Bloomberg catches a few ArtBasel datapoints worth noting:
- Gagosian sold $45 million of art within the first quarter of an hour, said two dealers with knowledge of the matter, who declined to be named.
- Cattelan’s 2002 sculpture of two New York policemen, “Frank and Jamie,” priced at $3 million, was among sales by Gagosian at the June 14 VIP preview, said dealers. Two examples of this edition of four sold at auction for about $1.6 million in 2010.
- Geneva-based Galerie Krugier & Cie. offered three Picasso oils priced at a total of $52 million. Though at least two smaller Picasso works found buyers for undisclosed prices, the big-ticket oils were still available as the 42nd fair ended.
Big Spenders Lift Contemporary Art Back to Peak at $1.8 Billion Basel Fair (Bloomberg)