The following Q&A appeared in Art+Auction’s August issue, which profiles the world’s top auction houses of 2016. ARTINFO will be publishing the articles from this issue over the next few days. Click here to see related stories from the issue. To find all our coverage of the 250 Best Auction Houses Worldwide, as well as ARTINFO’s top picks for the best in visual arts, architecture and design, performing arts, lifestyle, and culture and travel, visit our Top Lists page at blouinartinfo.com/toplists.Morton SubastasHeadquarters: Mexico CityVivian GorinsteinStrategic PlannerSince joining Morton almost 10 years ago, Gorinstein has been involved in several aspects of the house, from marketing and communications to the modern and contemporary art department, which she headed for five years. She recently took on the oversight of Morton’s strategic planning department, where she is charged with advancing and aligning the house’s many operations and initiatives—both digitally and on-site.How has Morton’s business strategy evolved since the house was established in 1988?Morton continually modifies its strategy in accordance with the behavioral trends of the art market. Cutting-edge technology and the needs of an advanced client base prompted the launch of our strategic planning department, which oversees the business systems that secure growth in every department. Our marketing department has become indispensable to our advertising campaigns and catalogues, which are fundamental to sales. We have also pushed the growth of our digital marketing department and our social media presence. Visits to our site are proof of our success in this respect, as the site receives 2,500 to 4,500 daily hits and we have 128,500 community members on Facebook. In 2014 we opened to the global market by delving into online auctioneering through the LiveAuctioneers platform, and soon we will further narrow the gap for international clients with the launch of the Morton app.Has use of social media shaped your marketing?We are developing specific digital tools to keep ourselves in touch with our customers and offer greater content across all categories. The result has been an increase in the number of young people who participate in our auctions. We have garnered more knowledge of our clientele than ever before with a tool kit of digital catalogues, mailings, online auctions, social networking, and soon, our own mobile app. The means of participation available to clients can be online and over the phone in addition to on-site.How are the purchasing habits of younger collectors at Morton different from those of the older generation?In recent years we have seen an increase in frequency of young people coming to the auction house interested in starting a collection. The subjects are varied. There are those more inclined toward modern art or antiques; others are drawn to watches or wines. Breaking with the traditional models of auction attendance, the new generation of art buyers favors absentee bidding. The absentee bidding department has witnessed the rise of the online model and is busy with the influx of young buyers.What was the most surprising sale in 2015? What made it a surprise?It was a year full of surprises for every one of our departments. However, in May’s Latin American art auction we witnessed the exciting sale of a 1960 room divider panel by David Alfaro Siqueiros that was part of a theater scenography. The piece had remained outside the art market for years and was reunited with the rest of the original set after it was reclaimed by the National Treasury. The full work is now available on display for the Mexican public. This auction also saw sales of works by some of the most important Mexican and Latin American artists, including a large-format landscape by Mexican Impressionist artist Joaquín Clausell and a record-breaking work for Luis Nishizawa.Which categories have the most potential for growth in the upcoming year, and why?If we take into account results for auctions globally, we can foresee a sales increase in contemporary art and photography, a category that is yet to grow in our country. We have also observed greatly increased interest in Latin American art domestically and abroad, which foreshadows good results for these sales next year. Last, there is definitely an opportunity to accomplish more in the books and manuscripts department, which we have run for years now, and in which we have begun to see revived interest.Which category at Morton is the strongest?Over the past five years the modern and contemporary art department has produced the largest portion of the company’s revenue, grossing 48 percent of total income. The department has also been responsible for putting the most valuable pieces up for auction due in part to global market tendencies, specialized sales promotion strategies, and the quality of consignment. The antiques department follows, with 30 percent of the total income.
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