AMSTERDAM | 29 OCTOBER 2015 | FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ARTISTS OF THE ZERO GROUP LEAD POST WAR AND CONTEMPORARY ART AUCTION IN AMSTERDAM

Karel Appel, John Baldessari, Heinz Mack,

Otto Piene, Gerhard Richter, Jan Schoonhoven and Günther Uecker

Amsterdam - Christie’s is pleased to present the upcoming sale of Post-War and Contemporary Art in Amsterdam, which will feature works by leading European and international artists, including a strong core contingent of works by the groundbreaking group ZERO. Founded in 1957 by Heinz Mack and Otto Piene and joined in 1961 by Günther Uecker, Zero developed throughout the 1960s into a dynamic international network of artists. The auction is led by artists including  Heinz Mack, Otto Piene, Jan Schoonhoven and Günther Uecker, and will take place on Tuesday 3 November 2015, and will be followed by the Day Sale (Sessions 1 and 2) on 4 November 2015.  Featuring 62 lots the evening sale is estimated to achieve over €4 million.  Works are on view at Christie’s Amsterdam from Friday 30 October to Tuesday 3 November. 

Highlights of the auction include works from the collection of Margot Müller and the late Alfred Otto Müller, who were early advocates of the ZERO movement and very active in the contemporary art scene in the early 1950s in Cologne. Most of these pieces were acquired shortly after their creation by the couple who built a visionary collection. Significant pieces include Uecker’s Untitled (Spiegelkasten) (1964-5), a prism of interlocking mirrors that surround a miniature white sun studded with Uecker’s signature use of nails, and Heinz Mack’s Dynamische Form, Schwarz (1959), an early example of his investigation of vibration and kinetic art, the collection provides a snapshot of a pivotal moment in the art history of Post-War Europe.

Another focal point of the sale is Schoonhoven’s R69-32 (1969), an exemplar of his series of white paper maché compositions that he made only after five o’clock in the afternoon after returning from his job at the PTT (Royal Dutch Post). The clarity of shadow and light achieved through the careful modulation of line and space demonstrates his abiding concern for an absence of hierarchy. Artists from the CoBrA movement also feature prominently with Karel Appel’s Têtes Volantes (Vliegende Hoofden) (1958) and Personnage Rouge (1961), included alongside works by Asger Jorn, Shinkichi Tajiri, Constant and Corneille. 

A further central groupings of works originates from the collection of Martin Visser who was a leading light in Northern Europe for his pioneering patronage of the arts and dedicated support of the artistic development of many key neo-avant-garde artists, such as Sol leWitt, Bruce Nauman, Anslem Kiefer and Georg Baselitz, before a widespread understanding and appreciation of their practices had developed into what it is today. 

More highlights in the sale include John Baldessari’s Two Men and Telephones (with Animals) (1988) ¾ an enigmatic montage of two black-and-white photographs, drawn from what seem to be generic Hollywood films from the 1950s and 1960s, and a frieze with animals. Gerhard Richter’s Abstraktes Bild (1981), which dates from the dawn of Richter’s large scale free abstractions and is complemented by a bold, brilliant palette, is also presented.  Additional artists featured in the sale include who Marina Abramovic & Ulay,  Joseph Beuys, Marlene Dumas, Albert Oehlen and Nikki de Saint Phalle. 

PRESS CONTACT:

Claire Sturm +31 (0)20 5755232 csturm@christies.com

Belinda Bowring +44 (0)207 389 2677 bbowring@christies.com

Christie’s Amsterdam: Cornelis Schuytstraat 57, 1071 JG Amsterdam

About Christie’s

Christie’s, the world's leading art business, had global auction and private sales in the first half of 2015 that totalled £2.9 billion / $4.5 billion. In 2014, Christie’s had global auction and private sales that totalled £5.1 billion/$8.4 billion, making it the highest annual total in Christie’s history. Christie’s is a name and place that speaks of extraordinary art, unparalleled service and expertise, as well as international glamour. Founded in 1766 by James Christie, Christie's has since conducted the greatest and most celebrated auctions through the centuries providing a popular showcase for the unique and the beautiful. Christie’s offers around 450 auctions annually in over 80 categories, including all areas of fine and decorative arts, jewellery, photographs, collectibles, wine, and more. Prices range from $200 to over $100 million. Christie's also has a long and successful history conducting private sales for its clients in all categories, with emphasis on Post-War & Contemporary, Impressionist & Modern, Old Masters and Jewellery

Christie’s has a global presence with 54 offices in 32 countries and 12 salerooms around the world including in London, New York, Paris, Geneva, Milan, Amsterdam, Dubai, Zürich, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Mumbai. More recently, Christie’s has led the market with expanded initiatives in growth markets such as Russia, China, India and the United Arab Emirates, with successful sales and exhibitions in Beijing, Mumbai and Dubai. 

*Estimates do not include buyer’s premium.  Sales totals are hammer price plus buyer’s premium and do not reflect costs, third-party financing fees or application of buyer’s or seller’s credits.

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