OT- The Basel art fair
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Not about coins but about collectibles.
High Rollers and Blue-Chip Artists at Basel Fair
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By CAROL VOGEL
Published: June 15, 2006
BASEL, Switzerland, June 14 — The throngs of anxious collectors and dealers waiting for a giant exterior clock to hit 11 a.m. — when the doors to the V.I.P. preview open — have become something of a legend at Art Basel, the annual contemporary art fair here. But at this year's invitation-only opening on Tuesday, there were no jostling crowds, and the mood was confident.
In the weeks before the opening, dealers had sent their biggest collectors and their art advisers e-mail images of their art offerings, giving them first crack at reserving things in advance.
"The biggest sea change is that this fair has become virtual," said Perry Rubenstein, a Chelsea dealer. The night before the opening, he said, collectors could be seen flashing cellphone images of works on which they had first dibs.
But there's nothing like actually being there. By the end of Tuesday's preview, rumors were circulating that the Manhattan dealer Philippe Segalot had flown a makeup artist to Basel who transformed Mr. Segalot's appearance so significantly that he was able to sneak in unnoticed while the fair was being set up. Once inside, he bought several important paintings and sculptures for some of his best clients, the rumors went.
Mr. Segalot said Wednesday the rumor was "pure invention." (If true, it would not be the first time Mr. Segalot broke a strict rule that only fair exhibitors can enter before the fair's opening. Last year the French dealer and exhibitor Emmanuel Perrotin helped him get in early; both were caught, and Mr. Perrotin was barred from this year's fair.) When asked about the episode, Mr. Segalot said he had "compensated" Mr. Perrotin for not being in the fair this year. He did not elaborate.
For many collectors of contemporary art, such purchases are part of a lifestyle that includes expensive cars, chauffeurs, private planes and fashions by designers like Prada, Pucci and Gucci. Tapping into this market, BMW, the German car manufacturer and a fair sponsor, provided a fleet of cars and drivers for its most important clients here. Another sponsor, NetJets, the private aviation company, estimated that it will have flown in some 200 planes, 50 percent more than last year, by the fair's end on Sunday. Prada even opened a temporary boutique near the fair designed by the Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron.
People-watching is every bit as much the allure here as the art. Spotted either perusing the booths or at some of the countless parties were Michael Ovitz, the Hollywood agent; Peter Brant, the newsprint magnate; the real estate developer Aby Rosen; Henry R. Kravis, the financier; and the actors Michael York and Faye Dunaway.
Many artists were on hand too, among them the photographer Andreas Gursky, the Japanese artist and curator Takashi Murakami and the Pop artist James Rosenquist. At "Unlimited," a section where large art installations are on view, Acquavella Galleries is showing Mr. Rosenquist's giant 24-by-133-foot painting "Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by Eleanor Roosevelt."
Depicting a trio of hands reaching into a vortex of swirling colors, it had originally been intended for the ceiling of the Palais de Chaillot in Paris as a way of commemorating the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1998. The dealer William Acquavella said that it was now for sale and that an American museum had expressed interest. He declined to elaborate.
Pop Art, figurative painting, installation pieces and contemporary Chinese art — all a major focus in contemporary-art collecting today — were much in evidence. So were top works by hot artists like Richard Prince, Cindy Sherman, Tony Oursler, Mr. Murakami, John Currin, Ed Ruscha and Dinos and Jake Chapman.
Many felt the offerings were more predictable than in past years, making the fair a venue for acquiring blue-chip artists rather than discovering new talent. "There are less surprises," said Zach Feuer, the Chelsea dealer. "The oversaturation of art fairs means there's one every three weeks. But of all of them, this is the best."
Jay Jopling, who runs the London gallery White Cube, said such fairs were a way of focusing collectors' attention so they would make decisions. Like auctions, the now-or-never experience gets their adrenaline pumping. Already spoken for in Mr. Jopling's booth is "All Good Things Must Come to an End," one of the London-based Chapman brothers' "Hell-scapes," as the pair call their fantastical environments decorated with lead toy figures.
Works that would normally sit unnoticed for months in a gallery may sell at Art Basel. An installation of sculptures from 1959-60 by James Lee Byars, a pioneer of the Fluxus movement, sold within 10 minutes of the opening preview at Michael Werner, whose galleries are in New York and Cologne, Germany.
