Another RI auction house opens up in Singapore<\/p>\n
Carla Bianpoen, Contributor, Jakarta<\/p>\n
For art lovers, connoisseurs and art collectors, auctions are
\nusually events of great joy and high expectation.<\/p>\n
They are opportunities to meet friends and acquaintances, see
\nart works at previews that are like exquisite art exhibitions or
\nand become the proud owner of a beautiful catalog that will stand
\nout on the shelves of a home library.<\/p>\n
With an abundance of auctions held in the region, there is
\ncertainly plenty of art available. But it seems that \"plenty\" is
\nstill not enough.<\/p>\n
As of this coming Saturday, there will be more, especially for
\nthe international art crowd, for Indonesian auction house
\nBorobudur is going international.<\/p>\n
On that day, it will hold its inaugural auction at Shangri-La
\nhotel Singapore. Will they be competing with Larasati auction
\nhouse, which has earlier jumped to Singapore? \"Not really,\" says
\nJohn Andreas, Borobudur's boss who would rather be seen as
\nanother Indonesian contributor to the international art scene.<\/p>\n
Unlike the usual number of lots that lie between 100 and 200,
\nBorobudur is featuring only 32. But they are of the best quality
\nand made by world renowned masters, insists the Borobudur owner,
\nwho comes from a shipping business background.<\/p>\n
\"It is a family business called Benua Samudra Sentosa\",
\nelaborates 36-year-old John, who began his love affair with art
\ncollecting in 1998.<\/p>\n
While Affandi, Miguel Covarrubias, Hendra Gunawan, Willem
\nGerard Hofker, Le Mayeur de Merpres, Lee Man Fong, Theo Meier,
\nSudjojono, Srihadi, Arie Smit, and more, are names that appear in
\nalmost every auction of standing, the Borobudur Singapore auction
\nhas made great strides to present fine works that have rarely
\nbeen exposed.<\/p>\n
Lee Man Fong, for instance, is now represented by paintings
\nmade between the early 1940s and 1960s -- among others, a still
\nlife of roses (made in 1965), White Rooster (1943), Reclining
\nNude (1951), Two Doves (1944), and Balinese Life (1970s), which
\nmany collectors have long yearned for.<\/p>\n
Similarly, the Affandis in this auction refer not only to
\nIndonesian scenes like Balinese Prince in Art Gallery (1973),
\nCockfight (1968) and Barong (1985) but also Landscape in Europe
\n(1962), and The Colosseum in Rome (1972).<\/p>\n
Willem Gerard Hofker, whom many may associate with romantic
\nnude or half-nude images on paper or canvas, is here represented
\nby a still life, Various Flowers in a Vase (1952), reportedly
\nmade for a wedding present to his niece in the past.<\/p>\n
Quite outstanding, furthermore, are Hendra Gunawan's The Girls
\nare going home from the Market (1967), the lyrical
\nrealist\/impressionist watercolor by the 1919-born Chinese artist
\nWu Guan Zhong titled Bumper Harvest, and the artist's ink and
\ncolor painting titled Sunrise at Mount Huang, as well as the
\nVietnamese master le Pho's Motherhood (1938), and Two Javanese
\nLadies (1923) by Isaac Israels.<\/p>\n
Another surprise is the inclusion of an unusual painting by
\nAntonio Blanco, Kebyar Dancer.<\/p>\n
Although the Borobudur auction is being launched amid a series
\nof art events in Singapore, including auctions by Larasati,
\nSotheby's, an art exhibition of Indonesian masters at Art Retreat
\nprivate museum, and Christie's Hongkong auction preview, some
\ncollectors are convinced that the prime collection of only 32
\npaintings is bound to attract the attention of Singapore art
\ncognoscenti.<\/p>\n
in box:
\nImportant Southeast Asian Paintings
\nTo be auctioned by Borobudur Auctionhouse
\nShangri-La Hotel, Tower Ballroom A, Orange Grove Road, Singapore
\nSaturday, 8 October 11 a.m.<\/p>\n
Public Viewing, Thursday Oct 6. 11 a.m. through 8 p.m.
\nFriday, Oct. 9, 11 a.m. through 8 p.m.
\nGardenia Room, Mezzanine Floor, Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore<\/p>",
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