china

A year from now, we'll look back on the art market 2009 as that last slither though the gutter before picking itself back up in 2010. But, we're not there yet: 2009 is in the rearview mirror, so it will remain our baseline for the next 12 months. When looking at the top performers at auction last year, there's a pretty consistent story – revenue declines ranged from 55 percent to 77 percent relative to 2008. Top 10 mainstays – such as Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, Alberto Giacometti, Edgar Degas and Claude Monet – got thrashed. These conditions led to some changes, as well, with a Chinese artist making the top 10 for the first time. In fact, he pushed into the top three.

1. Pablo Picasso
Pablo Picasso is back on top, after giving up the #1 position in 2008. And, it took only $121 million in auction sales to get him there. From 1998 to 2008, total sales for Picasso gained 96 percent, before falling by 54 percent last year, with pricing off 15 percent. The number of sales pushing past the $1 million mark declined precipitously, from 39 in 2008 to only 15 last year, and his top sale was for "Mousquetaire a la pipe," which moved for $13 million on May 6, 2009, at Christie's. This year could be a bit tough for Picasso collectors, as Artprice believes certain paintings were still overpriced.

It looks like not all the revenue ticked up at auction last fall turned into a tangible upside for Sotheby's. The auction house is suing two Chinese buyers for $270,300 because they never paid the tabs they bid up. According to Sotheby's, the winning bidder of a Qing Dynasty cloisonné censer and cover didn't pony up the cash required, "despite repeated requests and demands." Ouch! Another purchased took five antique paintings without paying the tab, Bloomberg News reports.

According to Kevin Ching, CEO of Sotheby's Asia division, the company wants "to send a message it won't stand for defaults." Ching continues, "We can't have people bid at our auctions and disappear without paying." To show he's serious, he says he's willing to pursue legal action in mainland China, on the off chance that "they think the long arm of Hong Kong law couldn't reach them." And, with Hong Kong now the third largest art market in the world (after New York and London), the message will reach a pretty broad audience.

Sotheby's won't reveal the identities of the non-payers, citing confidentiality policies.

All secrets eventually come out. At the recent London auctions, in which both Sotheby's and Christie's saw several lots set records, Russian collectors poured some money back into the art market, and Laurence Graff, chairman of Graff Diamonds, parted with a healthy dose of cash. It's this action that caused a combined tally of £258.9 million (including fees), more than double the result a year earlier.

The UK-based diamond dealer sunk £8.1 million into Pablo Picasso's "Tete de Femme (Jacqueline) at the Christie's auction, spending 100 percent more than the high-end presale estimate for the piece. According to Bloomberg News, Graff confirmed the acquisition by e-mail.

Russian billionaires got back into the game, as well, and they exercised better judgment than they did during the art boom, when prices for artists such as Damien Hirst were propelled to absurd levels.

The Impressionist sector has held on rather well, by comparison. "The market for Impressionist and modern art hasn't been as frothy and speculative as contemporary," said Guy Jennings, partner in the London-based dealership Theobald Jennings. "Last year, prices might have slipped five or 10 percent, but since then there's been some asset inflation. That might not be the case in six months' time if there's a double-dip recession."

For years North America has dominated the world aviation market but recent figures show that Asia Pacific is now the world's largest passenger market in aviation. New figures from the International Air Transport Association show that while North America flew 638 million passengers in North America, the Asia Pacific market flew 647 million. As you might suspect much of that growth has come from China which is now the region's largest domestic market flying 1,400 aircraft. It is expected that this trend will continue as more people in the region take to the skies.

In a related story, a recent AFP report showed that more and more Chinese people are using online travel services to book holidays. Revenue from online flight, hotel and package tour bookings are up 27 percent from last year and climbing as China's expanding middle class becomes more interested in travel and are becoming more accustomed to online purchases and using credit cards.

China is taking on another of the West's habits, the love of chocolate and extreme candy displays. A "chocolate wonderland" is opening in Beijing this week near the Olympic stadium. It will include elaborate chocolate displays including chocolate versions of China's famous terracotta warriors and a slice of the Great Wall of China done in chocolate bricks with white chocolate mortar. The display will include demonstrations and tastings and will last for three months until the weather gets a bit too warm. The chocolate items will be displayed at five temperature-controlled indoor areas and two outdoor sites with names like the World's Chocolate Hall, Wonderland Theme Hall, Sweet Experience Hall and Sweet Shopping Street.

What does 2010 have in store for the art market? Well, it's starting to look like this is the year the market will finally (begin to) recover, though there could be some trepidation at points. Better pieces are coming under the gavel, and serious collectors are interested in artists with real track records. As things loosen up, emerging artists and those just past that stage (think Ben Krell for the former and Nelson Diaz for the latter) will start to see better conditions, as the logjam in the auction houses, once broken, should ease the pressure on galleries and also lead to some progress in private sales. Basically, the return of liquidity to the art market will be better for everyone.

Almost everyone.