Gordon VeneKlasen, Mr. Werner's business partner, said that Byars's work was not normally snapped up that fast. "But at an art fair everyone gets excited," he said. "It becomes a discovery." He declined to identify the buyer.
A striking abstract $1 million painting by Sigmar Polke that the artist began in 1983 and added to in 1992, also went immediately at Michael Werner. Mr. VeneKlasen would not name the buyer, but some collectors at the fair said they had been told that it went to a trustee of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York.
Some works are headed for museums and foundations. Mr. Segalot handled the purchase of "3 Heads Fountain (3 Andrews)," a 2005 installation by Bruce Nauman, for the French luxury-goods magnate François Pinault. Mr. Pinault plans to show the work, sold by Donald Young, a Chicago dealer, at the Palazzo Grassi in Venice, the new home of his contemporary art collection.
Blum & Poe, the Los Angeles dealers, sold "727-727," a triptych completed by Mr. Murakami just two weeks ago, for a reported $1.5 million to an unidentified buyer. It features Dob, a cartoonlike character with sharp teeth. "I had five, six, seven people queuing for it," said Tim Blum, one of the gallery's owners, adding that he was frustrated to disappoint those who were turned away.
Modern masters like Picasso and de Kooning were selling briskly too. A colorful untitled de Kooning from the 1970's sold within hours of the preview opening at PaceWildenstein. Arne Glimcher, the gallery's chairman, would not divulge the price or the buyer, but few secrets are kept at Art Basel. Several dealers said the price was $15.5 million and the buyer was thought to be David Martinez, the financier.
Late Picassos have been all the rage at auction. The London dealer Thomas Gibson said the 1969 painting "Man With Pipe," offered for $10 million and $15 million, was "on reserve" for a buyer he did not name.
Few buyers seemed surprised by the high prices, but many marveled at the diversity of today's players. "Art Basel has always been international," said Samuel Keller, the fair's director. "But this year there we've had several delegations from China, collectors from Russia and Dubai. And for the first time we've also seen Indian buyers."
Christian Flierl for The New York Times
High Rollers and Blue-Chip Artists at Basel Fair
E-MailPrint Reprints Save
By CAROL VOGEL
Published: June 15, 2006
BASEL, Switzerland, June 14 — The throngs of anxious collectors and dealers waiting for a giant exterior clock to hit 11 a.m. — when the doors to the V.I.P. preview open — have become something of a legend at Art Basel, the annual contemporary art fair here. But at this year's invitation-only opening on Tuesday, there were no jostling crowds, and the mood was confident.
In the weeks before the opening, dealers had sent their biggest collectors and their art advisers e-mail images of their art offerings, giving them first crack at reserving things in advance.
"The biggest sea change is that this fair has become virtual," said Perry Rubenstein, a Chelsea dealer. The night before the opening, he said, collectors could be seen flashing cellphone images of works on which they had first dibs.
But there's nothing like actually being there. By the end of Tuesday's preview, rumors were circulating that the Manhattan dealer Philippe Segalot had flown a makeup artist to Basel who transformed Mr. Segalot's appearance so significantly that he was able to sneak in unnoticed while the fair was being set up. Once inside, he bought several important paintings and sculptures for some of his best clients, the rumors went.
Mr. Segalot said Wednesday the rumor was "pure invention." (If true, it would not be the first time Mr. Segalot broke a strict rule that only fair exhibitors can enter before the fair's opening. Last year the French dealer and exhibitor Emmanuel Perrotin helped him get in early; both were caught, and Mr. Perrotin was barred from this year's fair.) When asked about the episode, Mr. Segalot said he had "compensated" Mr. Perrotin for not being in the fair this year. He did not elaborate.
For many collectors of contemporary art, such purchases are part of a lifestyle that includes expensive cars, chauffeurs, private planes and fashions by designers like Prada, Pucci and Gucci. Tapping into this market, BMW, the German car manufacturer and a fair sponsor, provided a fleet of cars and drivers for its most important clients here. Another sponsor, NetJets, the private aviation company, estimated that it will have flown in some 200 planes, 50 percent more than last year, by the fair's end on Sunday. Prada even opened a temporary boutique near the fair designed by the Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron.
