Unsurprisingly, the powerful message and the perfect execution of this installation won headlines across the globe and were a permanent fixture on the social media channels of all art lovers and visitors to Venice alike. Happily, the wider art world continues to rally in the face of global challenges, and 2017 has so far witnessed a number of industry highs also. Sotheby’s in New York recorded a record auction result when Untitled by Jean-Michel Basquiat sold for a record $110.5 million (£85m) in May 2017, representing not only a record for Basquiat sales, but also a record for any work by an American artist at auction. This was swiftly followed by another world record-breaking sale
during Christie’s 20th Century Week in June 2017 when Max Beckmann’s Hölle der Vögel ( Birds’ Hell ) sold for £36,005,000, which was not only the highest price achieved for the artist at auction, but
also the highest selling price for an Expressionistic work. These sales demonstrate an enduring confidence in art, and give great hope for many more triumphs for the industry as we look towards 2018.
FINE ART COLLECTOR AUTUMN 2017 21
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