10th anniversary of Art Basel Miami Beach

Created in 2002, Art Basel Miami Beach (Florida, USA) has just celebrated its 10th anniversary.

The Paris art auction market

Traditionally London and New York host the so-called ‘prestige’ sales that generate the world’s most spectacular art auction results whereas 89% of the art auction lots sold in France fetch less than $10,000. Nevertheless, from time to time some impressionist, modern and contemporary works offered at French sales generate results on a par with Anglo-American results.

The dynamism of kinetic art

Kinetic art goes back a long way. Its origins – from a multitude of groups and movements – go back to the 1910s and 1920s, an era highly impregnated by the cult of progress and the myth of the machine. Europe, the United States and Latin America were the main cradles for the development of an abstract language that eschewed static art and sought to emulate or trigger movement, whether real or virtual.

Contemporary Art in convalescence

While London’s auctioneers congratulate themselves on the healthy sold rates at their June Contemporary Art sales (92.5% at Sotheby’s, 88% at Christie’s and 75% at Phillips de Pury & Company), bidders are continuing on a path of caution and sobriety.

London sales: second round

On 23 June, Christie’s will be offering 45 Impressionist & Modern works in London and the following day Sotheby’s will present just 27 pieces. The catalogues feature works by Picasso, Claude Monet and Giacometti. On 25 and 30 June, the two auctioneers will open their Contemporary Art sales

La Force de l’Art at the Grand Palais

“La Force de l’Art” opens to the public from 9 May to 25 June, bringing together fifteen exhibitions for the first of a new triennial series of shows intended to restore France to the forefront of the international art scene.

Alexander Calder (1898-1976)

Christie’s has just set a new record for a sculpture by Alexander Calder. However, it is his works on paper that are the main focus of the price surge.

International contemporary art driven by Phillips, De Pury & Luxembourg

The contemporary art market has been doing fairly well of late, and the last big auctions of the year have reaffirmed the trend. The wealthiest US investors are continuing to support new art. Record after record has been falling in New York, and not only for American artists.

Bidding frenzy grips the Paris scene

The Carré auction gets down to business: 85% of lots sold exceed their high estimates

Paris hosted an auction festival on 9-10 December. New auction house Dassault held its inaugural sale — breaking up the legacy of Olga Carré, widow of gallery owner Louis Carré — and confounded even the most optimistic forecasts. Piasa and Artcurial-Briest should be well satisfied.