What’s new? Weekly art-climate overview
This Week New York-based Christie’s hosted 3 auction sessions, generating a total of $330 million. René Magritte dominated the 20th and 21st Century Art of the year sale with his five pieces selling for a total of $16,9 million. Basquiat Il Duce (1982) sold for 15$ million and German expressionist Franz Marc achieved a new record with his piece The Foxes (1913) selling for $56,65 million doubling his previous record from 2008 with Weidende Pferd III. Francis Bacon’s triptych sold for $51 million, entering the top 10 best-selling Bacon triptychs.
Russian-owned Phillips announced at the beginning of the week the upcoming sale of a major Jean-Michel Basquiat piece from 1982, expected to break records as Phillips’s most expensive work at $70 million. The event, taking place on the 3rd and 4th of March, was expected to make $32,5 million to $47 million. However, considering Ukraine’s invasion, prior to the event four lots were pulled from the line-up, followed by one more during the event. Some collectors were calling for a boycott of Phillips Auction House and since then Phillips has announced that they will donate the full net proceeds from the event to the Ukrainian Red Cross Society ($7,7 million at the moment). Phillips has also stated on Instagram that they do not support the current invasion of Ukraine.
This week’s highlighted artists are all Ukrainians.
Maria Pryimachenko’s naive style paintings are full of saturated colors and vivid motifs and they convey beautiful narratives. She has been all over social media since one of the museums that carried 25 of her artworks was caught in fire inflicted by the Russian forces.
Oksana Mas is the founder of the project “Art Together” a project that seeks to promote global interaction and unity among people. She has been exhibited at the Venice Biennale twice. Her work is valued at around $17,000.
Oleg Tistol has represented Ukraine at the São Paulo Biennale in 1994 and at the 49th Venice Biennale in 2001. His work is sold starting at $2,500.
By Nery Nery, 2022
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