Power Collectors Wang Wei and Liu Yiqian to Sell 50 Works
Sotheby's will auction off paintings by Amadeo Modigliani, René Magritte, and Matthew Wong, among others, in Hong Kong this fall.
Exhibition view: Tomokazu Matsuyama, Accountable Nature, Long Museum, Shanghai (12 November 2020–24 January 2021). Courtesy Long Museum.
The couple behind Shanghai's Long Museum will auction off some 50 paintings, Sotheby's announced today.
'Though the works to be offered represent just a tiny fraction of the couple's vast collection, the scope of the offering—which spans everything from works by the greatest names in art history to newer pieces by today's rising stars—is fully reflective of the expansive and enlightened approach that has always underpinned Liu and Wang's collecting journey,' said Nicholas Chow, Sotheby's Chairman, Asia.
Sotheby's said the works would be 'a full cross section of artists' from their collection, which includes modern and contemporary works from Asia and the West.
Artists mentioned by name include Georgette Chen, Zao Wou-ki, Yayoi Kusama, David Hockney, Dana Schutz, and Nicolas Party.
Sotheby's did not list any antiquities, which are among Liu's most beloved items. He famously used his American Express card to buy a single porcelain chicken cup from the Chenghua period for US $36 million.
One year later, Liu again used his credit card to buy Amedeo Modigliani's Reclining Nude (1915–17) for US $170 million at Christie's, earning enough points that Wang bragged to the New York Times that their family would never need to pay for flights again.
Wang Wei wore a fluffy fur coat and tight leather pants when she gave me and other reporters a tour of the West Bund Long Museum in 2011, then little more than a muddy construction site. That added to the impression that the couple were 'tuhao', a Chinese phrase that suggests both 'nouveau riche' and 'country bumpkins'.
After purchasing the Modigliani, Liu embraced the term, saying 'I am definitely a tuhao, but at least this tuhao is bringing a masterpiece back to China for the Chinese people to enjoy.'
Wang and Liu have since proven their commitment to contemporary art, building the Long Museum's reputation as one of the leading art institutions in the country.
Sotheby's Nicholas Chow said proceeds from the sale would go towards 'further key initiatives at the Long Museum, while also funding future acquisitions and the continued fostering of cultural dialogues between different artists, geographies, and generations.' —[O]