This year, some artists won't enjoy as much of the recovery (if it happens ... just to hedge our bets) as others. Their prices were run up too quickly, making the subsequent fall severe. These artists, auction darlings who don't have the history or potency of a Lucian Freud or even a Richard Prince. Yet, they shot out of the emerging artist category years ago. In 2010, these artists, including Damien Hirst and Jeff Koons, will occupy something of a purgatory, as the art market resets values through upward bidding, now that the decks have been washed clean.

If you are driving a Bentley, rest your left hand gently on the rearview mirror just out the window -- this is how other drivers will notice your stunning Patek Philippe watch. At least, this is how you should roll if you're a millionaire in China.

According to a survey by Hurun magazine, China's wealthy love watches by Cartier and Patek Philippe and like to slip behind the wheel of Bentleys. Vacations in the United States are also favored. But, for cigarettes and first-class flights, Chinese millionaires like to keep it local. Air China tops the list for luxury flights, and Chunghwa is the favorite tobacco, according to Hurun, with Chinese who have at least $1.46 million in wealth. Unlike cigarettes, though, the favorite cigar brand, Davidoff, is from abroad.

The average respondent to the Hurun survey takes 15 days off a year, on average, has three cars and owns five watches that cost at least $10,000 each.

According to Rupert Hoogewerf, chief researcher and founder of Hurun, the Chinese "have a greater awareness of brands." He continued to Bloomberg News, "They are also more international-minded and keener to give their children a foreign education." Four out of five are planning to send their kids to school abroad for high school and beyond, with the United States the preferred destination.

Being wealthy doesn't mean this community is finished coveting. Now that they are taking more time off, 50 percent want to buy a yacht, and 15 percent would love a private jet.

I love it when hotels get involved with the arts. The new art hotels opening in Australia excited me, and I had a blast exploring the art-themed properties in Orlando. The latest hotel to jump on this trend is The Opposite House, in Beijing. Through March, The Opposite House will be showing two painting installations by Peng Wei, an artist famous for the delicate ink color paintings she creates on silk and paper.

Her new series, Bodies, consists of female forms on rice paper. The pieces are lit from within, providing a soft glow and likely to mesmerize anyone who passes by them. Rock Garden, also on display, is a series of rocks painted on transparent pastels, coming together in a garden representing the scholarly tradition.

The tone of your stay is set when you cross into a hotel's lobby, and the commitment made by The Opposite House is sure to get your visit started in a manner that will be tough to top.

Jinghesheng Investment Company and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea are now partners in the art market. The investment firm and the most isolated dictatorship in the world are working together to show and sell 90 paintings at art galleries in Beijing. The paintings – 60 of them oil and 30 in the traditional Korean ink style – will be rotated through the gallery and sold.

The unifying thread in this show is that all works are by artists in North Korea ... and have been approved by the DPRK's Ministry of Culture, according to exhibit director Li Xuemei. Because information doesn't flow easily across the border, the exact origins of the pieces and details of the artists are unknown, but Li says to CNN, "Ours are surely authentic artworks from DPRK."

There has been no shortage of interest in the display. Li's gallery, which is showing the works of 20 North Korean artists associated with Pyongyang museums and art institutions, sees up to 100 visitors a day on the weekends and 60 a day during the week.

Shokay is a knitwear brand with a unique story. It uses the soft fibers combed from Tibetan yaks to create blankets, scarves, earmuffs and other accessories as well as yarn for sale. Shokay is a social enterprise based in China that sources directly from Tibetan herders, enabling them to earn a long-term sustainable living. The yak fibers are processed in the Hei Ma He Village of of Qinghai Province in Western China and Shokay also works with knitters in Chong Ming Island off Shanghai.

The founders include Harvard John F. Kennedy School of Government graduates who were inspired to create the business after traveling in the western Chinese provinces of Yunnan and Gansu. True to the school, the brand now also sells a line of Harvard scarves and beanies through the Harvard Shop.

The hand-knit throw shown at right has border stitching around the edges and features a chain of the auspicious Tibetan Knot of Eternity along the vertical length. It sells for $950.

Hong Kong's fall sales have been great for records, for Christie's in particular. After several were broken at the art auction this week, the gem scene was ignited. A pink diamond no larger than a chickpea went for $10.8 million, according to Bloomberg News. The stone had the second-highest rating available (potentially flawless) and a weight of 5 carats. It shattered the per-carat record set back in May. Back then, Hong Kong property investor Joseph Lau picked up a 7.03-carat blue diamond at an auction in Geneva for $10.5 million.

The pink diamond was sent under the gavel by Graff Diamonds, a London-based jeweler. The stone was sold to a phone bidder who beat out Liu Yiqian and his wife, Wang Wei. But, those two have bought enough already, right?

Overall, the 255 lots sold (an 89 percent sell rate) brought in HK$372 million, with the action pushed forward by mainland Chinese, a growing trend in the auction world this year. Donald May, a ruby and sapphire dealer based in Hong Kong, attended the auction and told Bloomberg, "There's a lot of mainland Chinese buying; either they didn't know what the items are worth or they wanted them so badly that price didn't matter." He believes that prices were pushed way out of control.

There were other records set in Hong Kong, as well. A sapphire weighing 16.65 carats, set by Van Cleef & Arpels, brought in HK$18.6 million, also setting a per-carat record.

[Photo courtesy of Christie's]

One bidder spent more than $146 million this year and dropped a boatload of cash at the Christie's Hong Kong art auction on Monday, pushing prices higher and smashing records. Wang Wei, with her husband, investor Liu Yiqian, ranks 176th among the wealthiest in China, with a net worth of $740 million ... and she wouldn't say how much she's spent on art this year.

Wang waved Paddle 960 aggressively on Monday, sometimes tossing bids up HK$1 million at a time to distance herself from competitors for particular pieces. A few times, she didn't bother lowering her paddle, instead just holding it up until her rivals quit.

At Sotheby's Hong Kong in October, Wang's husband shelled out $11 million for a Qing Dynasty imperial throne, complete with carved dragons, setting a record. And, this month, he payd $25 million for a Ming Dynasty scroll by Wu Bin at Beijing's Poly auction -- it was the most paid for a Chinese painting.

At Monday's Christie's sale, HK$126.7 million in art sold, and the house wouldn't reveal how much of it went to Wang. Speaking for herself, the collector reveals why she made the purchases she did. According to Bloomberg News: "I just bought those for fun."

[Photo courtesy of Christie's]

The top lot at Christie's Asian art auctions brought in a record $5.9 million in Hong Kong. A large abstract painting by Chu Teh-Chun, "Vertige Neigeux," surprised bidders and spectators alike, with an unidentified Asian private buyer ultimately winning in front of an audience of 400 people. Overall, the auction brought in $79 million.

Buyers from mainland China pushed prices higher at the Christie's sale, especially with local art collectors picking up artwork as a way to protect their wealth from inflation and a struggling U.S. dollar. Chu, Zao Wou-ki and Fu Baoshi are among the hottest artists on the market right now in Asia. A piece by Baoshi set a record during the day sale, moving for $7.8 million. One by Sanyu nearly tripled its presale estimate. According to Anthony Lin, an art consultant in Hong Kong, contemporary Chinese art is starting to recover.

On the first day of the five-day sale, Christie's also sold more than $5 million in wine.

[Photo courtesy of Christie's]

Chanel is opening a new boutique in Shanghai on November 25. Peter Marino is the architect for the new space and was inspired by the Paris apartment of Mademoiselle Chanel. It is a fitting city for the famous couture house to unveil a new store as Shanghai is known as "the Paris of the East".

According to the architect, the idea was to give this new boutique a residential feel by combining hand picked art, antiques and other objects with a refined store decor. The fashion house has also commissioned original artwork by french artist, Jean-Michel Othoniel, to be displayed. The art of shopping is to be a subtle experience at this unique salon where customers enter the apartment-like space, can sit on sofas and have individual items brought to them as opposed to jostling elbows with other shoppers while browsing the merchandise. It is to be a different, more elegant, experience for the customer. Peter Marino is quoted "The result is comfort, quiet elegance, timelessness. The chic of Chanel."

Karl Lagerfeld has also designed exclusive products only to be sold in the Shanghai location to celebrate the stores opening. These include a classic quilted flap handbag with an inside signature "Shanghai Karl Lagerfeld", sling-back heels with a metallic CC logo, various items of clothing including a tweed jacket and skirt with gold trim.

The boutique has an excellent location in the newly opened The Peninsula hotel. The latest addition to the luxury travel market the Art Deco styled hotel has a terrific location on the Bund, the waterfront promenade in Shanghai.

Sotheby's and Christie's are heading east to seek their respective fortunes. The two auction houses are offering more than $26 million of Asian art this week in London. The lots themselves are attracting record numbers of buyers from mainland China, a section of the market that has shown signs of life this year. Chinese buyers were quite active in Hong Kong last month.

Nicholas Chow of Sotheby's told Bloomberg News, ""We've seen a really aggressive push from mainland Chinese collectors during the last season of sales" and that "they're buying things at the very highest level." An Imperial jade seal, for example, moved for GBP3.6 million on Tuesday, six times the high-end presale estimate.

On November 3, Christie's sold an aggregate GBP5.7 million, beating the presale estimate of GBP5.2 million. Of the 319 lots, a third didn't move. The top seller was an eighteenth century enamel model of a Buddhist shrine, which beat its presale range of GBP60,000 to GBP80,000 with a hammer sale of GBP229,250. Nine of the top 10 most expensive items went to buyers from Asia.

Collectors from mainland China are quite eager to repatriate art and other objects from their heritage, particularly the Qing and Ming dynasties ... a fact of which the auction houses are fully aware. Christie's sent 210 invitations to mainland Chinese for its 12th annual Asian Art in London event, which ends November 7, 2009. Sotheby's pursued a similar number of collectors. Bonhams has invited 30 new buyers from mainland China.

In October, the Sotheby's Hong Kong art auction was good for $170 million, with plenty of bidding and buying by mainland Chinese buyers.