O ver the last few years, Sotheby’s has been working towards establishing core tenets for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion that align with our business objectives. While the work of shifting a culture internally will be long-term, we are hoping to address areas of improvement within our selling categories in the immediate term.
In this process, we are taking a closer look at the selling and presentation of objects that may be deemed as offensive to a community, hold legacies of violence, racism or oppression, and are generally controversial. These objects and their presentation should be reviewed before they are offered at auction, or for private sale.
To enable this, we have established Sotheby’s Ethics Policy Committee, consisting of colleagues from various different departments, including Legal, Marketing, Compliance, Press, Paintings, Decorative Arts and African and Oceanic Art. This committee meets on a regular basis to discuss submitted objects or queries and provide a recommendation to the business who will make a final call.
