Take the Money and Run in de Appel

Take the Money and Run in de Appel
Exhibition: 3rd-12th May 2009, from 2pm to 8pm
Location: Warehouse De Appel
Brouwersgracht 196, Amsterdam

Ann Demeester, director of De Appel and Nicolaus Schafhausen, director of Witte de With jointly present, in collaboration with Christie's Amsterdam: Two in One a benefit auction of more than 100 works by internationally acclaimed contemporary artists to benefit new projects.
The collaboration between de Appel, Witte de With and Christie's is unique within the Netherlands. In addition to the need to keep the institutions vital in a changing socio-economic landscape, it is just as much a call to shake hands at the institutional level on a regular basis.
Moreover, this benefit auction offers a rare retrospective view of Witte de With's and de Appel's ongoing commitment to contemporary art, as the list of artists involved traces the rich, international networks and trajectories forged by both institutions for over three decades.

Take the Money and Run
At the location where Wies Smals initiated de Appel in 1974, thirty artists are reflecting within the context of the auction, upon the relationship between the economic and the symbolic value of art. The artists have been invited to make a new work on A4, in which the changed value system within the art world in these times of financial crisis is being brought up for discussion. After being exhibited, the conceptual works, texts, drawings, promises, understatements, ideas, visions and performances will be part of the Two in One auction. The project is an empathetic critique from within, in which de Appel and the artists assume the simultaneous role of contemporary collaborator and critical inquirer.

For more information: http://www.deappel.nl - http://www.wdw.nl – http://www.christies.com

Record-breaking YSL art auction shrugs off crisis

Record-breaking YSL art auction shrugs off crisis

PARIS (Reuters) - The auction of Yves Saint Laurent's monumental art collection ended on Wednesday having broken a string of records, defied the Chinese government and raised more than 370 million euros ($470 million).
The late fashion designer's collection, built up over five decades with his partner Pierre Berge, had been described as one of the most important in private hands and the auction attracted interest from collectors and spectators all over the world.
The final total of 373.5 million euros broke estimates of 300 million euros but Berge, who is donating the proceeds to charity and medical research, said he was not surprised by the sale's success even in the worst global recession for decades.


YSL auction fetches record price
(01:49) Report Reuters Video

Feb 24 - An art collection by late fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent defied the financial crisis, breaking world records by raising over 206 million euros, 262 million USD on its opening day.
The sale of two bronze sculptures in the YSL collection - originally looted 150 years ago by British and French troops - have been the subject of a Paris court case, after Chinese officials pleaded for them not to be auctioned by owner Pierre Berge, the former partner of late fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent.