Interview department heads of Christie's Russian Alexei Tizengauzena site ARTinvestment.RU
ARTinvestment.RU   20 мая 2009

On working days the auction business and the market situation of art ARTinvestment.RU interview with Alexei Tizengauzenom, international director of Russian Division of the auction house Christie's

At the beginning of June, special auctions will finish the season «Russians bid». All of the leading House had just published their catalogs - the outcome of many months of hard, almost of detective work. 9 and 11 June in London, will be «Russian auctions» Christie's. On working days the auction business and the market situation of art ARTinvestment.RU interview with Alexei Tizengauzenom, international director of Russian Division of the auction house Christie's.

ARTinvestment.RU : Before we move on to substantive issues, who, according to your feelings, dominated in the structure of Russian buyers bidding Christie's: collectors or investors?

Alexei Tizengauzen : Let's try together to answer: what are the important Russian paintings sold at auction Christie's for the past five years, again returned to the auction? There is. And do not remember. What does this mean? Perhaps that most buyers did collectors, not investors.

AI : caught by surprise, did not immediately recall the example, but re-sales is actually quite a lot. This is well illustrated in a database of artists ARTinvestment.RU, where such transactions are tracked. Masterpieces re auctions less frequently, and in the price range of 50-200 thousand dollars re-selling is not a rarity.

AT : Well, there are such examples, but they are few. Do not hide, I would like to get back to bidding the work that we have sold five or six, even ten years ago. But no one pays, even when I submit the appropriate signals. Can we call such buyers investors? None.

Watching the auctions of Russian art, I can even say that in recent times did not see any purchases with openly investment purposes. What we can not say the same about the Impressionists, or auctions of Western contemporary art. But others said: the Russian art market, new buyers, for whom the investment motive is not determinative for the purchase.

AI : Of note that in June the sale in a picturesque section of this time there is no work-«millionnikov». Maximum estimeyt - at work Shuhaeva to cover. Upper - 500 thousand pounds. It is more difficult in conditions of instability has been to build the catalog?

AT : is stupid to deny the existence of crisis, and find interesting work has been really difficult. In crisis, people are reluctant to part with the paintings. Work hangs on the wall and hanging, why sell it in the deteriorating conditions? This is one reason. And then you know that we will have an auction in June and then another in November. The November auction are traditionally stronger. But that does not mean that we adhere to a specially important work until November. Just so happened. We can say we have to deal with the seasonal factor.

AI : As a directory of trades? Things come more to the committee «gravity» of the deliverer, or they have to specifically look for?

AT : We are looking for, and the people themselves have. But we take what we like. And the price must be reasonable. If I believe that work can pull in 700 thousand, a client requires a million - it was refused. If you go over and included in the catalog of re-work, the directory will be, maybe, and beautiful, but the sale will be bad. Revaluation of destroying the market, which feeds all of us.

Remember the recent sale of a portrait painted by Nicholas Roerich's son, Svyatoslav ( see ill. )? He has family that is very fond of Roerich and, probably, so named defiantly high price - 2 million dollars. Imagine that I have answered them? And he gave an assessment of 900 thousand. And that turned out? Bought just over 2 million fantastic. I was wrong? But if estimeyt was just under 2 million, it is likely that the lot would not be sold at all. Who knows? Generally, Roerich - a very special artist, one of the few Russian artists who use the international interest. The man, who has his own museum in America. His work in India - a national asset. In short, a special case.

AI : What requirements must meet the work to be included in the catalog of Christie's?

AT : auctioneer can not afford to be stupid. That's why the bidding takes something that is sold. But we must not forget the other factors. If you carefully view the catalogs of different auction houses, it is possible to understand the preferences of the Russian Department. For example, someone likes to include in the catalog of the clover . And now I hate it, and clover, with its famous paintings do not work. If, however, offer good Somova or Shuhaeva - you are welcome. Of course, we need to be pragmatic and not to take action only because of their taste preferences. In addition, it is necessary to watch where the market moves, and take this into account in the work.

AI : Why Christie's to defer the inclusion in the catalog of works by contemporary Russian art, while Sotheby's is not the first time, holds even thematic bidding?

AT : If you look at history, the Sotheby's usually better to feel contemporary art. But on the other hand, prices for Russian contemporary art are the property slump since the significant growth of approximately every three years. Over time I have seen several booms in modern Russian art, including the boom of 1989. So what? It took 2-3 years, and galleries that have been engaged in contemporary art, have been forced to withdraw from the market. Some say that with the cautious tactics we will not have time to jump into the passing train trip. But, forgive me, now, I think, with the train passengers had already massively go. Maybe it is our mistake, we are not sufficiently deep understanding of the essence of the process, but there is a feeling that so accurately. And even in our catalogs in November last year was the section on contemporary Russian artists, as well, and in June there is a catalog of contemporary art - for example, Oleg Dou or Alexander Kosolapov . These lots are few but they exist.

AI : Recently, at the end of the boom leading auction houses have introduced the practice of the sale of certain important safeguards lots. That is, in the case of failure to redeem a bid auction thing to a guaranteed price. As this practice is true now?

