Gallery or Auction: What is the Difference

Buying from a gallery or at auction mostly depends on what you are looking for: at a gallery, a price is discussed directly with the team and given on request from the artwork's page; at auction, the price rises between bidders until the sale closes. At Ge'eza, in Point E, both formats exist: the gallery sells artists' works directly, and separate online auctions are run, with no open sale announced at the moment.

Buying at the gallery: a price known in advance

At the gallery, you ask for the price from the artwork's page, the team replies on WhatsApp with the details and the certificate of authenticity, then you pay by Wave, Orange Money, card or in person. Once given, the price holds for that exchange: it does not rise based on other interested buyers. This is the simplest route for anyone who already knows which piece they want.

Buying at auction: a price that moves

At Ge'eza's online auctions, registration is free, identity is verified, and a personal access code is sent by email or WhatsApp. Each bid must beat the previous one by a set minimum, and a bid placed in the final two minutes extends the sale by two minutes. The guide on how to bid in Ge'eza's online auctions covers the checklist before, during and after a sale.

Fees, timing and the certificate

In both cases, every work sold leaves with a certificate of authenticity signed by the artist. The gallery charges no extra fee beyond the price given; auctions follow the same principle once a sale is won, with a payment link sent to the winner. Collection is at Point E, during restaurant hours, or the piece can be shipped on request.

Which to choose

For a specific piece you have already identified, the gallery remains the most direct route: you know the price before deciding. To follow a sale and possibly get a piece at a price set by the bidding itself, Ge'eza's online auctions, announced on the auctions page, are worth watching. Both paths start at the gallery, which shows the works available.

For any question

Write on WhatsApp to +221 78 660 07 07 or to geezacultures@gmail.com, noting whether your question is about a piece for direct sale or about how the auctions work.