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Sixties Triumph at Dorotheum - Top Sales at Contemporary Art Auction
Enrico Castellani, Superficie bianca,
realized price € 467.300
Tancredi, untitled, realized price € 202.800
Agostino Bonalumi, Rosso, realized price € 145.300
Konrad Klapheck, realized price € 133.800
Hermann Nitsch, realized price € 82.555
Josef Hoffmann, rare sugar bowl, realized price € 85.700
Following its record-breaking auction of modern art, Dorotheum was able to score a similar success with its auction of contemporary art on 19th May 2011: Thursday evening saw the sale of a major work of the Italian avant-garde – Enrico Castellani's „Superficie bianca“ – for an excellent 467.300 Euro. White Surface turns canvas, frame, nails, and white acrylics into something resembling concrete poetry and was originally created in the mid-sixties (cat. no. 1509).
Other protagonists of the same period likewise received a triumphant reception. Agostino Bonalumi's sculpture objects „Rosso“ and „Blu“ both found new owners for 145.300 Euro and 49.100 Euro (cat. no. 1510 and 1508). Lucio Fontana's unique terracotta „Concetto spaziale“ dating 1955/60 sold for a brilliant € 85.700 (cat. no. 1511), while a signal work by Tancredi, an adherent of the Italian Spazialismo movement, reached 202.800 (cat. no. 1515). The broad range of international art at this Dorotheum auction met with an enthusiastic response, with a painting by the British star painter Peter Doig selling for € 88.880, Konrad Klaphek's Gesetz des Alltags for 133.800 Euro, the same amount fetched by a work by Asger Jorn (cat. no. 1565, 1504, 1516)
Austrian art met with similar success, in particular Hermann Nitsch whose early red Schüttbild of 1963 far exceeded expectations at 82.555 Euro (cat. no. 1529). Works by Arnulf Rainer, Josef Mikl, Joannis Avramidis, Markus Prachensky, and Rudolf Schwarzkogler likewise achieved outstanding prices.
Art nouveau brings high bids for Hoffmann
Expert Julia Blaha had every reason to be pleased with one of the best art nouveau auctions yet. First-time offers included several Josef Hoffmann items such as a rare sugar bowl of a design recalling modern architecture, which was knocked down for sensational 85.700 Euro.
Press Office: Doris Krumpl, doris.krumpl@dorotheum.at
Tel. +43-1-515 60-406
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