CLOSING DOWN – The Liqudation Store at Paul St. shopping centre, Cork, January 17, 2014.
THE retail sector in austerity driven Ireland is hurting so badly that even The Liquidation Store in Cork city centre’s Paul St. shopping complex is closing. So an upcoming Arte Povera auction at Christie’s in London is timely. The idea that humble everyday material – natural and man made – can be made into powerful, evocative works of art transformed contemporary art in the late 1960’s and ’70’s and developed into one of the most influential art movements of the past half century.
An important private collection of Arte Povera, assembled over the past 25 years by an Italian couple, will be offered at Christie’s on February 11. Exploring the roots of the movement it will be on display in a museum quality exhibition at Christie’s from February 5. The work of post war Italian artists like Alberto Burri, Lucio Fontana, Piero Manzoni, Fausto Melotti, Michelangelo Pistoletto, Alighero Boetti, Mario Merz, Luciano Fabro, Giulio Paoline, Pino Pascali, Guiseppe Penone and Emilio Prini is featured. The collection also investigates Arte Povera’s legacy in the work of artists as diverse as Cy Twombly, Olafur Eliasson, Anish Kapoor, Tony Cragg, Rosemarie Trockel and Thomas Schutte.
Mariolina Bassetti, Chairman Christie’s Italy and International Director, Post-War & Contemporary Art said: “Following our huge success in last October’s Italian Sale, a record for any of these sales in their 15-year history, Christie’s is pleased to be offering this exceptional private collection – the best collection of Italian art I have ever seen come on the market. Never before have we seen a private collection that shows the ‘before and after’ of Arte Povera in such depth – its roots in Burri and its huge legacy to succeeding generations of artists around the world, from Cy Twombly and Anish Kapoor to Thomas Schütte and Olafur Eliasson. It has been assembled with passion and rigour by an Italian couple”.
UPDATE: THE Arte Povera sale realised £38,427,400 and established records for 13 artists.
ALIGHIERO BOETTI (1940-1994)
Mappa
signed and dated ‘Alighiero e Boetti KABUL AFGHANISTAN 1979’ (£450,000-650,000). Courtesy Christie’s Images Ltd., 2014. UPDATE: THIS SOLD FOR £866,500
PINO PASCALI (1935-1968)
Torso di negra al bagno (Nascita di Venere)
enamel on canvas, wool, inflatable balloons, wood structure and shaped painted base (£1.1-1.5 million). Courtesy Christie’s Images Ltd., 2014. UPDATE: THIS SOLD FOR £1,538,500