LONDON.- The weird and wonderful contents of the late luxury watch manufacturer Severin Wunderman’s 12-bedroom chateau in the South of France, the place where he enjoyed spending time the most, are to be sold at Bonhams, Knightsbridge on 23 June 2010. It will be the third in a series of sales of Wunderman’s remarkable collection: the contents of his California and Chelsea homes achieved excellent results at Bonhams auctions in May and November 2009 fetching $500,000 and £889,902 respectively. Head of the Furniture Department at Bonhams, Knightsbridge, Charlie Thomas, comments: “It has been a privilege to work on this sale. Every room in Chateau Montfort was like a treasure trove – a feast for the eyes. This sale is perfect for buyers who are looking for unique, one-off pieces at affordable prices.” Wunderman, the founder of Gucci timepieces and owner of Swiss luxury brand Corum, was well-known for his eclecti
‘Barn Find’ James Bond Car for Auction at Bonhams
LONDON.- A one owner 1962 ‘barn find’ DB4 Aston Martin used as a ‘test mule’ by James Bond special effects designers is to go up for auction at Bonhams Aston Martin car sale at the Aston Martin Works Service, Newport Pagnell on 22nd May 2010 – the only auction devoted entirely to this iconic marque. An ex-factory demonstrator, this ‘barn find’ DB4 was built for press tycoon Max Aitken (1st Baron Beaverbrook) and was purchased in December 1963 by the current vendor. The Aston was a regular sight at Pinewood Studios where its owner worked as a special effects designer, and served as a ‘test mule’ during preparatory work for the first James Bond movie, ‘Goldfinger’, being measured for the various gadgets – ejector seat, machine guns, etc – that would feature on the silver DB5 driven by Sean Connery as Bond in the film. Somewhat annoyed by the delayed delivery of the
Asia’s Premier Annual Art Fair to Present a Unique Combination of Art and Antiques in October
HONG KONG.- The annual Hong Kong International Art and Antiques Fair will return to the prestigious Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre from 3-6 October 2010, with a new name: FINE ART ASIA 2010. The new title reflects its status as Asia’s premier annual art fair presenting a unique combination of Art and Antiques. Last year the fair was attended by 16,500 visitors from all over the world, showcased 4,000 superb works of art exhibited by 60 leading Asian, European and American galleries, and recorded sales of over HK$ 230 million, an increase of 130% over 2008. This premier art event presented a wide range of collecting categories, from museum-quality ancient bronzes, outstanding Chinese ceramics and works of art, furniture, textiles and jades, to exceptional modern and contemporary art. Andy Hei, Founder and Director of HKIAAF, said: “We are delighted to announce that this year our fair will have a new n
How Many Lightbulbs Does it Take to Change a Painting?
NEW YORK, NY.- Sikkema Jenkins & Co presents an exhibition of new works by Amy Sillman titled Transformer (…or, how many lightbulbs does it take to change a painting?) on view through May 15, 2010. Sillman’s show features a range of new work across mediums, including large and mid-scale paintings, two different suites of drawings, and a new edition of her one-dollar ’zine “The O-G.” The show begins with a simple drawing of a lightbulb. The lightbulb transforms into a flashlight, which in turn becomes a medium for self-reflexive investigation. The lightbulb is thus a pivotal image for illumination, reflection, transformation, the comic, and obsolescence – a thematic stand-in for the conditions of painting itself. In all of her new work, Sillman continues to undertake a full-scale painterly negotiation between forms of corporeality and processes of thought. Sillman
Mesoamerican Ballgame Exhibition Opens in South Africa Before the World Cup
MEXICO CITY.- The Ballgame was for ancient Mesoamerican peoples an allegory of the access to the underworld as well as a possibility to reborn, and it is present as part of the FIFA World Cup celebration in South Africa through the exhibition Worldview and Skills: Ballgame in Mesoamerica, an archaeological collection about this practice. The show was inaugurated in May 6th 2010 at the Mapungubwe Museum at the University of Pretoria, in Johannesburg, and will be open until June 10th 2010. South Africans and visitors will be able to admire Mexican archaeological heritage from different museums part of the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH). The Mexican Ambassador to South Africa, Luis Cabrera, and the Dean of the University of Pretoria, Professor Cheryl de la Rey, presided at the inauguration ceremony, attended by officers of the South African Government, members of the Mexican
