A top selection of Latin American Art at Phillips in New York

On May 26, 2015, the auctioneer Phillips – recognized on the art market for its specialized sales and its appeal for works by emerging artists – held another superb sale of Latin American art. Offering just 67 lots, Phillips was nevertheless very pleased with the results, totaling $6.6 million, its best-ever sales turnover in the category. Among the 64% of the lots that found buyers, a substantial number went under the hammer for less than $5,000 (works by Nino Cais, Elba Damast Ivan Capote, Miriam Medrez, Ernesto Pujol and Dr. Lakra). However, the sale produced a multi-million result for Wifredo Lam and three new auction records for Tania Bruguera, Rivane Neuenschwander and Luiz Zerbini.

Tania Bruguera – The new record for Cuban artist was particularly significant. Living between Havana (where she was born in 1968) and Chicago, Tania BRUGUERA is primarily focused on performance and video art. Her works have attracted attention at various international exhibitions including the Venice Biennale in 2001 and 2005 and the Kassel Documenta in 2002. More recently, she has been in the news after being arrested and detained for organizing a performance in Havana’s Revolution Square a few days after the announcement of renewed diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba (December 2014). Her detention has triggered an international mobilization within the art world and a petition to obtain her freedom has been launched (the Cuban authorities have confiscated her passport). The market showed it support for the artist by generating a new auction record for the artist when her sculpture Destierro (Displacement) fetched $81,250 including fees at the Phillips sale.

Rivane Neuenschwander – After 12 years of discreet auction market sales and exhibitions all over the world, the Brazilian artist Rivane NEUENSCHWANDER has just recorded her third auction record since the beginning of 2015. Her latest record now stands at $60,000 ($75,000 including fees) for a collage titled One Thousand and One Possible Nights. The market appears to be lending strong support to this artist who now lives in London with her husband Jochen Volz, Head of Programmes at the Serpentine Gallery. Rivane Neuenschwander’s auction debut in 2003 was at none other than Christie’s New York with an installation that fetched $11,000 including fees. Her prices have therefore multiplied almost tenfold in 10 years.

Luiz Zerbini – Luiz Zerbini is celebrating his tenth year of auction sales with a much commented exhibition at the gallery Fortes Vilaca Gallery in São Paulo (Natureza Espiritual da Realidade) and a new record at more than double his previous high. Based in Rio de Janeiro like many other Brazilian artists, Luis ZERBINI has been showing his work for over 30 years and is presented as one of the most important Brazilian artists of his generation. He became more widely known in 2012 after participating in a show called Amor put on by the Rio de Janeiro MAM. The same year, his first painting sold at auction at three times its high estimate (Abricó de Macaco fetched $92,500 including fees at Christie’s New York on 23 May 2012). Nowadays his rich and luminous acrylics fetch nearly $200,000. One of these (Corcovado) generated his new record at Phillips at $197,000 including fees.

Wifredo Lam – Wifredo LAM is probably the most internationally famous Cuban artist. Born in 1902 in Cuba, he died in Paris in 1982 after participating in all the avant-garde movements of his era (in France and Spain, including Cubism and Surrealism). Pablo Picasso, who adored him as a friend and admired him as an artist, sponsored his first exhibition in Paris in 1939. Picasso said of Lam, “I believe you have my blood in you, you must be one of my relatives, a nephew, a cousin”. But Lam – not being Picasso – even his major works fetch nowhere near Picasso’s prices. The $2.6m including fees that Phillips hammered for his Présages (1947) is his third best auction result.
His all-time record was generated by a 1944 work entitled Ídolo (Oya/Divinité de l’Air et de la Mort) that fetched $4.5 million including cost at Sotheby’s New York on May 23, 2012. Two pastel drawings will be offered on June 24 at Christie’s in London, each expected to sell for $15,000 – $25,000.

The artists listed in this article: Nino CAIS – Elba DAMAST – Iván CAPOTE – Miriam MEDREZ – Ernesto PUJOL – DR LAKRA – Wifredo LAM – Tania BRUGUERA – Rivane NEUENSCHWANDER – Luis ZERBINI