蘇富比與佳士得在香港營運亞洲西畫拍賣之策略研究

Abstract

香港，在亞洲的地理位置得天獨厚，位居航運樞紐，從英國殖民期間就積極建設發展，具有多元國際化背景，成為亞洲重要的通商港口與金融之都。在藝術市場方面，由於香港政府採寬鬆自由的財稅政策，提供藝術品交易和進出免稅之稅賦優惠，資金進出相對便利。加上緊鄰中國大陸，交通運輸便捷，挾此地利之便及伴隨亞洲經濟的快速成長與大陸消費力的提升，帶動了香港藝術市場的蓬勃發展，成為亞洲區藝術拍賣重鎮，與紐約、倫敦並列全球三大主要拍賣市場。 國際知名拍賣公司蘇富比（Sotheby’s）於1973年設立香港分公司，同年舉行首場香港拍賣會。競爭對手佳士得（Christie’s）則於1984年設立香港辦事處，1986年舉行首場香港拍賣會。兩家國際拍賣公司進軍香港，原先以拍賣中國書畫、中國瓷器及工藝精品、珠寶及翡翠首飾為主，成績驕人，累積許多本地、西方和東南亞華裔等藏家人脈。2000年起兩家公司先後將亞洲西畫藝術拍賣撤離台灣移師香港，帶入完善的國際拍賣制度，也將台灣培養的拍賣人才、產業供應鏈及收藏家帶入香港。 自此，各項資源在香港整合發展，加速奠定了香港藝術市場的中心地位，也帶動了亞洲西畫藝術更大的國際關注。亞洲西畫版圖以二十世紀華人與中國當代藝術為核心發展，向外擴及日本、韓國及東南亞現當代藝術而形成。 國際兩大拍賣公司在香港成功帶領亞洲西畫藝術拍賣邁向高峰，本研究探討他們為何選擇香港作為營運總部發展亞洲西畫，梳理其進入香港發展亞洲西畫近十年來的營運策略、資源與核心能力運用以及創新經營模式，並歸納策略綜效、經營及競爭優勢與未來發展預測。期望透過市場環境分析、公司資源與能力分析和營運策略梳理，能提 供拍賣業者在亞洲西畫藝術項目之經營參考。 近年來台灣、日本、韓國、新加坡、英國等拍賣公司紛紛積極搶進香港這塊亞洲西畫藝術市場大餅，另方面大陸經濟體的崛起促使北京和上海藝術市場興起，大陸拍賣公司實力也迅速提升。中國嘉德和北京保利在2012年進軍香港拍賣；兩大國際拍賣公司也積極佈局大陸。在日益激烈的競爭態勢中，蘇富比與佳士得後續如何維持其香港市場份額並拓展大陸市場、其他拍賣公司又應如何調整經營方向、大陸與香港藝術市場將如何變化…等，都是值得持續關注的議題。

With its unique natural geographical environment and over 150 years (1841-1997) long-term British colonial rule, Hong Kong enjoys a nature-endowed advantage in developing a prosperous economy based on, western social system, open-minded folk customs, fusion ethnicity, diverse international culture, convenient location of transportation, commercial-friendly legal systems, and transportation industries, which boosts the rising international status of Hong Kong and provides Hong Kong with highly favorable conditions for developing an art trading market. Plus the government takes a tax free policy in art trades and awards tax incentives such as tax exemption in importation, exportation, income tax, etc. In addition, Hong Kong, as a free economy, allows capital access in and out freely at art market. All the aforesaid convenient conditions precisely drive Hong Kong art market booming and thriving well. Further relying on the rapidly growing Asian economy and Chinese appetite for art, Hong Kong has become the major area of art trading and auction in Asia, tied with New York and London as the world’s top three significant art auction markets. Sotheby’s established its Hong Kong branch office in 1973 and carry out auction business at Hong Kong in the same year. Its competitor, Christie’s, later entered Hong Kong to set branch office in 1984 and held first auction in 1986. In Hong Kong, these top two international auction houses initially mainly focus on trading traditional Chinese painting, calligraphy, ceramics, fine crafts art and jewelry auctions, thus accumulate prolific resources of collectors from Hong Kong, Western countries, Southeast Asia, and all over the world. Since 2000, in addition, Sotheby’s and Christie’s transferred their Asia oil paintings auctions from Taiwan to Hong Kong and thereby brought the most crucial resources: Taiwanese auction talents and collectors, to Hong Kong. Since then, various auction resources are operated and integrated in Hong Kong, which brings about vigorous growth, enhances the importance of Hong Kong art market in Asia, and further drives Asian oil painting gaining more international attentions. Through the core development of 20th century Chinese Art and Chinese Contemporary Art to the outreaching integration of Japanese, Korean, and Southeast Asian Modern and Contemporary Art, the art market of Asian oil painting was build up and became a larger international art scale. In sum, Sotheby’s and Christie’s in Hong Kong successfully run the business of Asian oil painting auction. The purpose of this thesis is to first explain why Sotheby’s and Christie’s chose to base on Hong Kong to develop Asian oil painting auction by analyzing the environment of Hong Kong market; then to analyze the competitive ecology of the Asian oil painting auction industry and the two companies’ resource bases. Secondly, this thesis intends to compare their operational strategies, application of company resources and innovative business models in the last decade of the development in Asian oil painting in Hong Kong. Furthermore, the thesis looks at how these company strategies contribute to values to customers. Nowadays, in the highly competitive Hong Kong art market, the thesis will also help predict how Sotheby’s and Christie’s further pursue growth opportunities and extend their competitive advantages in Asia art market. In recent years, many auction companies actively enter Hong Kong to develop Asian oil painting auction; these companies not only come from Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Singapore and United Kingdom but also from Mainland China, a quickly rising auction market of Chinese art. Facing such a severe competitive momentum, I hope that my research findings can contribute to strategic thinking in capturing business opportunities in developing Asian oil painting auction. This research finds that the superior ability of integrating global values is the most critical key success factor for driving correct strategies and leading Sotheby’s and Christie’s success in operating Asian oil painting auction in the Hong Kong market. As for the impact these two companies have on the auction houses and industry of Asian oil painting, this research finds that Sotheby’s and Christie’s successful experiences enhance the international status of Asian oil painting, promote internationalization of Asian oil painting, and build up the Asian aesthetic spirit.