My reflections on art, collectors, marchers and contemporary art auctions

ENGLISH: New York Collector Sana Rezwan on Buying Art via PDF and the One Treasure That Got Away. Mark Hallett to Lead London’s Courtauld Institute of Art The curator. Sam Orlofsky, Director, Gagosian. Eivind Furnesvik. The founder of Standard (Oslo) has put Norway’s small but burgeoning art scene. Curator Heidi Ballet. Ernesto Bertarelli collector Contemporary art; Modern art
GERMAN: Die New Yorker Sammlerin Sana Rezwan über den Kauf von Kunst per PDF und den einen Schatz, der ihr entgangen ist. Mark Hallett wird Leiter des Londoner Courtauld Institute of Art Der Kurator. Sam Orlofsky, Direktor, Gagosian. Eivind Furnesvik. Der Gründer des Standard (Oslo) hat Norwegens kleine, aber aufstrebende Kunstszene bekannt gemacht. Kuratorin Heidi Ballet. Ernesto Bertarelli Sammler Zeitgenössische Kunst; Moderne Kunst

Record for Marilyn

At Christie's in New York, Andy Warhol's "Shot Sage Blue Marilyn" fetched $195 million: the second most expensive work of art ever sold at auction

It wasn't the big party last night, not a triumph that was jubilantly celebrated in the hall like in November 2017 at the auction of the "Salvator Mundi" , which achieved an incredible 450 million dollars. In the Christie's New York room, of course, when Andy Warhol's 1964 "Shot Sage Blue Marilyn" was called up, everyone had hoped for a similar display of bids. Although the catalog and the website stated succinctly "Price on request", it was communicated all over the world that 200 million dollars were expected for the screen printing. It was the highest estimate ever called at auction. The “Salvator” was set at 100 million.

Shortly after 2:30 a.m. German night time, Jussi Pylkkänen, President of Christie's and there the auctioneer for the most spectacular auctions, called the bidding battle for the work from the legendary collection of Doris and Thomas Ammann. 100 million was the first name mentioned in the hall, which was received with some amusement in the audience. Then it quickly went to 160 million, where it faltered. Three phones were still involved. After some hesitation on the part of the last bidders, it went up to 170 million, then it remained silent despite all attempts by Pylkkänen to animate the auction. After four minutes the gavel fell. It is said that the bid went to art dealer Larry Gagosian.

So the 200 million mark was not cracked as hoped, but with all premiums the buyer still has to pay more than an impressive 195.04 million dollars. This makes it the second most expensive artefact ever auctioned and the most expensive work of the 20th century. A thoroughly monumental success, even if those involved had speculated on an even bigger sensation. It can be interpreted in different ways: Either Christie's was too ambitious and excessive in its expectations and overestimated the possibilities of this world-famous trophy. Or the exaggerated estimate was deliberately used to free "Marilyn" from the previous top Warhol surcharges of 94 million (2013) and 73 million dollars (2014) and to drive it into new spheres.

The question of how justified such a price is for this picture can also be debated. Warhol had screenprinted this photograph of Marilyn Monroe several years earlier as a representation of ultimate stardom. In 1964 he improved the technique and the color composition, which he varied in four versions. In the same year, during a visit to Warhol's studio (the "Factory"), the artist Dorothy Podber shot the four pictures leaning against the wall one behind the other. The damage could be retouched, but the wound boosted legend building. The four "Shot Marilyns" became the most valuable trophies among the works that Warhol kept reprinting from the photo template.

There is no doubt that it is Warhol's most famous motif, it has shaped the collective visual memory of our time like no other modern work of art. The pop Marilyn was reproduced millions of times and distributed in posters, mugs and other accessories - entirely with the permission and to the delight of the artist. There is not one original of this representation, but many or at least several, which are not exhausted with the four "Shot Marilyns". That's why the comparisons to Leonardo's "Mona Lisa", Botticelli's "Venus" or even Greek Aphrodite statues, which Christie's used in its pseudo-art historical marketing, are not very appropriate.

In contrast to the "Salvator Mundi", which is only so famous today because of the completely exaggerated record price, yesterday's auction will only be one facet, maybe just a small anecdote, in the history and afterlife of Warhol's "Marilyn". She has much more to offer.

