HELL YES!

The New Museum on the BoweryArt sellers may be lowering the bar at recent sales at Christie’s and Sotheby’s but HELL YES is too right at the New Museum who raised $1.2 million at their spring UN-GALA held downtown in the penthouse at Seven World Trade Center on April 29, 2009. A host of artists donated editions that were crucial to the success of the benefit and the Museum had the added bonus of presenting a singular work for the live auction, a generous donation from the artist, Karen Kilimnik of a Special Portrait Commission. Tobias Meyer, Sotheby’s Worldwise Head of Contemporary Art, took to the podium cracking the opening bid at $50,000. With great deft he brisky sold the commission for $260,000, above the high estimate and a remarkable deal for the rare opportunity of a personal portrait done by the artist. The painting, oil on canvas, will have a minimum size of 11 x 14 inches. The commission was courtesy of 303 Gallery with all proceeds benefitting the New Museum.

Also unveiled at the UN-GALA was an exclusive Limited Edition by Ai Weiwei titled Kui Hua Zi (Sun Flower Seeds), 1,000 sculpted and hand-painted porcelain sunflower seeds in a handmade glass jar. It’s an edition of 30 with 12 APs and priced at $7,500. The edition is being offered to a wider group of collectors and what remains from the edition will be on view at the booth of Carolina Nitsch at the upcoming Basel Art Fair in Switzerland. All proceeds from the sale of the edition benefit The New Museum.