What makes VLADEY interesting? The possibility of a real win. Yes, it’s clear that anything starting at 100 euros is bait, just like at any other auction.
You won’t buy art for 100 euros, although some curious pieces do sell almost at their starting price. For example, Lot No. 4, «Untitled» by Kirill Kto, went for 200 euros, and a work by Francisco Infante-Arana from the series «Foci of Unreal Space» (1979) went to a new owner for only 500 euros. This is what makes the auction interesting. Sometimes good works genuinely sell for significantly less than market value.
Kirill Kto «Untitled, ” 2016
But the real battle at the auction unfolded over truly significant works. The main intrigue centered on two pieces by Anatoly Zverev. While the artist has many works on the market, there are just as many fakes, which makes purchasing an authentic Zverev extremely difficult. Not only the artwork itself matters, but also who is selling it. Vladimir Ovcharenko, an auctioneer and gallery owner, guarantees—or comes very close to guaranteeing—that when you buy a piece through VLADEY, you are buying a «clean title.» The works undergo rigorous examination, and Ovcharenko isn’t just a market analyst; he is someone who shapes this market.
The «Afghan Greyhound» from 1978 was the first piece to come up for auction. The work sold quickly for 1,400 euros, and I immediately started wondering if the second Zverev piece would also sell for so cheaply. But when the «Portrait» from 1985 was presented, the price constantly rose at the last moment. It seemed the auction was over, but a new bid kept appearing. I wondered if no one would buy that piece. It is such a characteristic Zverev. Ultimately, the «Portrait» sold for 6,000 euros. In principle, that isn’t a huge amount. For a portrait of this caliber, that’s roughly 30% below the usual market price, so the person who purchased the work made a very successful acquisition.
Anatoly Zverev «Afghan Greyhound, ” 1978 and „Portrait, ” 1985
The auction has concluded, leaving a delightful aftertaste—much like a glass of champagne or a box of chocolates. And you realize that even if you didn’t purchase anything today, the person who just paid 200 or 500 euros for a piece might own a work that could be worth 15,000 euros in a few years. At the next auction, that opportunity could be yours.
Francisco Infante-Arana Artifacts from the «Foci of Curved Space» series, 1979
