Auction in support of Kochi Biennale Foundation

Saffronart to host a fundraiser on October 31 featuring works by more than 40 leading modern and contemporary artists

Saffronart and the Kochi Biennale Foundation (KBF) will hold a fundraiser auction on October 31 in support of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale. The KBF is a non-profit charitable trust engaged in promoting art and culture and educational activities in India. Saffronart, founded in 2000 by Minal and Dinesh Vazirani, has hosted almost 100 auctions.
Featuring artworks by more than 40 leading modern and contemporary artists, the net proceeds from the auction will benefit the efforts of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, which showcases leading talent from India and around the world.

Most artworks on offer have no reserve price, and there will be no buyer’s premium on any of the lots.
Among the lots on offer are works by Amrita Sher-Gil, Subodh Gupta, Bharti Kher, Manisha Parekh, Varunika Saraf, Vivan Sundaram, Thukral and Tagra, Atul Dodiya, G R Iranna, B Manjunath Kamath, Parvathi Nayar, Bharat Sikka, Pushpamala N, and international artist Francesco Clemente. Some of the artworks have been donated by the artists themselves, making them patrons of the Biennale. Most artists have been represented at previous editions of the Biennale.
The auction features an exciting mix of photographs, paintings, and sculptures. Among the highlights are two works on paper, dated 1927, by Amrita Sher-Gil.

Sher-Gil was one of India’s most important women artists of the 20th century. Her works are rare to come by, and it is rarer still, for two of her artworks to be offered in the same auction. Also on offer is Ascending (2017), by leading Italian contemporary artist Francesco Clemente.
Clemente, who first visited India in 1973, gained international fame when he participated in the Venice Biennale in 1970. His work has been shown at exhibitions around the world. Other auction highlights include T V Santhosh’s Uploads of a Survivor III (2013), Bharti Kher’s Duck Face (2016), Subodh Gupta’s Untitled (2017) — a stainless steel installation, and a set of two prints by Bharat Sikka (2014/15).
The auction highlights the efforts of Minal and Dinesh Vazirani as supporters of art and culture. As the official auction house associated with the Biennale, this is the second time that Saffronart is partnering with the Kochi Biennale Foundation for a fundraiser auction. The first edition of the auction was held in April 2015, where net proceeds amounted to over Rs2 crores. Nearly 93 per cent of the works sold, contributing to the funds needed to sustain the Biennale.
“As the largest art event in the country, the Kochi-Muziris Biennale has gained immense significance over the past three editions. Its efforts to enhance recognition and appreciation for emerging and established artists require the support of both the government and private institutions. Saffronart is proud to conduct the Kochi Biennale Foundation Fundraiser Auction, and support the Foundation in its fundraising efforts, ” said Dinesh Vazirani, who will conduct the auction at Saffronart Mumbai.
The auction is preceded by viewings in Mumbai. All lots can be viewed on saffronart.com once the catalog is available online. Bidding will take place in the room, online, on the phone, and on Saffronart’s mobile app.
The registration will begin at 7pm while the auction will kick off at 8 pm. Viewings are available from October 27-30, 11am to 7 pm, by appointment only.

For more details, log on to www.saffronart.com

Source http://gulfnews.com/culture/arts/auction-in-support-of-kochi-biennale-foundation-1.2112641