Ashok Nag
Indian artists like Subodh Gupta, Bharti Kher, Anish Kapoor, Raqib Shaw and TV Santosh are slated to fire up Sotheby’s international sale of contemporary art in London soon. The renowned auctioneer is offering eight works by ‘cutting-edge’ Indian artists. The pieces are estimated to cost over £2 million. An untitled 2003 sculpture by Anish Kapoor leads the group in terms of value, showing an estimate of £1-1 .5 million. “Anish Kapoor’s stunning piece embodies the pioneering manipulation of space and material that characterises the very best output of this worldrenowned sculptor,” James Sevier, a specialist in Sotheby’s contemporary art department, told ET in an email from London. “It manifests dualities that have become synonymous with Mr Kapoor’s seminal canon, presence versus absence; infinity versus illusion; and solidity versus intangiblity.” An untitled black Belgian granite sculpture by Mr Kapoor will also be offered at an estimate of £400,000-600 ,000. A third Kapoor piece is a lacquered bronze sculpture titled After Marsyas. The title of the sculpture relates to Mr Kapoor’s 2002 commission for the Unilever Series in the Turbine Hall at Tate Modern entitled Marysas. After Marsyas is estimated at £70,000-90 ,000. Subodh Gupta’s untitled 2005 creation is estimated between £200,000 and £300,000. The work will see Mr Gupta, arguably one of the most internationally recognised of Indian Contemporary artists, take the stage in a major Evening Sale of Contemporary Art at Sotheby’s once again. A second Subodh Gupta work from an edition of three untitled (Across Seven Seas) is pegged at £40,000-60 ,000. At the same time, Bharti Kher’s fibreglass, wood and fur work, Misdemeanours is priced at £40,000-60 ,000. In step, Raqib Shaw’s Chrysanthemum & Bee (after Kotsushika Hokusai) is estimated at £80,000-120 ,000, while TV Santosh’s 2005 oil on canvas, Man-Made Famine and the Rats is valued at £40,000-60 ,000. Mr Sevier added, “The group of works by contemporary Indian artists being offered in our July sales is the largest group of its kind to be offered in our international Contemporary Art sales in London. This indicates the growing international focus on this area of the market. The tightly curated assemblage reveals the broad variety of themes, materials and ideas that are flourishing within India’s contemporary arts scene at the beginning of the 21st century. As the country’s traditional beliefs and rural way of life are confronted with the rapid pace of change exacerbated by the country’s urban transformation and the global media, the work of these artists explores the divisions and conflicts prevalent in Indian society today.” Summing up, Mr Sevier said, “We have witnessed a huge growth in demand for works by Indian (Contemporary) artists over the past 18 months. Their work is increasingly being sought by Western and Indian collectors. This demand has seen new record price levels continually being achieved at auction. We expect the works on offer in July to follow recent trends, affirming the position of these artists as some of the most innovative and influential names on the international Contemporary Art auction market today.”