News in contemporary art - English language:

Beirut-based Christine Tohmé has been appointed the curator of the 18th Istanbul Biennial. The Basel-based Galerie Knoell will see parts of its business assumed by Hauser & Wirth, and hire its founder, Carlo Knoell, as a senior director. Art Basel, which stages editions in Switzerland, Hong Kong, Miami Beach, and Paris, has made two major hires for its leadership team: Hayley Romer and Craig Hepburn. Marc Spiegler, the former global director of Art Basel, has joined the board of directors for Superblue. Barbara von Stechow has been a member of the executive committee of the Regional Association of Galleries of Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate since 2002. The Sharjah Art Foundation, which organizes the Sharjah Biennial, revealed the five-person curatorial team: Natasha Ginwala, Amal Khalaf, Zeynep Öz, Alia Swastika, and Megan Tamati-Quennell. The British dealer Stuart Shave open Modern Art gallery in Paris. Art patrons and philanthropists Allison K. and Larry Berg have announced the creation of the A&L Berg Foundation. Ingrid Schaffner Joins Hauser & Wirth as Curatorial Senior Director. The Biedermann Gallery was founded in 1971 by the art historian Dr. Margret Biedermann. The Enari gallery is founded by Paul van Gemen and Christina Voulgari. Eva Presenhuber launched her namesake gallery in 2003 in Zurich. Team: Andreas Grimm, Katharina Geymüller. Francesco Manacorda has been named director of Italy’s Castello di Rivoli Museo d’Arte Contemporanea. Galerie Nordenhake is located in the Lindenstraße in Kreuzberg and in Stockholm. Galerie Nordenhake was founded 1973 by Claes Nordenhake in Malmö. Alexie Glass-Kantor executive director of Artspace in Sydney. Galerie Daniel Lelong & Co.: President and Managing Director: Jean Frémon, Director: Patrice Cotensin, Associate Director: François Dournes.

Aktuelles aus der zeitgenössischen Kunst – Deutsch:

: Christine Tohmé aus Beirut wurde zur Kuratorin der 18. Istanbul Biennale ernannt. Die in Basel ansässige Galerie Knoell wird Teile ihres Geschäfts von Hauser & Wirth übernehmen und ihren Gründer Carlo Knoell als Senior Director einstellen. Die Art Basel, die Ausgaben in der Schweiz, Hongkong, Miami Beach und Paris veranstaltet, hat zwei wichtige Neueinstellungen in ihrem Führungsteam vorgenommen: Hayley Romer und Craig Hepburn. Marc Spiegler, ehemaliger globaler Direktor der Art Basel, ist Mitglied des Verwaltungsrats von Superblue. Seit 2002 ist Barbara von Stechow Mitglied des Vorstandes des Landesverbandes der Galerien in Hessen und Rheinland-Pfalz. Die Sharjah Art Foundation, die die Sharjah Biennale organisiert, gab das fünfköpfige Kuratorenteam bekannt: Natasha Ginwala, Amal Khalaf, Zeynep Öz, Alia Swastika, und Megan Tamati-Quennell. Der britische Kunsthändler Stuart Shave eröffnet eine Galerie für moderne Kunst in Paris. Die Kunstmäzene und Philanthropen Allison K. und Larry Berg haben die Gründung der A&L Berg Foundation angekündigt. Ingrid Schaffner wechselt als Curatorial Senior zu Hauser & Wirth Direktorin. Die Galerie Biedermann wurde 1971 von der Kunsthistorikerin Dr. Margret Biedermann gegründet. Die Galerie Enari wird von Paul van Gemen und Christina Voulgari gegründet. Eva Presenhuber launched her namesake gallery in 2003 in Zurich. Team: Andreas Grimm, Katharina Geymüller. Francesco Manacorda wurde zum Direktor des italienischen Castello di Rivoli Museo d'Arte Contemporanea ernannt. Die Galerie Nordenhake befindet sich in der Lindenstraße in Kreuzberg und in Stockholm. Die Galerie Nordenhake wurde 1973 von Claes Nordenhake in Malmö gegründet. Alexie Glass-Kantor, Geschäftsführerin von Artspace in Sydney. Galerie Daniel Lelong & Co: Präsident und Generaldirektor: Jean Frémon, Direktor: Patrice Cotensin, stellvertretender Direktor: François Dournes.