Ljubljana, 14 September 2023 - Christie's Top Talk & Investment Conference, which took place at Kristalna palača in BTC Ljubljana on 14 September, brought together a wide range of business people, art lovers, collectors and investors. Organised by the British-Slovenian Chamber of Commerce (BSCC) in collaboration with AAMI Corporation, the event hosted, among others, Giovanna Bertazzoni from Christie's auction house and other outstanding speakers and investment experts

The guests were welcomed by Miha Košak, Vice Chairman of the BSCC and Barbara Uranjek, CEO of the BSCC. Special attention was drawn to the guest of the event, Giovanna Bertazzoni, Vice Chairman of 20th and 21st Century Art Department at Christie's, the world-famous auction house founded in 1766 by James Christie.

Giovanna impressed the audience by revealing the rich history and expertise of the auction house and explaining how the paths of art and investment intertwine. It is the stories behind the artworks that are crucial in art, as they attract collectors, which in turn can have a significant impact on (skyrocketing) sales. In this context, she highlighted Pablo Picasso's remarkable painting "Les femmes d'Alger (version 'O')", which set a world auction record for any work of art at an auction in New York in May 2015, reaching a remarkable price of 179,365,000 dollars under Giovanna’s dynamic leadership. Bertazzoni concluded by saying that, in the digital age, Christie's is also ahead of time, organising hybrid auctions to give a wider audience access to the world of art.

This was followed by a panel discussion with the title "Art as an investment and relevant alternatives", expertly moderated by Luka Vesnaver, Chairman of the BSCC and Managing Partner at ION Advisory. The panellists shed light on how investments in art can add value to investment portfolios while contributing to enriching a company's culture and image. Luka Podlogar, CEO at NLB Skladi, stressed the importance of liquidity, stability and transparency of traditional financial instruments - stocks and bonds - which can generate direct financial inflows compared to art investments, but also acknowledged that it is art that represents much more than just financial value to people. Slovenians traditionally like to invest in real estate, as Robert Mitterpach, CFO and Board Member at CORWIN, pointed out. He also stressed the growing interest in "green" real estate. Helena Petrin, Deputy Chairwoman of the Board of Directors at BTC d.d., gave a brief overview of BTC's rich art collection and highlighted the contribution of artworks in enriching the company's identity. 

At the end of the event, guests had the opportunity to admire an exhibition by Slovenian artist and entrepreneur Miha Murn from AAMI Corporation, an international corporation that connects art and culture with the business world. Murn plans to organise several art exhibitions around the world in the coming year.

Photos from the event are available here.

We are grateful to our partners who made this event possible: Zavarovalnica Triglav, NLB d.d., NLB Skladi and BTC d.d.