Interview with Sotheby’s: Street Art Becomes Fine Art

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The Sotheby's Boundless sale of contemporary art on January 20, 2015 represented an extraordinary achievement for street art and its latest champion, Invader, the French mosaic street artist. In the artist’s Sotheby’s debut, the sale of Alias HK_58, a replica of the artist’s original street work destroyed in Hong Kong, had a winning bid of US$206k. To put this in perspective, no other currently at-work urban artist besides Banksy has ever commanded a hammer price above US$200k at auction, and Invader's former highest bid recorded at auction was US$27.5k in 2008.

Invader's Alias HK_58, ceramic tiles on a glass panel, executed 2014. Realized US$252k. Image courtesy Sotheby's

Invader's Alias HK_58, ceramic tiles on a glass panel, executed 2014. Realized US$252k. Image courtesy Sotheby's

When asked about this impressive sale, Sotheby’s director for Southeast Asia said, “The sale performed extremely well and the overall result was above expectations as it was above the high estimate. We had a very good attendance to the exhibition and to the saleroom and were very pleased to welcome new buyers at Sotheby’s.”

Takashi Murakami, Limited Edition 'Petit Panda'. Mixed media, made in 2009 in collaboration with Louis Vuitton. Realized US$24k. Image courtesy Sotheby's.

Takashi Murakami, Limited Edition 'Petit Panda'. Mixed media, made in 2009 in collaboration with Louis Vuitton. Realized US$24k. Image courtesy Sotheby's.

In addition to Invader, the auction also sold pieces by Tracey Emin, Takashi Murakami, and Pablo Picasso. The auction also featured pieces of 20th century furniture by designers like Charlotte Perriand and Charles and Ray Eames.

To read the full interview with Sotheby’s Hong Kong director, visit Style by Asia.

Credit: urbanDNA

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