph.D. in art history from the University of Zurich, and has authored a book, Die Ware Kunst (Art as Commodity), in 1989. In the early 1990s, he was the publisher of Artibus Asiae, an important scholarly journal in the field of Asian art, based at the Museum Rietberg Zurich, in collaboration with the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery in Washington, D.C.
Weihe brings to Saffronart a wealth of experience and knowledge. Internationally considered as one of the foremost experts in the field of Asian art, Weihe was brought on board to Christie’s from Sotheby’s in 1998 to establish the department of Indian and Southeast Asian Art from inception. During his time, Weihe was instrumental in catapulting Christie’s Asian Art department and specifically the Indian department to a market leadership position, largely due to his carefully curated shows, sourcing of exceptional masterpieces from various important collections, innovative business sense and detailed knowledge of the market. Under his leadership, Christie’s achieved numerous record breaking prices. In December 2013, following Weihe’s proposal, Christie’s realized its first auction sale in Mumbai.
Weihe now embarks on a journey to establish Saffronart as the pre-eminent market leader across categories not just in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia but with a view towards the Asian markets.
“The focus is now on India and its extraordinary cultural wealth and I am thrilled to be joining Saffronart at this decisive moment in time to expand and grow the market from within. There is a huge opportunity in re- connecting with the heritage of the past and looking to the future, while contributing to the appreciation and understanding in the process,” says Weihe.
“We are delighted to have Hugo join the Saffronart team to build the market for Indian and Asian art and antiquities,” said Minal Vazirani, co-founder on the appointment of Hugo Weihe. “Saffronart is a global company, with deep Indian roots, and we are confident that under Hugo’s leadership, Saffronart will be a major player within the Asian markets and beyond.”
About Saffronart
Saffronart was founded in 2000 on the strength of a private passion. Remaining committed to this passion and personal values, today Saffronart is a strong and successful international auction house that both embraces and drives change with innovation and technology.
A platform for fine art and collectibles with over fifteen years of experience in auctions, Saffronart is committed to serving the growing community of Indian collectors, while also creating a cultural bridge to India for both the global Indian diaspora and the international community at large. Saffronart has set several global benchmarks for online and live auctions, and has been the subject of a case study at Harvard Business School.