Aste Bolaffi
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Auction IndustryArtist to Know: Liang Yuanwei
Aste Bolaffi’s Upcoming Sale Presents Three Meticulous Flower Paintings Liang Yuanwei, one of China’s rising contemporary women artists, has long recognized the challenge of building a career in patriarchal art spaces. Despite difficulties obtaining gallery space and gaining respect without tokenization, Liang continues to push the boundaries of contemporary painting. Two decades of artmaking have delivered a lesson of cautious self-reliance. Speaking with Culture Trip’s Luise Guest in a 2016 interview, Liang described her artistic journey: “I now think more about the relationship between myself as the artist, my work and the world. I have become a curator of myself.” Three oil paintings from Liang will be available in Aste Bolaffi’s upcoming sale, held on December 14th, 2020, at 11:00 AM EST. Get to know Liang Yuanwei before placing a bid. Liang Yuanwei, 2017. Image from K11 Art Foundation. Liang has spent years finding her place in the art world. Born in the capital of China’s Shaanxi province, she struggled to teach herself painting techniques. She sometimes enlisted the help of younger undergraduate students to learn the basics of canvas stretching before finally earning her art degree. With time, Liang established herself as a multidisciplinary artist in Beijing. Her early years saw extensive experimentation as she switched between painting, photography, and full-scale installations. By the early 2000s, Liang began painting the canvases that would propel her to international recognition. She leans equally on the thick brushstrokes of Paul Cézanne and her rich cultural heritage while creating replicas of fabric scraps. Some of her subjects are heavy silks and brocades, while others are simple aprons and tablecloths. By imitating the work of the loom with her paintbrush, Liang seeks to explore the compulsory femininity of her society. Liang’s work also challenges the notions of “high art” by drawing upon mass-produced commercial designs. Even Liang’s seemingly plain paintings require hours of work. They often recall the layered style of Italian frescoes, requiring extreme patience and forethought. The artist has described the time-consuming nature of her system: “Every painting was started from the top and drawn to the bottom, which means when I…
Press ReleaseStanley Kubrick Memorabilia Auction: 24,000 Euros For The Jacket From The Shining
Jack Torrance’s jacket in The Shining was sold by Aste Bolaffi for 24,000 euros (including buyer’s premium). After a long battle of Internet bids, a Californian collector won the jacket included in the cinema auction dedicated to Stanley Kubrick. The burgundy velvet jacket, one of the most iconic stage clothes in film history, was the top lot of the sale. Many enthusiasts and curious participants attended the auction of Emilio D’Alessandro’s collection, the director’s long-time assistant, and over one hundred bidders participated from all over the world, especially from the United States.The most iconic set props were highly sought-after, in particular: the rug with an optical design from the Colorado Lounge in the Overlook Hotel, where the crazy main character “works” on his novel, sold to an American buyer for 16,250 euros, and the long film fragment of “The Shining” given to D’Alessandro by the director, which sold for 8,100 euros.Kubrick’s military jacket sold for 12,500 euros and his membership card for the “Writers Guild of America”, the American union for screenwriters, was a great success, rising from a starting price of 1,000 euros to a final price of 16,250 euros. The collection of signed letters from the director achieved very good results as well, in particular “The last mail pickup”, the last message written by Kubrick to Emilio, in which the director admits that he is very sad that Emilio will soon return to Italy, was sold for 2,000 euros.The auction ended up with over 75% of lots sold, and a total of over 130,000 euros (including buyer’s premium).
- Press Release
QUASIMODO NOBEL PRIZE MEDAL SOLD FOR 125,000 EUROS
Salvatore Quasimodo’s Nobel Prize Medal has been sold for 125,000 euros (buyer’s fees included) today at Bolaffi Auctions in Turin. The lot, which can not be exported outside the Italian territory, because of a procedure of cultural interest by the Italian Ministry, was purchased by an Italian numismatics dealer from Florence. Part of the proceeds of the sale will be awarded by Bolaffi Auctions to finance a scholarship in Milan for the most deserving student of the high school attended by Quasimodo in Sicily. Filippo Bolaffi, Ceo of Bolaffi Group, states: “Today’s result is quite significant for the Italian market but it could have been much higher without the procedure by the Italian government that cut off all the possible foreign bidders”.
- Press Release
Football Memorabilia Auction: 100% Of Lots Sold, 140.000 Euros Total Revenue
AC Milan’s charter top lot, sold for 93.750 euros to a Milan lawyer Gigi Riva’s shirt goes back home: sold to Cagliari Football Club 100% of lots sold and 140.000 euros (including commissions) is the total result of Aste Bolaffi’s Football Memorabilia auction that took place today in Milan. The top lot of the sale, which featured 19 lots, was AC Milan’s charter that a prominent lawyer from Milan, Giuseppe La Scala, bought from the floor for 93.750 euros. He justified his purchase stating that this was a necessary gesture from the team’s supporters to preserve the club’s memory, given the absence of AC Milan’s representatives at the auction.The second top lot was the Cagliari n.11 shirt that belonged to Gigi Riva that he wore in 1970, on the day that the team from Sardinia won its historic “scudetto”; the emblematic shirt takes a return trip back home, being purchased by an executive member of the team for 16.250 euros.Juventus football club’s Number 1 shirt, worn by its goalkeeper Dino Zoff, fetched 6.500 euros and was purchased through the internet Charity platform “Charitystars.com” on behalf of a client.
