On 2 February, Gary Metzner, SVP, head of Sotheby’s Chicago office, Michael Darling, the chief curator of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, Madeleine Grynsztejn, the MCA Chicago's Director, and a group of patrons and trustees spent a day in New York City with artist Takashi Murakami. The MCA Chicago, of which Sotheby’s has proudly sponsored exhibitions and the MCA Art Auction, will open a major Murakami retrospective this summer to mark its 50th anniversary. Guests first visited Murakami’s colourful studio in Long Island City and then made their way with the artist to a cocktail reception in Sotheby’s New York galleries. Highlights from upcoming sales of Impressionist, Modern and contemporary art were the backdrop for toasts and discussion about the museum’s upcoming exhibition and long-standing relationship with Sotheby’s. For images from the eventful day, click ahead.