AT : In the Russian department for the past twenty-five years has been the strength of five cases, the provision of guarantees. I personally do not like this practice. Difficult to secure the sale, it takes too much time. This practice is more widely used than Russian, but for the world of art, impressionists, post-modern, etc. To date, the safeguards regime of virtually no use.

AI : Is Christie's regularly conduct Pre impressions previous «Russian Trading», in Moscow?

AT : Christie's holds regular exhibitions in Russia and CIS countries. For example, last year in October, Christie's brought to Moscow and Kiev the most ambitious exhibition of the greatest works of the future auction of old masters to modern art. We are going to continue to hold such exhibitions as well as the lectures of our leading experts. If we believe some outstanding works to show in Moscow, we will arrange it. Depends also on the time for which we obtain the key work.

AI : You've already imagine the November catalog «Russian bid» Christie's?

AT : Usually, we begin to gather a new collection at the end of June. Approximately three months prior to the auction list of lots shall be formed and approved. Because there is still need to compile a directory to have it published and distributed. Hold the process can not be: if someone is late in submitting work for the coming auction, then, alas, will have to wait for the next auction.

AI : How many people work in the Russian department of Christie's? And tell me more, as you finds the necessary work?

AT : In the department of Russian works of seven people. The works are mostly not by gravity, they must be found. Because Russia does not work practically. Thus, the work of Basil Shuhaeva ( see ill. ), which graced the cover of Christie's auction June 9th, 2009, we have found in the American outback. The man was not in the subject, he was not fond of art, especially Russian. Just work at it like his wife and was purchased.

AI : It is clear that the work brought from abroad, and Russian buyers only?

AT : The buyers are mostly Russian. But the activity of Russian buyers has increased over the past 10 years, while Russian art sold, and much earlier. Here and now it is time to restore those who bought early, in whose hands had been previously sold works.

AI : It turns out that the Russian department of the work is akin to detective agency?

AT : Probably. I am not kidding when I say that I do not know in which country will next week, which will need to watch the thing standing. You never know in advance. At the last auction we had a kind of Himalayan brush Vereschagin ( see ill. ). You know, where we found this picture? In Alabama. The owner had not even had, as has. As it happened, that two years ago, he sent us a photo, but we do not twist, and then studied the proposal. And during this time, no movement has not happened. Two years later, the picture still hung on his wall. The owner explained that long, who is the artist Vereschagin suggested price - he was very surprised. A similar incident occurred when two years ago we sold a large collection of works by Konstantin Somov. I found these works near Paris, and called the owner the price: 150, 200 and 300 thousand dollars. In response: «You are not serious people. How can so many? »We had to explain that this is a very conservative estimate. When we sold the entire collection is for much of Higher money, the owner and his wife came up to me to thank. It turns out that before they thought, where to find 10 thousand euro to send a daughter to a good school. And now they have to decide how to dispose of such a lot of money. People often are unaware that they have. Just remember not to think about it.

AI : Russian art, may be found in the families of immigrants - immigrants from Russia?

AT : Not only Russian left with Russian art. At the beginning of XX century, foreign experts, a few years in Russia, took a memorable things: dishes, silver, Faberge, pictures. Or behold the English left-wing MPs, who visited Russia in the 1920's. They took with them, for example, the campaign china. Just look for these people and their heirs. And when you find them somewhere in the Manchester and Liverpool, you are told that these dishes roads as a memory of their grandfather brought, and they are not sold. But as soon as they will know that this is agitfarfor under 20 thousand, then the view is changing rapidly.

Actually, that our work - to study history, study the catalogs of exhibitions held in Russia and abroad before the revolution and after the revolution. In the same way and engage themselves collectors. Pay attention to what the money paid for these catalogs, when they appear at auction.

AI : When working with auctions is another problematic point: if the picture is not for sale, it's a bad effect on her reputation.

AT : And why is it not sold? Largely due to inadequate estimeyta when the client requests to appoint a very high price. Better to spend more time to persuade the owner to agree on an adequate, not overcharge. Explain the risks and consequences. If pozhadnichat, put the price of two million and does not sell, the next potential buyer will offer you have only 500 thousand, so that there are already negative. But if the rate of 900 thousand (as with Roerich), the total price, as we have seen, can reach the required two million.

AI : In your opinion, what segment of the market feels more confident in an unstable situation?

AT : The most important divisions among us - Impressionists, modern art, old master. They buy everything. I know people for whom the Russian art has become a window into the art world. There are Russian, which begins with the acquired several works by Russian, but now only collect Japanese art, or just the Impressionists, or even the only German porcelain. For me, it is important that they continue to buy at Christie's.

AI : Will the current instability in the buyer's portrait?

AT : When the market was booming, a lot of free money, then buy the art, it was part of the prestige - for rich people, it was important to show that they value the arts. Now, when the market declines, it remains a truly enthusiastic buyers, collectors, which is not important momentary prestige.

AI : What do you think it will signal an end to the crisis?

AT : I think that signal the end of the crisis - this is where the good will of the average sale price range. And when the auction will offer more work.

A remarkable work, and now continues to sell well. Slightly cheaper, but interest is still very high.

interview recorded Vladimir Bogdanov, AI