In the Age of Algorithms, Taste Is the New Talent: Auctioneer Simon de Pury Explains Why

“When people ask what matters when you look at art, I say it’s three things: look, look, and look,” says Simon de Pury. “The more you look at things, you learn without noticing that you learn.” Talking to de Pury strikes a similar note; as we speak, he offers cheerful insights like these in spades. His advice on music? “Listen, listen, and listen.” De Pury’s guidance is easy to follow.

Born in Basel, Switzerland, it’s tempting to imagine that de Pury — auctioneer, collector, and curator extraordinaire — was destined to become an art world legend. Yet, the 74-year-old describes his pre-success period in simpler terms. “When I was a teenager, I was a lousy pupil. I was very, very bad at school,” he laughs. Art class was the sole exception; the rich artistic heritage of his hometown provided ample inspiration. After a stint studying fine art in Tokyo, de Pury’s passion for the arts led him into the auction house (“If you love candies, there’s no better place to work than in the candy store!”) and, decades later, he still feels lucky to be there.

“You may get moved by something completely different from what I may get moved by, and that’s precisely what makes it interesting. Every reaction is legitimate. But there are a number of very rational points which enter into consideration as well.”Simon de Pury

“My own case was not at all an isolated one,” de Pury says of his early-career transition. “I think it’s the ideal preparation for a profession in the art world, because — by having been an artist or having attempted to be an artist — you familiarize yourself with all the techniques,” de Pury adds. “It really sharpens your eye to look at art.”

Be it auctioneering, painting, curating, or sculpting, artistic endeavours are often portrayed as something innate — a talent, not a skill. There is an intuitive component, to be sure (de Pury calls this “the instinctive, immediate reaction”), yet he attests that anyone can learn to appreciate artwork. “The emotional reaction is, of course, in the eye of the beholder,” de Pury explains. “You may get moved by something completely different from what I may get moved by, and that’s precisely what makes it interesting. Every reaction is legitimate. But there are a number of very rational points which enter into consideration as well when somebody acquires art.” Value comes from myriad factors: a work’s conservation status, history, size, and medium, to name a few.

De Pury could go on about this for ages, he says, but — to keep things moving— we return to arguably the most important aspect in assessing an artwork: taste. “In the more than 50 years that I have been in the art market, the taste has evolved considerably. What people are looking for today is very different from what it was 50 years ago and, definitely, is very different from what people will want 50 years from now,” de Pury says. “You have to ascertain at which stage of the curve you are, in terms of the interest-building, or taste-building, for a certain type of work.”

In the abstract, “taste” can feel a tad esoteric. Yet we reckon with our taste — or lack thereof — on a daily basis. Think of social media, for instance: in the age of the algorithm, taste is expressed through engagement. The sights and sounds we interact with inspire the ones we see next. When we are conscious of our taste, we take an active role in shaping our algorithm-delivered digest. In this sense, everyone has the chance to become a curator, editor, or gallerist — yet the opposite is also true. To passively scroll is to grant an anonymous algorithm free rein over the videos you watch and products you buy; this reality has only made de Pury’s role more relevant.

“Art is an expression of the best that humans can do. When we leave this planet, our life is like a drawing in sand. With the next wave, it’s gone. The only chance to leave a mark comes through culture.”Simon de Pury

“The new technologies give a fantastic possibility to everybody to participate in [the creative industry] and it’s much easier to spread knowledge about a topic than it ever was,” explains de Pury. “At the same time, if you are confronted with an unlimited choice, it is very difficult.” The auctioneer recalls his time at Phillips Auction, where he introduced select groups of artists to the secondary market. “It was very much a curated approach — a kind of guide — that makes it easier for you to then ascertain what really appeals to you personally,” de Pury elaborates. “If you have simply everything that is imaginable, in the end, you are lost.”

Thus, today’s curators are more concerned with guiding than gatekeeping. Art, de Pury says, will always be a magnet. As an auctioneer, his job is simply to amplify the attraction. Seen in this light, de Pury’s success comes as no surprise — his appreciation for the arts is infectious. “Art is an expression of the best that humans can do,” de Pury says. “When we leave this planet, our life is like a drawing in sand. With the next wave, it’s gone. The only chance to leave a mark comes through culture. The countries, cities, and individuals that have understood this and invested in culture — that is the smartest thing they could possibly do.”

FEATURE PHOTO: AMFAR GALA CANNES, 2025, PRESENTED BY CHOPARD AT HOTEL DU CAP-EDEN-ROC. IMAGE BY ANDREAS RENTZ/AMFAR/GETTY IMAGES FOR AMFAR.

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