Category: Auctions

Latest World Art News about Auctions of Art, Antiques, and Collectibles

Amref Health Africa’s ArtBall and Auction Honors Artist Julie Mehretu and the Power of Ethiopian Youth 

On February 25, 2023 at 26 Bridge in Brooklyn, NY, Amref Health Africa will host their annual ArtBall event  and adjoining art auction, creating a connection between African culture and philanthropy to celebrate and  highlight the talent of the African continent. This year Amref Health Africa will honor world-renowned  Ethiopian artist Julie Mehretu with the Rees Visionary Award. 

ArtBall features a Contemporary African, Pan-African, and Black art auction, entertainment, food and  beverages from award-winning Black-owned vendors, an installation, and an award ceremony, and has grown  from just over 300 attendees to nearly 800, with an emphasis on the African diaspora. Notable hosts and guests  have included Solange, Swizz Beatz, Alicia Keys, Chris Rock, Antwaun Sargent, Kimberly Drew, Hank Willis  Thomas, Isolde Brielmaier, Shantell Martin, Nina Chanel Abney, Jack Shainman, Young Paris, and many more. 

Top 5 Most Expensive Paintings Ever Sold

leonardo salvator mundi

When it comes to the world of art, certain paintings command staggering prices that represent the pinnacle of human spending power. These masterpieces are highly cherished by investors, collectors, and art lovers alike. The top five most expensive artworks ever sold are a testament to the enduring value of art. Ranging from the masterful brushstrokes of Leonardo da Vinci to the bold color fields of Mark Rothko, these works hold more capital than some banks. In this article, we will take a closer look at the most expensive artworks ever sold, examining the artists, the works, and the prices they fetched at auction or private sale. Whether you are a seasoned collector or simply an art enthusiast, read on to discover the most valuable paintings in history.

What does World’s Best AI ‘ChatGPT’ think about Top Art, Antiques, and Collectibles? We Asked!

The World Art News asked the World’s Leading Artificial Intelligence system ‘ChatGPT’ to write an article about top art, antiques, and collectibles. In less than a minute we received a shockingly good art story written entirely by a machine! We did not edit a single word or punctuation. This is what the AI wrote:

“Art as an investment has been a popular choice for centuries, with many investors purchasing pieces by well-known artists with the hope of selling them at a higher price in the future. The art market has seen some significant booms in recent years, with the value of certain artists and pieces skyrocketing. However, it’s important to note that the art market can be highly speculative and illiquid, and values can fluctuate greatly. The art market’s value is also often driven by the market sentiments, trends, and the demand for certain artists.”

Is Art Financing Terrorism?

Art and terrorism seem to be worlds apart, however what most people perceive as heritage and culture – criminal organizations see as cold hard cash. Cash that is hard to trace and very easy to move undetected through any borders of any country.

First crucial point to understand is that when we are talking about art, we do not mean your local flea market ‘stuff’. Nor do we limit ourselves to just paintings. We are talking about high-end ‘movable cultural property’ consisting of art, antiques, and collectibles … very expensive art, antiques, and collectibles. Items that by far exceed a $100,000 dollars benchmark.

Second point to understand – there are lots of them, everywhere, in every country, city, and town. In fact there will never be a shortage of them. With the latest modern art hype the market literally became a factory. These modern creations are breaking multimillion dollar records at top auctions around the world.

Top 5 Best-Performing American Artists of 2022

This article shows a selection made by MutualArt of the Top 5 US Artists of 2022 due to their performance in sales and exhibitions of their work. The top performers are:

1. Andy Warhol (1928 – 1987)

Andy Warhol was an American Postwar & Contemporary artist who was born in 1928. In 2022 he achieved sales for 570,207,409 USD

Numerous key galleries and museums such as Hamburger Bahnhof, Museum of Contemporary Art have featured Andy Warhol’s work in the past.

Since 1998 the record price for this artist at auction is 195,040,000 USD for “Shot Sage Blue Marilyn” which sold at Christie’s New York in 2022. 

Learn more about the other best-performing American artists of 2022.

Takeaways from a Record-Breaking Early Auction Season

Collection sales dominated headlines of another record-breaking fall auction season, while the emerging market feels the pressure of economic worries.

With art market prices soaring as of late, recent blue-chip auctions were projected to reach significant high-flying, record-breaking heights. Not only did these lots deliver, but in some instances their price tags surpassed their monumental estimates. The highly anticipated Paul Allen collection, the personal assortment of paintings and sculptures owned by the late Microsoft co-founder, blew past the $1 billion estimated value, which already would’ve made his collection the most expensive ever sold.

While some say the results of the Phillips auction suggests a cooling of the market, works of personal collections, especially those hidden from public view for prolonged periods of time are doing exceedingly well.

Sotheby’s Successful NFT Auction of ‘MetaSkull’ Collection Brought Over $665K for Famed Contemporary Artist Jacky Tsai

Jacky Tsai and Froyo Games, a Web3 GameFi platform, announced the successful auction sale of “MetaSkull 元宇宙骷髅”(1/1001), the first digital art NFT in the MetaSkull collection, which is a series consisting of 1001 unique NFTs created with generative art programming. The auction was hosted by Sotheby’s – a Xperience Digital Art Auction, with the unique skull motif’s final bid concluding at USD $7,700 (HKD $60,480). 

The combined auction proceeds from Mr. Tsai’s digital artworks amounted to USD $665,832 (HKD $5,226,480), with a total of 5 lots sold – including Jacky’s impressive “Golden Years”, which sold for USD $321,036 (HKD $2,520,000).

METASKULL NFT DROP | Renowned Digital Artist Jacky Tsai and Froyo Games Launch Skull Art NFTs for Metaverse

Jacky’s first digital project was an NFT titled “Chinese Floral Skull, Lot 37” that sold at Sotheby’s auction for $302,400 US, which was the highest price paid for an NFT designed by an Asian artist.

Jacky Tsai, a London-based and Shanghai-born modern contemporary artist, is pleased to announce “MetaSkull Collection 元宇宙骷髅”, his inaugural Skull Art NFT collection that features the artist’s iconic skull motif designs.

Mr. Tsai worked in collaboration with Froyo Games, a Web3 gaming platform with extensive video-game development experience globally, to develop and launch the MetaSkull Collection, which is geared for the metaverse. 

PIGUET HISTORICAL AUCTION: The World Swiss Foundation & The Minkoff Collection | Total $3-4 Million

PIGUET HISTORICAL AUCTION – Total Estimate: 3-4 Million CHF

The World Swiss Foundation – over 500 lots.

The Minkoff Collection – over 300 lots.

Rare oil painting by Ferdinand Hodler.

Bronze by Rembrandt Bugatti from Alain Delon’s collection.

Many exceptional historical treasures are listed at auction for the First Time!

20 – 21 September, 2022 | Geneva, Switzerland

PIGUET GREAT AUCTION: From Fine Art & Jewellery to Ferrari Memorabilia and more! Total $5 – 7.5 Million

PRESS RELEASE – Geneva, 4 June, 2022

PIGUET is pleased to organize a Great Auction of:

Fine jewellery in aid of supporting young designers

Botero, Degas, Giacometti, Picabia celebrating the female figure

The incredible Charles-Edouard Duflon collection reflecting his unusual character

First Ferrari Memorabilia sale

The Château Le Rosey library of rare books and much more!