The Bowes Museum Celebrates Summer with British Sporting Art Exhibition
DURHAM.- The Bowes Museum is forecasting a Great British Summer, with the launch of a major new exhibition and the opening of new galleries. British Sporting Art, which opens on Tuesday 11 May, will explore the genre of Sporting Art in Britain, from horseracing and hunting to boxing, football and cricket. Central to the theme of the exhibition, which will include works by George Stubbs, Sir Alfred Munnings, Sir Edwin Landseer and George Morland, is John Bowes, the founder of the Museum and the first man to lift the renowned Triple Crown. Inspired by Bowes’ love for horseracing and its importance to the story behind The Bowes Museum, this exhibition will explore his prolific racing career and the wider genre of Sporting Art. The branch of painting which has come to be known as British Sporting Art was at its height during the 18th Century,
Provocative Elton John Art Deco Piece for Sale at Bonhams
LONDON.- A stunning and provocative Art Deco statuette, ‘The Cigarette Girl, (£20,000 – 30,000) once owned by Elton John is coming up for auction at Bonhams ‘Design from 1860’ sale on Wednesday 16 June. During the 1970s, the singer amassed a high quality art deco collection, sparking a fashion among the rich and famous for work of this period – Barbra Streisand was another deco fan. Much of John’s art deco collection was dispersed at auction in 1988. The bronze and ivory figure shows a self confident young woman, arms crossed, posing playfully and provocatively with her cigarette. Dressed in a remarkably modern way for women of the time (her leather jacket and tight fighting pants – later known as cigarette trousers – bringing to mind the look of Garbo or Deitrich) ‘The Cigarette Girl’ is the work of Brono Zach. Zach specialised in portrayals of women in flirtatious poses and
Iconic WW II Images by Dmitri Baltermants at Nailya Alexander Gallery
NEW YORK, NY.- Nailya Alexander Gallery presents “Dmitri Baltermants: Photographs 1940s-‐1960s,” an exhibition encompassing the photographer’s iconic WW II images and his work from the last years of Stalin’s glory and the era of Khrushchev’s politics. The show of some thirty vintage prints will runs from 5 May through 30 July 2010, at the gallery’s new location in the Fuller Building, 41 E 57th Street, Suite 704. The gallery presents this exhibition in commemoration of the 65th Anniversary of the end of WW II in Europe this May. During the war, Dmitri Baltermants (1912-‐1990), who taught himself photography, worked for Izvestia (the Communist Party newspaper) among other journals, covering battlefields in Ukraine, Poland and Germany, reaching Berlin in 1945. His photographs chronicle war as a universal tragedy. Grief (1942), one of his most iconic war images, documents the after
Two Cities, 20 Designers, and 90 Days to Complete an Unprecedented Exercise in Creativity and Imagination
LONDON.- The Art of Conversation: London—Berlin is a unique exhibition shown in London and Berlin. The content is generated through a visual game of ‘Chinese whispers’ between the designers in the two cities. Curated by the two design studios BANK in Berlin and INVENTORY Studio in London, the exhibition calls upon the talents of some of the most exciting new and established designers from across Europe. Over the course of 90 days, 20 entirely original works will be created, each in response to the previous piece, in a fascinating chain of communication that will at once reveal and demystify the designer’s thought process. Their piece can take any form; from sculpture to performance, photograph to text. The resulting show will demonstrate that creativity is never predictable and infinitely varied. To kick off the process, the first design team were gifted a hot air balloon flight by the curators, setting a precedent and giving the studio “space to think”
Kate Gilmore’s Walk the Walk Presented in the Midtown Oasis of Bryant Park
NEW YORK, NY.- For five days this May, Public Art Fund presents a striking new performance‐based artwork in the midtown oasis of Bryant Park. Walk the Walk by artist Kate Gilmore is a dynamic sculptural and performance‐based artwork activated by a group of women’s walking, stomping, shuffling and marching on the roof of an eight‐foot‐high cubic structure. Like typical office workers, the artwork’s participants represent a variety of physical builds and types, all clothed in simple yellow dresses and beige pumps. These women will walk, march and stomp atop the temporary structure from 8:30 am to 6:30 pm for five days straight. Acting out their “work” in an area densely populated by office buildings, Gilmore’s performers transform the workday into a visual spectacle and dissonant symphony. Public Art Fund Director and Chief Curator Nicholas Baume observes: