Contemporary Discoveries is thrilled to present an exciting selection of works by some of the most significant artistic voices of the last century. Headlined by exceptional works by pioneering postwar artists including Andy Warhol, Robert Colescott and Friedel Dzubas, the auction also includes enthralling examples of the leading artists of our time, such as Olafur Eliasson, Marina Perez Simão and Kenny Scharf.

Auction Highlights

Headlining this season’s Contemporary Discoveries auction is a remarkable group of works by female artists, offering a rich chorus of perspectives shaped by the many dimensions of womanhood. From Deborah Butterfield’s life-size, abstracted equine sculpture—capturing both the spirit and structure of the animal—to Joan Nelson’s mystical, memory-laced landscape, this selection celebrates the diverse voices and visionary practices of women who continue to shape the visual landscape with nuance, strength, and bold originality.

Female Artists

Reclaiming the Canon: Female Artists

Beaches and blooms abound in the following artworks capturing the essence of summer—a season of light, leisure, and nature at its peak. Channeling summer’s energy into a vibrant exploration of the physical and emotional extremes the season invites, this chapter celebrates artworks that revel in the sensory overload of the season—its textures, temperatures, and temptations.

Summer in Focus

Seasons of Seeing: Summer in Focus

From Paola Pivi’s cascading gradient of pearls to Winfred Rembert’s poignant use of leather as his support, the following selection of works are unified by each artist’s innovative exploration of materiality as a vehicle for creative expression.

The Medium is the Message

The Digital Gesture presents a curated selection of works that blur the boundaries between the physical and the digital, offering a nuanced reflection of how contemporary artists harness the tools of their time, algorithms, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and generative systems, not simply as instruments, but as integral components of their creative practice. These artists confront urgent cultural questions through digital media, exploring themes of identity, perception, authorship, and the evolving relationship between humans and machines. From motion-based formats like GIFs and video, to hybrid pieces that merge material craft with computational logic, each artwork is a digital gesture: intentional, provocative, and deeply engaged with the visual language of our time. This chapter captures a moment in which technology is not just a subject but a collaborator, shaping the very conditions of artistic expression.

The Digital Gesture

New York

Specialist, Head of Contemporary Discoveries

Keith Lebel

Associate Specialist, Contemporary Art, New York

Eva Farrell

Cataloguer, Contemporary Art

Caroline Yarbrough

Cataloguer, Private Sales

Carla Decombes

Associate Specialist

Yasmeen Sabet

Cataloguer

Matt Parciak

Pre-Sale Coordinator, Contemporary Discoveries

Juliette Saylor

Head of Contemporary Curated

Haleigh Stoddard 

Graham Ashby

Meet our Specialists

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Sotheby’s is pleased to present Contemporary Discoveries, an exciting cross-category auction platform that features paintings, sculpture, prints, and photographs from the 1950s to today. In tandem with Modern Discoveries, with its focus on early Impressionism through the first half of the 20th century, Contemporary Discoveries is an innovative showcase for extraordinary artworks by established and emerging artists alike. This season’s auction will feature wonderful examples by Alexander Calder, Christo, and Tom Wesselmann alongside choice works by Mark Tansey, Deborah Butterfield, Emmi Whitehorse and Frank Stella.