BY RAYNALD C RIVERA
DOHA: Sotheby’s contemporary art auction at Katara last night collected $8,006,625 and set 13 records.
The top lot was Anish Kapoor’s ‘Untitled’ sculpture which fetched $1,595,000 (which was estimated at $700,000-$900,000) after an extended battle among several bidders. The stainless steel work by the Indian artist is stunning for its mirror-like quality reflecting and distorting the viewer and the surroundings. Kapoor and Damien Hirst achieved the highest price for their works in any sale in the Middle East.
‘Tranquility’, a quintessential Hirst painting from his Kaleidoscope series which generated tremendous response — positive and negative — when it toured around the world, was sold for $845,000.
“I’m thrilled with the results. We achieved over our high estimate and in addition to that we set 13 auction records for artists in the Middle East and around the world which is a tremendous, resounding success,” Aileen Agopian, Sotheby’s Senior Vice President, International Contemporary Art Specialist, told the media after the auction.
As expected ‘The Chase’, the cover lot for the sale by internationally acclaimed and highly sought-after artist Ali Banisadr, set a record when it fetched $557,000 over an estimated $250,000.
‘The Chase’ juxtaposes meticulous detail with looser brushstrokes, creating a mesmerising whole that draws the viewer into Banisadr’s complex and deeply personal world.
Saudi artist Abdullah Qandeel’s painting ‘The Enemy Within’, the last lot to be sold at the auction, also set a record, fetching $209,000 (estimated at $20,000-$30,000).
The auction by Alexander Rotter, Sotheby’s Co-Head of Contemporary Art, saw art enthusiasts from around the world aggressively bid for 53 lots that went under the hammer. They consisted of 38 contemporary works by Middle Eastern and 15 by international artists.
This was the second consecutive year Sotheby’s has made Doha the venue for a contemporary art sale.
Last year, it raised over $15m and set nine records, including the highest price for a work by an Arab artist — ‘Icons of the Nile’ by Chant Avedissian — which was bought at $1.56m
“Like the year before, we achieved again over our high estimates. So I would say we are all building on the successes each year and this is a stepping stone for the foundation we are laying in Doha of contemporary art and showing our commitment to contemporary art in the Middle East. We’re thrilled to be here and we’re trying to achieve better results for our auction next year,” said Agopian.
The Peninsula
