PHILLIPS ANNOUNCES ITS SECOND COLLABORATION WITH CURATOR
FRANCESCO BONAMI
AUCTION OF WORKS BY MAURIZIO CATTELAN AND LESSER KNOWN ITALIAN ARTISTS FROM THE LAST 100 YEARS
NEW YORK – 13 JANUARY 2015 – This spring Phillips will present the first-ever New York auction of Italian art at a major auction house. Driven by internationally prominent curator Francesco Bonami, the auction will reflect the depth of Italian art over the last 100 years and will present around 50 works by artists who are currently less familiar to an international audience of collectors.
Never shy of controversy, Francesco Bonami curated the 2008 exhibition Italics: Between Tradition and Revolution 1968-2008 at Palazzo Grassi in Venice. The exhibition subverted the traditional structure of contemporary Italian art by shifting the focus from the Arte Povera and Transavanguardia movements to lesser known figures that were, according to Bonami, essential to the understanding of the development of modern and contemporary Italian art and culture .
With the upcoming Italian sale at Phillips, Bonami will bring to the foreground an even broader spectrum, showcasing artists from the early 1900’s through recent figures like Paola Pivi, Roberto Cuoghi, and Maurizio Cattelan. By introducing a major Italian sale to New York, Phillips addresses the increased attention, curiosity and appetite for Italian art that has developed over the last two decades. Phillips and Bonami align in their belief that collectors have only witnessed the tip of the vast iceberg of lesser known Italian artists, and this sale represents their collective endorsement of the growing market for Italian art that aims to go beyond the economic value of the sale to reinforce the true and overlooked strength of Italian artists on the international panorama.
PHILLIPS:
As the only international auction house to concentrate exclusively on contemporary culture, Phillips has established a commanding position in the sale of Contemporary Art, Design, Photographs, Editions and Jewelry. Through the passionate dedication of its team of global specialists, the company has garnered an unparalleled wealth of knowledge of emerging market trends. Founded in London in 1796, Phillips conducts auctions in New York and London and has representative offices throughout Europe and in the United States. For more information, please visit: phillips.com.
-END-
Contacts:
LONDON
Alex Godwin-Brown
Communications and Marketing Manager
agodwin-brown@phillips.com
+ 44 20 7318 4036
NEW YORK
Trish Walsh
Marketing Manager, New York
twalsh@phillips.com
+1 212 940 1224
HEADQUARTERS
30 Berkeley Square
London W1J 6EX
+44 20 7318 4010
450 Park Avenue
New York NY 10022
+1 212 940 1200