Larasati-Glerum auction makes progress
Boudewyn Brands, Contributor, Jakarta
Those interested in 21st century Indonesian art have several choices. If they want to learn about the history and background they can now get an Indonesian translation of Claire Holt's Art in Indonesia.
Actually watching and studying artworks by Nashar, Zaini, Sudjojono, Affandi, Hendra Gunawan, etc. can be done at the Fatahillah Museum, at the offices of Dewan Kesenian Jakarta (at Taman Ismail Marzuki (TIM, entrance left of the cineplex) but also at some galleries.
Galleries that have such "old" masters are Santi Gallery in South Jakarta and Galeri Cemara 6 in Menteng. And then a summit in art: Larasati-Glerum's auctions.
It is clear now that with moving the auction to Indonesia, a strategically wise step has been made.
Christie's has moved its auctions to Hong Kong, although it gives previews in Indonesia. Sotheby is still active in Singapore but does not concentrate on Indonesia alone.
Larasati-Glerum made another step forward by including nonpainting art in its auction and split the activity: The "Harmoni" auction on Saturday, April 20 included artifacts such as masks, antique textiles as well as artworks on canvas and on paper. The average prices are lower than in the main auction.
However, this way of handling "cheaper" works is exemplary and well documented. Competitor Balindo has hopefully learned from it and will abandon its "Bazar" which does not contribute to art history and documentation at all.
In this "Harmoni" auction, 88 percent (91) of a total of 104 lots were sold at a total sales result of Rp 1.1 billion.
The main auction "Pictures of Indonesian Art" took place on Sunday, April 21. One hundred and forty-three works were on offer, of which a record 92 percent was sold with a total turnover of Rp 13.2 billion. Most of the works on offer (about 54 percent) were well-known 21st century Indonesian names, including those mentioned above but also living artists like Sri Hadi Sudarsono, Widayat, Arie Smit.
Nearly one-fourth (23.2 percent) were "Mooi Indie" artists including Hofker and Bonnet, and one-eighth (12.4 percent) were relatively young, but established artists.
Also included, maybe to test the market but doing very well, were works by a Vietnamese and a Thai artist whose paintings fetched Rp 75 million and Rp 80 million respectively.
The most expensive painting was a Le mayeur de Merpres, which sold for Rp 2.2 billion. The next most expensive one was a rare Hofker from 1939, a 55 by 40 cm painting that survived the war and which was hammered off at Rp 750 million. Hofker's works were to be found both in the Harmonie as well in the Pictures of Indonesia auctions.
It was interesting to see works that were originally auctioned by Glerum in May 2000 and that were part of the estate of Maria Hofker-Rueter, Willem Hofker's wife.
Indonesian collectors seem to be eager to get his works as they paid premium prices for etchings. For instance, lot 002, in May 2000, having an estimate of 300 to 400 Dutch gilders (Rp 1.2 million to Rp 1.6 million) had an estimate in the Harmonie auction of Rp 1 million to Rp 2 million but was sold for Rp 18 million.
It is also interesting to note that in the Glerum auction of May 2000 the etching was titled Ni Asoeg with Ardja Headdress while the one in my collection was titled Bali and in this auction noted as A Bali Dancer.
In the "Young" artists section we find mostly also well-known names and most of the artists here are becoming "elderly young artists".
Doing very well here was a painting by Budi Ubrux (Rp 55 million) and Dede Eri Supria with a persiflage on Superman: it shows Superman as a tiered and old man that could not prevent the attack on the World Trade Center in New York. This provocative painting sold for Rp 180 million.
The list did contain a few surprises, such as a work by Bandung autodidact Rosid that fetched Rp 16 million. There was also a work on offer by probably the youngest artist in the auction: Wahyu Gunawan (born in Yogyakarta, May 2, 1976).
The result gives an indication that these works might indeed prove to be keeping their value: the work was sold in May 2001 in the relatively new and avant-garde Rumah Seni "Air" for Rp 5 million. At the auction it sold for Rp 8.5 million, thus certainly allowing the collector to support more young artists.
In this respect we can expect more from Larasati-Glerum as Daniel Komara, one of its executives, told The Jakarta Post that a special auction, under yet another name and focusing on promising young artists, is under preparation. He even subcontracted his gallery Kupu-kupu to a manager to be able to fully concentrate on this matter.
--The writer is a collector and an art observer.