New Perspectives—or a blast from the past?
by Georgina Adam |
Illustration © Katherine Hardy
Several thoughts spring to mind when encountering New Perspectives Art Partners, a newly launched advisory service helmed by four seasoned auction house specialists—Ed Dolman, Brett Gorvy, Philip Hoffman and Patti Wong—along with Dolman’s son, Alex.
The launch raises some genuinely interesting questions about how this high-powered collective intends to operate.
We’re told that all members will retain their current roles and collaborate only on select, top-tier projects. “We thought long and hard about this,” Ed Dolman tells me. “We see New Perspectives as complementary and additive. We all have strong, long-standing relationships with clients. But if there are occasions when a broader conversation might serve the client better, then we now have the resources to do that.”
Helpful, but not exactly clarifying. So I press on: how will they divvy up deals—particularly when high-value opportunities could feasibly appeal to any or all of them? “The majority of our projects may end up being handled geographically,” Dolman replies, “but we’ve all worked internationally for decades, and many relationships transcend borders.”
The geographic range is indeed broad: Wong brings deep roots in Asia, Gorvy and Hoffman cover Europe and the US, and Alex Dolman is focused on the Gulf—the current art world hotspot . And of course, Dolman Sr. spent nearly three years leading Qatar Museums.
It appears that the project has been three years in the making, with Hoffman playing a key role in its genesis. He’s characteristically discreet about his clients (“like a medical doctor,” he says), but did advise Qatar on a $100m sale back in 2019.
What’s striking is that New Perspectives may be heading against the prevailing currents in the market. China’s once-dominant role is ebbing, though resale potential remains. The Gulf, while fashionable, has yet to deliver the numbers: Sotheby’s inaugural Riyadh sale brought in just $17.3m with a 67% sell-through rate by lot; Christie’s May online sale of Modern and contemporary art managed only $2m. Meanwhile, the UBS-Art Basel report shows that it's the lower end of the market—not the top—that’s currently most resilient.
Dolman counters that such reports don’t reflect the full picture, as many high-end deals remain private and off the radar.
Will New Perspectives succeed? The field of art advisory is certainly crowded, but this quinquevirate brings decades of experience, high-level contacts and global reach. Good luck to them.
03 July 2025