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Event date 12月8日 -
Event location 倫敦
Set against the backdrop of our Classic Week exhibition, the evening also offers the chance to explore highlights from Groundbreakers: Icons of Our Time, Books and Manuscripts and the Nordic Lights selling exhibition across our King Street galleries. Please see below for full programme information.
Entry is free to all, but we ask all attendees to register prior to the event.
All attendees are required to register online or at the door upon entry to consent to be photographed and filmed during the event. There will be one queue for all guests, and registering does not guarantee priority entry.
Explore the programme
Talks and Lectures
Presented by Christie’s Education
6:30PM - 6:45PM | Great Room
How To Live an Artful Life
Katy Hessel, art historian and international bestselling author, introduces her new book How to Live an Artful Life and shares her perspective on the value of living creatively.
7PM - 7:30PM | Great Room
Inside the Art of Filmmaking
Award-winning filmmaker James Farrell joins Ben Wiggins, Managing Director of Classic Art at Christie’s, to discuss the art of filmmaking through the lens of Star Wars Trilogy, 1977–1983: Technirama Motion Control Camera, exploring storytelling, craft and the innovation behind one of cinema’s most influential eras.
7:45PM - 8:10PM | Great Room
Breaking Ground, Remaking History: Queer and Feminist Art from the 20th and 21st Century
Join Dr Tilly Scantlebury for a session focusing on queer and feminist art from the last two centuries. Considering a range of artists in different mediums, such as latex sculptures by Louise Bourgeois, multimedia collages by Mickalene Thomas, and large format analogue portraits by Catherine Opie, the talk asks why and how the history of art is remade by these groundbreaking artists.
8:10PM - 8:30PM | Great Room
“There are No Rules”: Groundbreaking Private Collections through the Ages
Join Dr Ben Street for an exploration of private art collections that have defied convention throughout history. This talk reveals how visionary collectors have broken boundaries, challenged traditions, and shaped the cultural landscape across centuries. Explore the stories behind these groundbreaking collections and discover why, in the world of collecting, rules were made to be broken.
8:30PM - 8:45PM | Great Room
The Books that Changed Medical History
Mark Wiltshire explores rare books, scientific breakthroughs and exceptional manuscripts through highlights from Christie’s upcoming sale.
Christie’s Specialist Tours
6:45PM - 7PM | West Room
Uncovering Spike: The Story of an Oviraptorosaur
James Hyslop, Head of Science and Natural History at Christie’s, takes a closer look at Spike, the remarkable Oviraptorosaur featured in Groundbreakers: Icons of Our Time.
7PM - 7:30PM and 8PM - 8:30PM | St James’s Gallery
Nordic Lights: Artists, Designers and Makers
Join Christie’s specialists Alastair Plumb (19th Century European Art) and Anna Touzin (Post-War and Contemporary Art) for guided tours of the Nordic Lights selling exhibition.
Exhibitions — Throughout the evening
Groundbreakers: Icons of our Time | West Room, Ante Room, New Gallery, Gallery Viewing Room
Christie’s is excited to present Groundbreakers: Icons of our Time, a special new auction celebrating major cultural figures and achievements of the 20th–21st centuries. Spanning natural history, cinema, music, literature, fashion, sport and technology, Groundbreakers spotlights the very best of the modern era.
Valuable Books, Manuscripts and Photographs, Including Highlights from The Royal Society of Medicine | King Street Gallery, King Street Annex, Duke Street Gallery
Christie’s Valuable Books, Manuscripts and Photographs, including Highlights from The Royal Society of Medicine auction in London features a curated selection of works that illuminate the extraordinary history of medicine, science, cartography, literature, religion and philosophy. At the heart of the sale is a group of 100 books, manuscripts and photographs from the library of The Royal Society of Medicine.
Nordic Lights: Artists, Designers and Makers | St James’s Gallery
Christie’s is delighted to present Nordic Lights, a cross-category selling exhibition celebrating artists, designers and makers from across the Nordic countries, where light is a defining element of life and culture.
Other entertainment and refreshments — Throughout the evening
6:20PM - 7:20PM and 7:30PM - 8:30PM | Augusta Gallery
Nordic wreath-making workshop
Create your own seasonal Nordic-inspired wreath in this hands-on workshop with Izzy the founder of Blooms by Izzy.
6:30PM • 7:15PM • 8PM | St James’s Gallery
Nordic Wine Tasting with Between the Vines
Between the Vines presents: Wine at the Edge — A Cool-Climate Tasting with Tom Owtram & Jan Eggers
Scandinavian wine? It sounds unusual — and it is. Yet across Denmark and Sweden, pioneering growers are redefining the future of cool-climate winemaking. Hosted by Between the Vines, this 30-minute tasting explores three standout wines that reveal the region’s promise and the challenges of farming at the northern edge of viticulture.
Guides Tom Owtram (Between the Vines) and Jan Eggers (Cool Climate Wine Summit) will lead guests through themes of terroir, innovation, and the craft behind these boundary-pushing sparkling and still wines. Expect curiosity, conversation, and a glimpse into one of the world’s most ambitious emerging wine regions. Sign up required.
6:30PM - 8:30PM | Lower Ryder Gallery
Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope Screening
Pop-up cinema screening of Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, George Lucas’s genre-defining epic filmed with the remarkable Technirama Motion Control Camera that captured the original Star Wars Trilogy 1977-1983, offered during Groundbreakers: Icons of our Time on 11 December.
