Koller View 3/22

INTER 10 Approximately how many works of post-war & con- temporary art come up for auction each year at Kol- ler? Each of our PostWar and Contemporary Art auctions, which are held in June and December, contains 100 to 150 works. In addition, we hold two ‘ibid online only’ auctions annually. What distinguishes the auction market for con- temporary and post-war art from how art galleries handle these works? Before artworks can be successfully offered at auc- tion, i.e. on the secondary market, galleries will have established the artists on the primary market. That is Specialist Silke Stahlschmidt on Koller’s PostWar & Contemporary Art department Contemporaryart : astateofconstantrenewal the crucial difference. Galleries represent artists di- rectly, organise exhibitions, publish their first catalo- gues, and show the works at fairs. In short, they build up a collector base and accompany and promote the artists’ development. The secondary market functions as an intermediary between collectors who want to sell a work and those who want to acquire one. We deal mainly in works by artists who are already established on the primary market and are familiar to a wide circle of collectors. Who collects the art of the last 70 years or so? There are collectors who build up a comprehensive group of works with a specific focus or concept. Then there are many people who love art, and every now and then purchase individual works that appeal to them. And last but not least, there are buyers in the high-price segment who invest or speculate. In my experience, the latter make up a comparatively small proportion of all collectors. What about purchases by museums and instituti- ons? Museums and institutions follow auctions and make purchases, to the extent that their often-limited ac- quisition budgets allow. Museums have purchased works fromus on several occasions in recent years; for example, wonderful paintings by Wilfried Moser and Marcia Hafif have entered Swiss museum collections. Art history thrives on formative currents and well- known names. What and who should not be missing from a sophisticated collection in your field? Collecting is a very personal, intuitive activity and there are all kinds of focal points one can set. You can focus on the subject or the technique; stick to the so- called ‘blue chips’, or make it your goal to discover new and lesser-known artists, styles and mediums. For me, a sophisticated collection has a coherent con- cept, such as the Goetz Collection in Munich, which is broadly oriented in terms of artistic positions, but always covers the artists’ various creative phases. Or the Stoschek Collection in Düsseldorf, which is dedi- cated to the medium of video. Such a concept tends to include artists who are essential to the develop- ment of the field. Alighiero Boetti (1940–1994). Aerei. 1983. Pen on paper, laid down on canvas (triptych). 70 × 150 cm (70 × 50 cm. each). Sold for CHF 366 000 Lucio Fontana (1899–1968). Concetto spaziale. Attese. Monochrome white. Idropittura on canvas. 62 x 51 cm. Sold for CHF 1,67million FOR CONSIGNMENTS AND ESTIMATES POSTWAR & CONTEMPORARY Silke Stahlschmidt stahlschmidt@kollerauctions.com www.kollerauctions.com © Fondazione Lucio Fontana, Milano / 2022, ProLitteris, Zurich © 2022, ProLitteris, Zurich