First Classic Cars And Motor Vehicles Auction On May 23RD AT “La Pista Di Arese” (MILAN)
Among the highlights there are a 1955 Lancia Aurelia B24s Spider, the Alfa Romeo 8c Pandion 2010, and the Bertone Nuccio 2012 For its first Classic Cars and Motor Vehicles Auction, scheduled for May 23rd at “La Pista di Arese” (Milan), Aste Bolaffi will present some of the most iconic vintage cars, with models that range from the pre-war period to the youngtimer, together with motorcycles and unique pieces from Stile Bertone bankruptcy procedure, including various original designs, style models and the last two prototypes created by the historic coachbuilder, Alfa Romeo 8c Pandion 2010 and the Bertone Nuccio 2012. All the vehicles included in the auction catalogue are perfectly preserved or carefully restored, and meet the very high quality standards that since 1890 make Bolaffi a landmark in the field of collectibles.The selection of cars features around 60 models, with both interesting and iconic cars that are representative of the 20th and 21st centuries. The top lot is a 1955 Lancia Aurelia B24S Spider, a highly sought-after model made famous by the film “Il Sorpasso” by Dino Risi. This red model offered at auction was invited to participate in the 2014 Concorso d’eleganza di Villa d’Este (estimate € 900k-1.100k).Among the highlights there is also a rare 1931 Isotta Fraschini 8B Landaulet Imperiale from Carrozzeria Castagna Milano, an important example of meticulous restoration (estimate € 700k-900k). An exquisite 1930 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Cabriolet Gangloff, a 1951 Lancia Aurelia B51 Berlina Pininfarina, a 1956 Alfa Romeo 1900 Super Primavera by Boano, a 1982 Ferrari BB 512i, a 1973 BMW 2002 Cabrio and a 1969 Maserati Quattroporte Frua are highly anticipated lots as well. Porsche is strongly represented by a selection of 911s, including a 1970 2.2 S and a very valuable 1973 Carrera RS 2.7 originally sold in Italy to a private customer and recently professionally restored (estimate € 600k-800k). A 1975 Alfa Romeo 1300 Spider will be part of the sale as well; it’s a unique custom-built car with personalized interiors thanks to the partnership between Garage Italia and Fratelli Cozzi Alfa Garage. Among the supercars there is a 1998 Lamborghini Diablo VT authenticated with the support of Automobili Lamborghini.The racing motorcycles are also highly represented, with the presence, among others, of a Triumph Trident 750 “Koelliker”, part of the team that participated in the 1972 Bol d’Or as team Koelliker, a Norton Manxproduced in 1960 and in perfect…
- Press Release
Classic Cars Auction: Top Lot Alfa Romeo 8C Pandion, Sold For €575.000
Leads of the sale: Stile Bertone and Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage Aste Bolaffi first “Classic Cars and Motorcycles” auction was attend by over 300 collectors and motor enthusiasts from all over the world last May 23 at “La Pista di Arese” (Milan). The targeted decision to offer both unique and rare cars and more affordable models was rewarded: the same enthusiasm, in fact, was shown for the sale of the tiny Isetta, auctioned off for €38.000, and for that of the 2010 Alfa Romeo 8C Pandion. The spectacular concept car designed for Alfa Romeo’s 100th anniversary was highly sought-after and was finally purchased in the room by a famous collector for €575.000 (including buyer’s premium) after a long and fierce battle, securing the title of auction’s top lot. In second place came the 2012 Bertone Nuccio: the last prototype created by the historic coachbuilder before its foreclosure to celebrate Bertone’s 100th anniversary, was sold for € 330.000. To fully preserve their historic importance, both cars were auctioned off grouped with other artifacts as projects, photographs, prizes won and, in the case of the Nuccio, also the 1:1 scale 3D style model that was presented in Geneva in March 2012. Stile Bertone ex designer Mike Robinson remarked with satisfaction: “My creations will be able to present the magic of Italian design to the world“.There were dozens of bid raises for the style drawings from Stile Bertone’s bankruptcy procedure as well. A total of over 5.000 pieces offered as a single lot, due to the initiation of the process of cultural interest by the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage which prevented their sale as individual lots, were purchased for €62.000. In addition to Stile Bertone drawings, for the first time in the country’s history, the process of cultural interest also involved seven cars, including Isotta Fraschini 8B Imperial Laundalette, 1930 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Cabriolet Gangloff and Autobianchi Stellina, which went unsold.Filippo Bolaffi, Aste Bolaffi CEO, commented: “This auction had two winners: Bertone and the Ministry of Cultural Heritage which, with only a few hours from the sale start, initiated seven processes affecting cars worth 1,5 million euros. It is difficult to understand a decision that prevented foreign clients from purchasing many cars and, at the same time, is mortifying for the “Made in Italy” brand,…
