Mixed response to Indian works at Christie's

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Mixed response to Indian works at Christie's

Hong Kong, May 29 (IANS) There were 16 works by Indian artists in the Asian Contemporary Art sale at Christie's Hong Kong. But the results were a mixed bag.

Christie's Hong Kong unveiled the largest auction series in Asia Sunday with the sale of Modern and Contemporary Southeast Asian Art, 20th Century Chinese Art and Asian Contemporary Art, achieving astonishing results. But one wonders if it was a wise thing to include the names of Indian artists in the show.

First among the Indian works was Atul Dodiya's Devoured Darkness series - 'What's the Darkness on the Eyes', a work that combined Dodiya's steel, fibreglass, watercolour and charcoal on paper estimated at HK $620,000-775,000, went to the hammer for $HK 840,000.

Anju Dodiya's 'The Site', an acrylic on mattress estimated at HK $380,000-545,000, went for a historic ascent of HK $1,320,000 which made her the record holder of the Indian section of 16 works in the auction.

Then there was Subodh Gupta who had two works - his 'Idol Thief (7)', an oil on canvas estimated at HK $240,000-390,000 of Lot 368, sold for HK $1,440,000.

His untitled Airport series estimated at HK $200,000-270,000, Lot 367, sold for HK $1,020,000

British-born Bharti Kher, who also happens to be Gupta's wife, had one work untitled (Spiral) Bindis and mixed media on board estimated at HK $140,000- 195,000 went for an appreciable HK $300,000

Jitish Kallat was the only artist who had three works in the show. Kallat's 'Naked Skyline - Porous Air' estimated at HK $80,000-115,000 went for an impressive HK $456,000. The other two works saw much lower values.

Sunil Gawde's 'Bulb 4' from his Bulb series estimated at HK $70,000-90,000 went for HK $156,000

Jiten Thukral and Sumir Tagra - the duo who work together - had one work, 'Homo Sapiens 2', estimated at HK$45,000-60,000, went for a high of HK $228,000 that put them on the global graph.

Hema Upadhyay, the artist whose work reflects on gender, caste and dislocation, combined dissonant elements to evoke a sense of transient nostalgia. Her untitled mixed media on paper estimated at HK $38,000-80,000 went for HK $57,600 but the record that she achieved was for her mixed media work 'Bleeding Hearts' that went to the hammer for HK $156,000 from a humble estimate of HK $60,000-75,000.

Then there was L.N. Tallur, whose plastic sculptural 'Black Humour Inflated Deflated' work that raises questions about `Is it art?' went for a limp HK $78,000 which was just around its estimate of HK $65,000-80,000.

The Modern & Contemporary Southeast Asian Art sale fetched HK $51,612,800/US $6,709,664, the highest total ever achieved in this category anywhere in the world.

The 20th Century Chinese Art sale and Asian Contemporary Art sale realised a combined total of HK $301,359,200/US $39,176,696, also the highest total ever achieved anywhere in the world.

Of course, from the word go it was the Chinese works that took the day, the bids and the limelight.

Perhaps a little more thought on the choices of inclusion and the logic for auction lists will make Christie's a little more cautious in future. After a Dubai sale that had quite a few good Indian works and seasoned names one wonders if this set of 16 were too hastily chosen.

Records bring much applause but as prices soar, buyers can also waver and in terms of the quality and kind of works this selection has not been auction wise! The hunt for new names must not be a case of too much too soon. Neither can Indian art go along with the adage 'anything goes!' International buyers are wiser and more prudent.

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Mixed response to Indian works at Christie's