Provenance
Friedman Benda, New York
Private Collection, Europe
Catalogue Essay
Outspoken, highly talented and influential, Ai Weiwei is one of China’s most notorious contemporary artists. A major political activist, Weiwei was arrested by authorities in 2011 and imprisoned for three months, resulting in widespread protest. Against a backdrop of strict censorship, his groundbreaking oeuvre is deeply concerned with current political and social issues. His vast and varied output includes the monumental installation, ‘The Unilever Series: Sunfower Seeds’ exhibited in Tate Modern between 2010 and 2011 and his collaboration with architects Herzog and De Meuron in designing the Bird’s Nest stadium for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

At a time when the West is increasingly engaging with Chinese Contemporary art, Ai Weiwei has transcended the label ‘Chinese artist’. From 1981-1993 he worked in the United States, primarily in New York, as such his artistic forebears belong predominantly to the Western avant-garde tradition, including: Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns and Marcel Duchamp. He became highly interested in the concept of the ready-made, thus Marble Chair can be understood as creating a dialogue between utility, artistic production and intentionality.

The present lot, carved from a single piece of stone, at first glance brings to mind notions of comfort, rooted in domestic, universal familiarity. However, this is undermined by the unconventional choice of material which introduces a sense of grandeur and an edge of humour, reminiscent of the ironic undertones of Warhol’s artistic practice. Marble is deeply associated with the Western canon of art, therefore by using it for a typically Chinese object, a yoke back chair, the artist converges traditions of the East and West. Here, the purity of form leaves a lasting, ultimately satisfying impression of untarnished perfection. Conceptually, this poignant work is far more complex than the functional idea of sitting on the chair itself. The precious nature of the material, the effort of production and the narrative content create a powerful, provocative commentary on the nature of the human condition.

21

Ai Weiwei

Marble Chair

2008
marble
117 x 58.5 x 44.8 cm (46 1/8 x 23 x 17 5/8 in.)
Titled, numbered and dated 'MARBLE CHAIR 013 2008-06' on a label affixed to the underside.

Estimate
£60,000 - 80,000

Sold for £92,500

Contact Specialist
Peter Sumner
Head of Contemporary Art, London
psumner@phillips.com
+44 207 318 4063

Contemporary Evening Sale

London Auction 2 July 2014 7pm

1
David Ostrowski
F (Gee Vaucher)
Estimate £30,000 - 50,000 ♠†
Sold for £170,500
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
2
Tauba Auerbach
Untitled (Fold)
Estimate £250,000 - 350,000 ‡
Sold for £386,500
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
3
Rudolf Stingel
Untitled
Estimate £400,000 - 600,000 ♠
Sold for £842,500
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
4
Lucien Smith
Boys Don't Cry
Estimate £40,000 - 60,000 ‡
Sold for £116,500
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
5
Wade Guyton
Untitled
Estimate £500,000 - 700,000 ‡
Sold for £602,500
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
6
Mark Bradford
An Opening On The Left
Estimate £400,000 - 600,000
Sold for £698,500
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
7
Sterling Ruby
SP33
Estimate £500,000 - 700,000 †
Sold for £542,500
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
8
Richard Prince
My Life as a Weapon
Estimate £550,000 - 750,000 ‡
Sold for £680,500
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
9
Andy Warhol
Self-Portrait
Estimate £2,500,000 - 3,500,000 ‡
Sold for £2,882,500
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
10
Damien Hirst
Lucy
Estimate £150,000 - 250,000 ‡♠
Sold for £290,500
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
11
This lot is no longer available.
12
Antony Gormley
Domain XI (Freefall)
Estimate £150,000 - 250,000 ♠
Sold for £182,500
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
13
Anish Kapoor
Untitled
Estimate £600,000 - 800,000 ‡♠
Sold for £812,500
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
14
Gilbert & George
Tree Jesus
Estimate £80,000 - 120,000 ‡♠
Sold for £86,500
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
15
Ed Ruscha
Spots
Estimate £180,000 - 250,000
Sold for £230,500
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
16
Anselm Kiefer
Alexandria
Estimate £200,000 - 300,000 ‡♠
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
17
This lot is no longer available.
18
Robert Morris
Untitled (Brown Felt)
Estimate £180,000 - 250,000
Sold for £158,500
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
19
Robert Mangold
Column Structure XXII A
Estimate £150,000 - 250,000
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
20
Ed Ruscha
Reef
Estimate £150,000 - 250,000
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
21
Ai Weiwei
Marble Chair
Estimate £60,000 - 80,000
Sold for £92,500
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
22
Zhang Huan
Family Tree
Estimate £100,000 - 150,000 ‡
Sold for £206,500
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
23
Adriana Varejão
A Grande Curva
Estimate £200,000 - 300,000 ‡
Sold for £422,500
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
24
Rudolf Stingel
Untitled
Estimate £120,000 - 180,000 ‡♠
Sold for £122,500
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
25
Jacob Kassay
Untitled
Estimate £120,000 - 180,000 ‡
Sold for £164,500
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
26
Mark Flood
Mineral
Estimate £30,000 - 50,000 ‡
Sold for £86,500
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
27
Ashley Bickerton
Stratified Landscape #3
Estimate £40,000 - 60,000 ‡
Sold for £43,750
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
28
Alex Hubbard
Rockaway One
Estimate £40,000 - 60,000 ‡
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
29
KAWS
Projector
Estimate £60,000 - 80,000
Sold for £98,500
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.

Contemporary Evening Sale

London Auction 2 July 2014 7pm

Create your first list.

Provenance

Catalogue Essay

21

Ai Weiwei

Marble Chair

Contemporary Evening Sale

Create your first list.

Create your first list.

Create your first list.

Create your first list.

Create your first list.

Create your first list.

Create your first list.

Create your first list.

Create your first list.

Create your first list.

Create your first list.

Create your first list.

Create your first list.

Create your first list.

Create your first list.

Create your first list.

Create your first list.

Create your first list.

Create your first list.

Create your first list.

Create your first list.

Create your first list.

Create your first list.

Create your first list.

Create your first list.

Create your first list.

Create your first list.