Tolkien-inspired Poetry writing with Luke Erasmus | Gallery Viewing Room
Bankside poet and publisher Luke Erasmus writes typewritten poems on demand. Visit his desk during Lates for a Tolkien-inspired poem on any theme you choose.
Live illustrations with Owen Mathers | West Room
Illustrator Owen Mathers creates quick ink and watercolour portraits of visitors throughout the evening. Each portrait takes just 5–10 minutes and can be taken home once completed.
Copies of Katy Hessel’s How To Live an Artful Life available for purchase and signing with Primrose Hill Books | Ante Room
DJ set with Jack Lydon | West Room
Jack Lydon is a DJ and music obsessive who digs deep into the stories behind the sounds. For this set, he explores the most groundbreaking records ever made — from Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the overlooked first woman of rock ’n’ roll, to electronic pioneers Kraftwerk. Expect a journey through barrier-breaking music that shaped the world.
Sipsmith gin bar | East Room
The Sipsmith Trike - our exceptional cocktail tricycle was inspired by our three copper stills at the famous Sipsmith Distillery in Chiswick – Constance, Verity & Prudence, featuring a blend of matte and polished copper finishes. From this, we will be serving up a variety of fresh gin serves!
Cinema bar | Long Gallery
Pop up wine, beer and popcorn bar
To browse the previous editions, visit Christie’s Lates or explore on social media using the hashtag #christieslates
All attendees are required to register online, or alternatively at the door upon entry to consent to be photographed and filmed during the event. There will be one queue for all and registering does not guarantee priority entry. As soon as we hit capacity, you will be admitted on a one-in, one-out basis. We expect a high volume of guests and a queue is likely to form.
Meet the participants
Kate Hessel
Katy Hessel is an art historian and the author of The Story of Art without Men, the international bestseller and Waterstones Book of the Year 2022. She runs @thegreatwomenartists on Instagram, hosts The Great Women Artists Podcast, interviewing artists such as Tracey Emin and Marina Abramović.
Hessel writes a column in The Guardian, is a Visiting Fellow at Cambridge University and a Trustee of Charleston. She has presented documentaries for BBC, and in 2024, launched Museums Without Men, a growing audio series highlighting works by women artists in museum collections worldwide, such as The Met and Tate Britain.
James Farrell
James is an award-winning writer and filmmaker who has worked on productions for Netflix, Disney and Amazon Studios. His latest film, Good Choice, Joseph (2025), qualified for the Daily Mail’s ‘Best British Amateur Movie of the Year’ and BIFA’s ‘Best British Short Film’, and was also featured on ITV News.
Dr Tilly Scantlebury
Dr Tilly Scantlebury is an art historian and Educator at The National Gallery and The Courtauld. Since completing their doctorate in 2021, Tilly has been delivering outreach workshops to adults and young people, which widen access to art history. Alongside public programmes, Tilly also writes and delivers lectures in their research specialism of feminist and queer modern and contemporary art at institutions such as Imperial College London and UAL.
Dr Ben Street
Dr Ben Street is an art historian, author and educator. He is the author of How to Enjoy Art (Yale, 2021) and the award-winning children's book How to be an Art Rebel (Thames & Hudson, 2021). He is a lecturer and tutor at the University of East Anglia and the University of Oxford. Ben completed his PhD on the late work of Philip Guston at the University of East Anglia.
Blooms by Izzy
Founder of London-based contemporary floral studio, Blooms by Izzy, Izzy is an international florist, whose passion has shaped a distinctive and vibrant style. Previously the Head Florist at the English National Opera, London, and most recently the in-house florist for Palm Heights, a boutique hotel in the Cayman Islands, Caribbean she brings global experience to her work.
Luke Erasmus
Luke Erasmus is a poet from East London and co-founder of Word Trade publishing. For the past decade, he has been Bankside’s poet in residence, writing typewritten poems on demand along the Thames, as well as at the Tate, the Royal Academy and the Hay-on-Wye Festival.
Owen Mathers
Owen Mathers is an artist and illustrator known for drawing live at events, creating expressive ink and watercolour portraits and large-scale scenes. His work is inspired by people, architecture and travel, shaped by more than a decade of working on location.
A lifelong painter, Mathers studied at art school in the early 2000s and later worked as a graphic designer before establishing his career as an illustrator.
Jack Lydon
Jack Lydon is a DJ and music obsessive who digs deep into the stories behind the sounds. For this set, he explores the most groundbreaking records ever made — from Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the overlooked first woman of rock ’n’ roll, to electronic pioneers Kraftwerk. Expect a journey through barrier-breaking music that shaped the world.
Sipsmith
Founded in 2009 by childhood friends Fairfax Hall and Sam Galsworthy, Sipsmith was created with a belief in craftsmanship and uncompromising quality. Their mission: to bring traditional London Dry Gin back to the city where it first earned its name. Every bottle of Sipsmith is handcrafted in London in genuinely small batches.
Special Events
More about Christie’s Lates
Combining art, music and specialist talks, Christie’s Lates are the perfect opportunity to mix with like-minded art lovers after hours. With free entry, each curated evening in this new series of events aims to bring art to life and inspire conversation, showcasing highlights from our upcoming auctions alongside interactive activities, talks by guest experts and enticing food and drink.
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