The calf in formaldehyde for 19 million USD It goes without saying ...
 

"The Golden Calf" by Damien Hirst sold for 10.3 million pounds
On Monday, during the first trading day work of British artist Damien Hirst at Sotheby's in London sold 56 lots totaling more than 70.5 million pounds (127.2 million dollars), reported at the auction house.
The greatest interest was the work of "Beauty is always in my thoughts, or the Golden Calf, which was established in 2008. It is an aquarium filled with formaldehyde, which is bull with hooves of gold and a gold disc between the horns. In a preliminary assessment of 8 to 12 million "Golden Calf" went for 10 million 345 тысяч 250 pounds (18.6 million dollars). A new record prices for works by Hirst, said the agency France Presse.

Tiger shark in formaldehyde called The Kingdom ", previously estimated 4 to 6 million pounds, was sold for 9 миллионов 561 тысячу 250 pounds (17.3 million dollars). In total, during the first half hour auction buyers purchased works of Hirst worth more than 43.5 million pounds (78.3 million dollars).

Hurst put up for sale 223 the lot, reminds agency Bloomberg. Bidding works very wealthy British artist at Sotheby's will continue on Tuesday. Judging by the results of the first day, the proceeds of sale significantly exceeds 65 million pounds, which was originally expected to auction house.

Eugene,
If anyone thinks this is art - is fully entitled. Just as I have every right not to consider it art.

Excellent result. Auction waited with bated breath. He was supposed to show how the crisis affected the market of art. It turned out that everything is normal. And dealers were in a rage: from a business perspective is a complete rudeness do the work directly from the studio to auction, bypassing the gallery. Undermines the foundations of the market. But Hurst - krutan, he these rules the drum, and all auction dude not valerian drinking and playing pool:) Respect.

Somehow, I remain confident that, with this auction is not clear. It will take some time as a pop-up conspiracy of the auction house with the author of these masterpieces. Surely the real figures much more modest: to pay for their services came to 5.8 million who were actual sales, well, and the author of several million perepalo plus fans excitement and fury of the persecutors.:)
The most expensive lots could be as it were purchased by the same zagatochnymi investors, and the record skull.:) As the lots on which there were no applicants. Gallery selling its inventory will be easier to mollify recalcitrant buyers, they say exactly the same at the auction but bought as much. Not only the fact that it is not that same.:)

fross,
would like to hear your opinion on related questions. The above option you probably can be considered as cheating the public.
And if you put up for auction the work agreed in advance with this buyer of its guaranteed purchases (not for the record, of course, amount)? I think it will be and ethically, and the auction history can do. How is your opinion on this score?
I mean the artist A gallery with good sales, but with missing auction history.

Ethical issues in business is flirting, he's essentially legalized fraud. In case you described the risk there is only one - the other owners of the works can start to sell them en masse after a successful auction sale. So you should be prepared to buy them. So if you want to raise prices and increase the potential demand, then it should be done gradually over several years. And certainly better than one.

Wow Joseph invented America:)

People and do - expose the work to tender, raise prices (to record). If someone begins to bargain, to concede him a job, but if not - redeem it yourself. And so - to the finish.

One of the rules of an art dealer (professionals will correct me if I'm wrong, but I have specific examples), unwinding of the artist - never exhibited work at the auction, if you are not ready to buy it myself.

LCR,
when redeeming themselves - this is understandable. I also asked about the scheme, when the purchaser buys real. Example, saw in the gallery over 10, it seemed expensive. At the auction set to 5, after calling the buyer.
Although, maybe it's really almost the same thing:)

[color="# 666686"]Added after 8 minutes[/color]
That this still does not agree, even at the risk of being branded as protector of coquetry. For any business is a scam and not a business scam. Another thing is that the evaluation questions of ethics are complex and not always unambiguous.

P.S. After consideration quotation addressed Fross, of course. I do not know why the text jumped here.

agree Frosya, I had two opinions on this subject:
1. things no one really did not buy, and all official profonatsiya made to support the auction house and yourself Hurst interest in the market of contemporary art, and Hirst in particular. After all, look, fixation of new records - means prices will rise further Hirst. And in a situation of panic in world financial markets to keep the art market as a whole needed a very positive result of this auction. And, as we see, we got it. So all is well, do not worry, it'll be more ....
2. Not much different from the first version, but here the main players - galleries and art dealers. who understood that in case of failure of all their work Hirst lost much in price. This option is less likely, because too decent result ...

also did not agree with that. Then any gesheft - institutionalized deception)))

Meister,
about "legalized cheating" - it is not, I wrote, and my opponent on this issue