translated by Giorgina Arcuri

On 15th May, “Contemporary Art Part I” was held at Phillips de Pury & Co. New York, a sale that concluded the New York sessions of the three main international auction houses dedicated to contemporary art, confirming once again the excellent condition of contemporary art on the market, which remains vital and continues receiving approvals and international participation. After Christie’s and Sotheby’s, which achieved record takings, even the young Phillips has realized a total of 59,001,000 dollars, with an 84% sale percentage.
As everyone had anticipated, the top-price of the auction was a beautiful painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat entitled “Untitled (Fallen Angel)” which, starting from an estimate of 8-12 million dollars, sold for 11,241,000 dollars. Besides this work which reflects all the artist’s geniality and visionary power, the New York auction selected Basquiat’s “Untitled” executed in 1987 which, presented with an estimate included between 2 and 3 million dollars, totalled 2,281,000 dollars.
“Contemporary Art Part I” also presented a selection of works by one of the most important artists on the scene of contemporary art: the American Jeff Koons. Great success was achieved by his “Self Portrait”, a definitely kitschy marble torso which comes from the Sonnabend Gallery and sold for 7,545,000 dollars, against an estimate of 6-8 million dollars. Among Koon’s other works which achieved excellent quotations, we must mention “Jim Beam – Caboose” which, from an estimate of 1,200,000-1,800,000 dollars, totalled 1,385,000 dollars and “New Shelton Wet/Dry 10 Gallon”, sold for 2,673,000 dollars against an estimate included between 1.5 and 2 million dollars.
Among the 65 lots auctioned by Phillips, the public in the saleroom assisted to the sale of six works by the English artist Damien Hirst, including: “Amphotericin B, 1993” (estimate 3-4 million dollars) selling for 3,177,000 dollars; “Since the Majority of Me Rejects the Majority of you – Vision” (estimate 1.5-2 million dollars), fetching 1,609,000 dollars; “Posterity – The Holy Place” (estimate 1-1.5 million dollars), achieving 1,441,000 dollars.
“Contemporary Art Part I” auctioned works of artists who can be considered the great celebrities of the contemporary art market. Among these we should mention the Japanese Takashi Murakami with “Superflat Monogram, 2003”, a typical print that transforms in Murakami style the typical logo of the French maison Louis Vuitton, which from an estimate of 700-900 thousand dollars, achieved 724,000 dollars. Not less precious “Untitled (Potratit)” by the American artist Richard Prince, sold for 1,273,000 dollars, against a pre-sale estimate of 1-1.5 million dollars, while an excellent result was achieved by Robert Gober with “Untitled” executed in 1990, which from an estimate of 1.2-1.8 million dollars, realized 3,625,000 dollars, but also by Gerhard Richter with his abstract painting entitled “Abstraktes Bild 610-1”, presented with an estimate of 5-7 million dollars and sold for 4,521,000 dollars.
Other important results include: “Andy Warhol, Sixteen Jackies” by Richard Pettibone (estimate 50-70 thousand dollars), sold for  253,000 dollars; “Exhibit #1” an oil on canvas executed by Luc Tuymans in 2002 which, from an estimate of 500-700 thousand dollars, sold for 541,000 dollars.
An artist who definitely saw his quotations rise is the artist from New York George Condo with “Tumbling Heads”, an oil on canvas executed in 2006 which, from an estimate of  300-400 thousand dollars, totalled 1,049,000 dollars, breaking his previous record of  713,000 dollars realized last November with “The Birdman” at Sotheby’s New York.