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21. 06. 12. - 15:00

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21. 06. 12. - 15:00

Auction results show trend to non bank savings

As the economic crisis continues to bite people are increasingly putting their money anywhere but banks and as a result the auction houses are reaping the profits.

Vienna's Dorotheum Auction House, continental Europe's largest auction house, reported record results and said that the May auction week in particular delivering the strongest result to date.

The top bid in the contemporary art category, which also achieved its best result in Dorotheum history, was on 24th May with a disc-shaped, scintillating blue wall object by the famous contemporary artist Anish Kapoor.

The untitled 2001 painted stainless steel piece was acquired by an art collector for 754,800 Euros. Top prices were also paid for works by Luigi Fontana, Agostino Bonalumi and Robert Indiana.

In the modern art category, pride of place went to "Les jeunes et les jeux twistent", an animated Dadaist work by Max Ernst, which sold for 605,300 Euros. Egon Schiele's "Seated Female Nude" characterised by bold simple lines and a daring point-of-view was sold for similarly successful 398,300 Euros.

At the auction of old master paintings on 18th April, an international art collector paid 869,800 Euro for "David's Triumph" by the hand of the Florentine master Lorenzo Lippi. Among 19th century paintings, Friedrich von Amerling's "Portrait of a Girl in profile, with black mantilla" was particularly successful at 156,800 Euros. A post-card sized Crimean landscape by Archip Ivanovich Kuindzhi rose to remarkable 133,800 Euros.

Coins, medals, and decorations proved to be particularly sought-after collector's items.

The single known copy of the Matthias II. gold coin (1612 - 1619) offered at the coin auction on 16th of May, was bought up by a collector for sensational 122,000 Euros, while at the "Medal and Decoration" auction on 14th of May a bidder put down 91,500 Euros for a collar of the Order of the Iron Crown. Under the inspired direction of interior designer Philip Hohenlohe the February auction "Prince Kinsky Estate" featured a wide range of furniture and decorative art, historical glass, porcelain, and silverware, as well as robes and travel gear, and was rewarded with quite princely results.

The 29th of February marked the auction premiere of "Austrian Design" and made a strong statement for its subject matter offering important objects from Austrian design history from the nineteen-twenties to -sixties, with many of the objects going for unprecedented prices.

"A strong first two quarters for Dorotheum", said Martin Böhm, Dorotheum managing director. "It is particularly encouraging that art collectors from all over the world are responding to the international selection offered by our auction house with such enthusiastic interest."

Vienna Times

Long Night of the Churches
Hundreds of churches Austria-wide to open their doors for the "Long Night of the Churches" (original: "Langen Nacht der Kirchen") on May, 24.

Cheapskate Tourist Almost Died In Sewer Visit
A German tourist had a lucky escape after he decided to go underground to get a view of the Vienna sewers, and fell badly breaking several bones including his hip and his leg.

Preparation for Life Ball begins
The preparations of the Life Ball in Vienna are at full blast after delays due to bad weather last weekend. Star guests like Eva Longoria and Carmen Electra are expected at Vienna Airport on Friday.

Woman killed by Vienna tram
A female pedestrian tried to cross a street in Vienna Hietzing yesterday afternoon (Tues) without paying attention to the traffic. She was hit by the tram number 60 and died at the scene.

15 minutes free parking instead of 10
The 15-minute parking ticket will replace the 10-minute parking ticket in autumn. The only alternative is to buy your parking ticket with your phone. A parking clock does not protect you from a fine.

Lightning storm causes damage in Lower Austria
810 lightning strikes have been counted in Lower Austria last night (Tues). Meteorologists state that this is not an extraordinary number but some lightning strikes resulted in fires. The fire brigade had to set out in several towns.

Spanish Riding School for everyone
The riding centre of Heldenberg, district of Hollabrunn (Lower Austria) is now offering exclusive courses: professional riders of the Spanish Riding School of Vienna teach interested riders.

Vienna advocates a ban on pesticides
Vienna has now joined those Austrian states that advocate a cooperative strategy for a ban of the neonicotinoids pesticides. Apparently, there are tested alternatives for the pesticides that are harmful for bees.

Huge debate over multilingualism in Austria
Possible projects for a "multilingual oriented educational concept" have led to a debate in Vienna. The SPÖ, ÖVP and FPÖ are currently discussing the two sides of the issue: "multilingualism as a chance" and "German as a priority".

Exhibition Drawing Against Oblivion
The Leopold Museum in Vienna opened the the exhibition "Drawing against oblivion" on 17 May. Manfred Bockelmann drew more than 60 portraits of children and teenagers, who were victims of the Nazi terror.