Sotheby’s London announced the opening of a specially curated exhibition “The Value of Art: The Past & Future of Collecting.” The exhibition explores the different factors that come in to play when appraising and collecting works of art, from ideas surrounding the emotional, historical and cultural value in addition to the overt relationship between money and art.
Illustrated throughout by a selection of key lots from Sotheby’s forthcoming auctions, with estimates ranging from £4,000 to £1,200,000, the exhibition is on on view in Sotheby’s New Bond Street galleries from 5th – 8th June 2015. There is a programme of accompanying talks led by Sotheby’s specialists.
Alongside the exhibition, an exciting programme of events is held at Sotheby’s, including a series of complimentary public talks designed to equip collectors, as well as those new to the field, with the skills to identify the masterworks of the future.
Lectures are on subjects as diverse as The Art of Technology with Martha Fiennes, exploring her creative use of digital innovations; Castle Howard with Editor-- at-–Large of Country Life, Clive Aslet exploring the history and magnificence of Castle Howard through the outstanding items to be offered for sale from one of Britain’s greatest houses; Exploring Shackleton, celebrating the achievements of Ernest Shackleton with Conrad Dickinson, the only Briton to walk to both poles and across Greenland; India Emerging, the development of modern and contemporary art in India.
A collection is most alive when it is still growing. While great artworks from history remain known for a reason, there is a danger of privileging the past over the present. It is just as important to remember that everything was new once. In light of this, the Value of Art exhibition concludes by proposing a collection of masterworks of the future.
These lots reflect the changing aesthetic sensibilities, in a world of computer aided design (CAD) and digital fabrication. Juxtaposing sculptural works from Antony Gormley and Tony Cragg with designs from Thomas Heatherwick, this section also references the interdisciplinary blurring taking place between the fields of art, architecture and design.
