Abu Dhabi, UAE: Etihad Airways, the UAE’s national airline, and Sotheby’s, the global destination for art and luxury announce a strategic partnership which will see Etihad become the Presenting Partner for Sotheby’s once-in-a-lifetime two-part exhibition, Icons: Back to Madison. The exhibition brings together some of the most iconic works ever sold under Sotheby’s banner, offering a rare opportunity to experience masterpieces spanning multiple centuries and collecting categories.
Following its successful debut in Abu Dhabi during the inaugural Collectors’ Week, Icons will open in New York, just one month after Sotheby’s inaugurated its new worldwide headquarters at the historic Breuer building on Madison Avenue.
To launch the partnership, Etihad served as the Presenting Partner for Icons first exhibition in Abu Dhabi from 2-6 December at the St. Regis Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi. The exhibition will continue to New York, opening to the public at Sotheby’s new global headquarters at the Breuer Building, 945 Madison Avenue, on 13 December and remaining on view until 21 December.
Icons comprises more than 25 works across Abu Dhabi and New York, with an estimated value approaching $2 billion, offering a once-in-a-generation opportunity to see these masterpieces together.
Courtney Kremers, Sotheby’s Vice Chairman, Senior Specialist Post-War and Contemporary Art, said: “Icons is more than an exhibition—it’s a celebration of Sotheby’s legacy and a return to our roots on Madison Avenue, a historic center of art, culture, and collecting. By bringing together some of the most extraordinary objects ever sold under our banner worldwide, we are reflecting on decades of expertise and the works that have captured the spirit and zeitgeist of their time, while offering the public a rare opportunity to experience the masterpieces that have helped define collecting on a global scale.”
Arik De, Chief Revenue and Commercial Officer, Etihad Airways, said, “As Presenting Partner, we’re proud to bring this extraordinary collection of masterpieces together for the world to enjoy in both our home, Abu Dhabi, as well as in New York. This exhibition is yet another proof-point of Abu Dhabi’s growing position as a leading cultural destination.
“Our collaboration with Sotheby’s reflects our shared commitment to delivering remarkable experiences that connect cultures and inspire discovery. As a luxury airline committed to impeccable service and comfort, it is our privilege to carry the collection onwards to New York. In the future, we will build on this initial collaboration to bring Sotheby’s collections to new heights.”
The exhibition includes such masterpieces as Andy Warhol’s Shot Orange Marilyn (1964), notably marked by a bullet hole from an unapproved piece of performance art at the Factory, sold for $17.3 million at Sotheby’s in 1998, made possible by Kenneth C. Griffin. Banksy’s Girl Without Balloon, which famously self-shredded during its 2018 Sotheby’s auction, thanks to a hidden mechanism in its frame, leaving the canvas half-destroyed and instantly transforming it into a live performance, will also headline the exhibition.
Jane Birkin’s original Hermès Birkin prototype bag, which sold earlier this year at Sotheby’s Paris for a record-shattering $10 million, along with ancient pieces such as Mesopotamian sculptures estimated to be 5000 years old, will also be on display. Learn more about the full exhibition here.
Etihad is a specialist in the transportation of precious and luxury goods across its global network; and the Icons Collection is being exclusively carried by Etihad Cargo's FlyCulture specialised service.
From its home in Abu Dhabi, Etihad flies twice daily to New York’s JFK International Airport, with the benefit of Abu Dhabi’s United States Customs and Border Protection Preclearance facility at Zayed International Airport – the only one of its kind in the region. This allows guests to clear U.S. immigration and customs before departure, arriving in the United States as domestic travellers and saving valuable time on arrival.
