# Fair Warning

> Fair Warning is a New York-based, members-only art auction platform founded in 2020 by Loic Gouzer, the former Chairman of Post-War and Contemporary Art at Christie's. Rather than staging sprawling sales, Fair Warning sells one carefully chosen lot at a time to a screened community of collectors through its mobile app, where bidding happens with a swipe. The company positions itself as a leaner, more transparent alternative to legacy auction houses, charging a flat 15% buyer's premium and building a catalogue around artists it has conviction about.

- **Founded:** 2020
- **Headquarters:** New York, United States
- **Founders:** Loic Gouzer (Founder)
- **Team size:** ~11 employees
- **Products:** Fair Warning App (iOS & Android), One-lot live auctions, No Warning format
- **Notable:** Brokered the $10.8 million sale of a 1982 Jean-Michel Basquiat painting in 2020 - reported as the most valuable artwork ever sold through an app., Sold a Pablo Picasso drawing (Tete d'homme a la pipe) for roughly $7.8 million in an invite-only app event., Consigned an $18 million Banksy for auction.

## Products & services

- **Fair Warning App (iOS & Android)** — A members-only auction app where collectors browse curated single lots, view high-definition images and catalogue notes, request a paddle, and bid in live online auctions from anywhere. Bidding is done with a swipe.
- **One-lot live auctions** — Highly curated live auctions that offer one work at a time to a screened membership, with a flat 15% buyer's premium - lower than traditional houses.
- **No Warning format** — A newer sales format in which a work appears at a fixed price and buyers can either purchase immediately or submit a single offer, compressing the auction moment into a one-shot decision.

## Achievements

- Brokered the $10.8 million sale of a 1982 Jean-Michel Basquiat painting in 2020 - reported as the most valuable artwork ever sold through an app.
- Sold a Pablo Picasso drawing (Tete d'homme a la pipe) for roughly $7.8 million in an invite-only app event.
- Consigned an $18 million Banksy for auction.
- Reached roughly $82 million in cumulative art sales through curated, low-volume offerings.
- Launched during the 2020 pandemic when physical salerooms were shut, pioneering mobile-first live art auctions.
- Expanded its team with respected art advisor Saara Pritchard as a partner.

## Latest updates

- **2026-04** — Fair Warning debuted its 'No Warning' sales format, launching with a work by Elizabeth Peyton - buyers either purchase immediately or submit a single offer.
- **2025** — Announced expansion with art advisor Saara Pritchard joining as a partner, reinforcing its curation-first, conviction-driven approach.
- **2024** — Consigned an $18 million Banksy, one of its highest-value offerings to date.

## Links

- Website: https://www.fair-warning.com/
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/fairwarningart
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/fairwarningart
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fairwarning/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/fair-warning
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-06