People-watching is every bit as much the allure here as the art. Spotted either perusing the booths or at some of the countless parties were Michael Ovitz, the Hollywood agent; Peter Brant, the newsprint magnate; the real estate developer Aby Rosen; Henry R. Kravis, the financier; and the actors Michael York and Faye Dunaway.
Many artists were on hand too, among them the photographer Andreas Gursky, the Japanese artist and curator Takashi Murakami and the Pop artist James Rosenquist. At "Unlimited," a section where large art installations are on view, Acquavella Galleries is showing Mr. Rosenquist's giant 24-by-133-foot painting "Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by Eleanor Roosevelt."
Depicting a trio of hands reaching into a vortex of swirling colors, it had originally been intended for the ceiling of the Palais de Chaillot in Paris as a way of commemorating the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1998. The dealer William Acquavella said that it was now for sale and that an American museum had expressed interest. He declined to elaborate.
Pop Art, figurative painting, installation pieces and contemporary Chinese art — all a major focus in contemporary-art collecting today — were much in evidence. So were top works by hot artists like Richard Prince, Cindy Sherman, Tony Oursler, Mr. Murakami, John Currin, Ed Ruscha and Dinos and Jake Chapman.
Many felt the offerings were more predictable than in past years, making the fair a venue for acquiring blue-chip artists rather than discovering new talent. "There are less surprises," said Zach Feuer, the Chelsea dealer. "The oversaturation of art fairs means there's one every three weeks. But of all of them, this is the best."
Jay Jopling, who runs the London gallery White Cube, said such fairs were a way of focusing collectors' attention so they would make decisions. Like auctions, the now-or-never experience gets their adrenaline pumping. Already spoken for in Mr. Jopling's booth is "All Good Things Must Come to an End," one of the London-based Chapman brothers' "Hell-scapes," as the pair call their fantastical environments decorated with lead toy figures.
Works that would normally sit unnoticed for months in a gallery may sell at Art Basel. An installation of sculptures from 1959-60 by James Lee Byars, a pioneer of the Fluxus movement, sold within 10 minutes of the opening preview at Michael Werner, whose galleries are in New York and Cologne, Germany.
Gordon VeneKlasen, Mr. Werner's business partner, said that Byars's work was not normally snapped up that fast. "But at an art fair everyone gets excited," he said. "It becomes a discovery." He declined to identify the buyer.
A striking abstract $1 million painting by Sigmar Polke that the artist began in 1983 and added to in 1992, also went immediately at Michael Werner. Mr. VeneKlasen would not name the buyer, but some collectors at the fair said they had been told that it went to a trustee of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York.
Some works are headed for museums and foundations. Mr. Segalot handled the purchase of "3 Heads Fountain (3 Andrews)," a 2005 installation by Bruce Nauman, for the French luxury-goods magnate François Pinault. Mr. Pinault plans to show the work, sold by Donald Young, a Chicago dealer, at the Palazzo Grassi in Venice, the new home of his contemporary art collection.
Blum & Poe, the Los Angeles dealers, sold "727-727," a triptych completed by Mr. Murakami just two weeks ago, for a reported $1.5 million to an unidentified buyer. It features Dob, a cartoonlike character with sharp teeth. "I had five, six, seven people queuing for it," said Tim Blum, one of the gallery's owners, adding that he was frustrated to disappoint those who were turned away.
Modern masters like Picasso and de Kooning were selling briskly too. A colorful untitled de Kooning from the 1970's sold within hours of the preview opening at PaceWildenstein. Arne Glimcher, the gallery's chairman, would not divulge the price or the buyer, but few secrets are kept at Art Basel. Several dealers said the price was $15.5 million and the buyer was thought to be David Martinez, the financier.
Late Picassos have been all the rage at auction. The London dealer Thomas Gibson said the 1969 painting "Man With Pipe," offered for $10 million and $15 million, was "on reserve" for a buyer he did not name.
Few buyers seemed surprised by the high prices, but many marveled at the diversity of today's players. "Art Basel has always been international," said Samuel Keller, the fair's director. "But this year there we've had several delegations from China, collectors from Russia and Dubai. And for the first time we've also seen Indian buyers."
Christian Flierl for The New York Times
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Comments
Looking for alot of crap.