[Dogel]

Triptych Chinese artist Zhang Syaogana was sold at auction in Hong Kong for 79 million Hong Kong dollars (more than 10.1 million U.S. dollars). This is a record price for the works of contemporary Chinese art.

On three canvases of 1988, which Zhang Xiaogang gave the name of "love eternally", depicted scantily clad men against the desert landscape, surrounded by symbols, one of which - emaciated sheep.

This is one of 105 paintings from the collection of Belgian collector Baron Guy Ullensa sold to a Hong Kong branch of the auction house Sotheby.

Total sales amounted to about 55 million U.S. dollars - three times more than expected.
Full range

Never before have the works of contemporary Chinese artists have not been sold for such a significant amount. "Lasts forever love" broke the previous record, set canvas Zeng Fanchzhi "Mask" 1996 No 6, having left the auction in 2008 for 9.6 million dollars.

According to Evelyn Lynn, head of contemporary Asian art auction house Sotheby, "lasts forever love" - ​​is "a monumental work of the heyday of the Chinese avant-garde art, worthy to be in a museum."

The work of other Chinese artists also set individual sales records. Among them - Zhang Paley, whose painting of a series of "X"? No 3 was bought for almost $ 3 million, and Geng Jian, whose painting "Two people under the light" went for 2.4 million dollars.

Kevin Ching, director of Sotheby Asia, said that presented in the auction works demonstrate "full spectrum of contemporary Chinese art."

"I think everyone would be proud of owning a part of the history of the process and the vision of the world" - says Ching.

Baron Ullens, who together with his wife Miriam created the Beijing Center for Contemporary Art Ucca, promised to continue supporting the Chinese artists, despite the impressive sales of his collection. In particular, in a statement Ucca says that Baron intended to promote the younger generation of Chinese artists.

Prices for art in China have skyrocketed over the past few years due to economic growth and increase the number of super-rich Chinese.

As a result, Hong Kong became one of the world's largest auction centers, followed by London and New York.

BBC