From the moment James Christie conducted his first auction nearly 250 years ago, Christie's has been in an extraordinary position, the hub of the art world, dealing in works across every possible collecting category. It has always been the place where the best of the art world convenes; the best of the collectors, the best of the dealers, the best of the creators.

The gathering of the great, the good, and the unpredictable of the art world makes for fantastic colour. There is this inspirational and creative thing that has always lain behind it - and at its heart, it’s about passion, it’s about collectors and it’s about vision.

At Christie’s, our role extends well beyond merely buying and selling. We are also here to educate, to make people look at works of art in a new way. To be a place for people to think about and enjoy works of art, to meet and talk about them from whatever their approach.

I’ve always said that in some ways we are a free gallery space, a place for people to see things which may only be on public view for a brief moment as they change hands from one private collector to another. At Christie’s our displays cover a broad spectrum from painting to jewellery, furniture to wine, and the works change every single week. No matter your level of understanding, Christie’s is a place for people to engage with art, to learn about what’s going on.

The art world is as colourful as it always has been, the galleries are as vibrant as ever and Christie’s is as exciting a place to be as it ever has been, so I hope we will carry on being the place where people convene around art for a long, long time. My name is Orlando Rock, and I am Deputy Chairman of Christie’s Europe and International Head of the Decorative Arts Department.