The preview of the Metropolitan Museum of Art lasted for two full days. Because the works did not reach the predetermined number, the intervals between them were very large, about three meters. Fortunately, almost all the works were not too small, and they did not look large.
It seems too empty.
The people invited to this tour are also more high-end than last time. Last time, they were almost all managers of small businesses and small collectors. This time there are not only well-known entrepreneurs, but also people from some big banks in New York.
Managers, these people are generally responsible for buying some artworks for banks and hanging them in large client rooms or headquarters offices such as bank headquarters to show their taste. There are even some well-known collectors in the United States.
The price of a work of one million US dollars is no longer within the reach of most of the guests last time.
Fang Yi and his friends showed their IDs to the staff at the entrance of the exhibition hall. Before seeing Fang Yi's ID, a staff member next to him reached out and pulled open the soft velvet strap on the railing and made a
The five people were let in with an inviting gesture.
Before a few people had even taken two steps, they heard someone from behind asking: "Is there an art exhibition also being held in this hall? Can we go in and have a look!".
After hearing this, Fang Yi couldn't help but turn around and take a look, because this person spoke with a very strange accent, to be precise, it had a Chinglish accent, and he spoke in a stumbling manner.
"I'm sorry! This is a preview of the Linearism School. I need an invitation letter today," the staff member explained.
"Linearism?" The man who spoke muttered. Then he whispered in Chinese to the people next to him who looked like his wife and son.
After talking to his family, the man turned to the staff and said, "Is one of them Fang Yi?".
After hearing this, Fang Yi became a little curious. This man actually knew him. He turned around and looked at the family of three at the door.
The man's words stunned the staff. They didn't know who Fang Yi was. Foreigners usually use their first name and surname. He changed the name, and the staff was a little confused: "I'm sorry, what's Fang Yi?".
"It's Yifang." The man responded and repeated.
Now the staff understood and nodded directly.
After figuring out that the person on display inside was Fang Yi, the man said to the staff: "We will go back to China tomorrow. My son also studies painting. Can you let us go in and have a look? We will come out after a while. We won't take pictures either.
Something like that, my children really like Fang Yi’s works now.”
"Sorry, I can't let you in without an invitation," the staff member repeated with a smile.
Just when the family wanted to turn around with a little disappointment, Fang Yi took two steps to the entrance and said softly to the family in Chinese: "I'll tell them to let you come in and watch for a while!".
Well! The family was still wondering when they heard Fang Yi turn around and speak to the staff in English. Of course the staff knew that Fang Yi was one of the five artists participating in the exhibition. The invitation letter was supposed to be sent to him.
After hearing Fang Yi say a few words softly, he untied the rope again and signaled that the family of three could enter.
The middle-aged man did not know Fang Yi and thought that Fang Yi was a staff member of the museum. After entering the door, he said to Fang Yi repeatedly: "Thank you very much. I still have some acquaintances who can help me with things."
The fifteen or sixteen-year-old son looked at Fang Yi, blinked his eyes and said, "Are you Master Fang Yi?".
"I am Fang Yi, and I don't dare to take the word master seriously." Fang Yi said with a smile after hearing this.
"You are Fang Yi? You are so young." The middle-aged man looked Fang Yi up and down and said repeatedly: "I didn't expect it, I didn't expect it!".
Fang Yi had something to do here, so naturally he couldn't accompany the family of three. However, he still whispered: "It's okay to go in and look at the paintings, but don't take pictures or use flash. Just keep quiet."
Chinese people have a bad habit of taking pictures while looking at oil paintings. There is nothing wrong with taking pictures, and foreigners also take pictures. However, most foreigners take pictures of paintings. We Chinese like to take pictures of ourselves, and the subject is definitely not a work of art.
It’s me! Logically speaking, these preferences are nothing. They can be explained as cultural differences.
Same. But using flash is a problem. The key is that the sign clearly says not to use it, but many people still unconsciously press the flash of their camera and keep flashing until a staff member comes to stop it, and the staff member turns around.
Some people are using it again, and this habit of some people is really irritating.
The reason why Fang Yi let this family in was not because he said he was leaving tomorrow, or because the family was not dressed too casually, as if they had a little money and were going to sell paintings or something. Now his works
It's not something you can afford with just a little money. A painting costs more than one million US dollars, and the exchange rate of RMB against the US dollar is still around one to eight.
Firstly, I saw that this family spoke in a low voice when talking to the staff, and secondly, I heard that compatriots from China had heard of my name and liked my works, and I felt a little complacent.
"I know, we won't be like that without quality. Let's take a look at your work and leave. It will take ten minutes at most." The man said with a smile to Fang Yi.
After hearing this, Fang Yi gently raised his finger and pointed at his work, indicating that the family could look at it as they pleased. Pointing to Fang Yi, he turned around and walked towards Zou Heming's circle.
"This is Mr. Fang!" Zou Heming looked at Fang Yi walking over and directly introduced Fang Yi to a white couple next to him who looked a little fat, bald and wearing glasses: "This is Mr. Steve Cohen and Mr.
lady".
Fang Yi politely stretched out his hand and shook hands with the two of them. Fang Yi had already heard Zou Heming nagging in his ears, such as hedge fund managers and generous collectors.
Next, Fang Yi naturally chatted about his creations and the like. Fang Yi spent five or six minutes chatting with the couple about his own works. Then he and Zou Heming said sorry together and turned to the couple.
Couple, this matter has become a normal thing for almost two days. Fang Yi has almost become mechanical when telling people about it, and practice makes perfect.
After meeting two groups of people in succession, Fang Yi found that the family of three who had entered in front were standing by the door and looking towards him.
"I'll come over here!" Fang Yi whispered to Zou Heming, and walked towards the family of three. When chatting with others, Fang Yi would also observe the three people from time to time. If there was anything that happened unconsciously, Fang Yi would
If Fang Yi is annoyed, he will definitely chase people away, but what makes Fang Yi satisfied is that the moral character of this family of three is very good, and they can't find anything wrong.
When he came to this house, Fang Yi asked, "Is there anything else?".
The man looked at Fang Yi and said sheepishly: "My child wants to take a photo with you."
Fang Yi thought for a while and said: "Then let's go out. It's not a good place to take pictures here." Everyone who came here was with their pockets shaking, so staying here to take pictures made Fang Yi feel a little weird.
"Okay! How about we meet in front of the art exhibition promotion board not far from the door?" The man said, looking at Fang Yi. He looked at Fang Yi and nodded, and everyone walked there together.
After taking a photo with this family, Fang Yi returned to the exhibition hall and saw Zou Heming walking towards him with a smile, and pulled him aside: "Yi, the Cohens bought your works No. 1 and No. 6."
.
"Oh!" Fang Yi immediately became happy after hearing this, thinking that Zou Heming's price meant that he would soon have more than one million US dollars in his pocket. Of course, this was after deducting the gallery's money and taxes.
money.
Zou Heming seemed happier than Fang Yi. He said that he held an art exhibition and pushed the signed five money-tree works to more than one million. However, people who can spend millions to buy an oil painting are equally picky. Will the market accept such a price?
, the degree of acceptance was just a guess in the past. Now Fang Yi has two pictures
The sale of the work undoubtedly gave Zou Heming reassurance. What's more, Fang Yi's No. 6 work "The Village in the Rain" sold for US$1.4 million. With the beginning of Fang Yi's work, although the works of Keshima and others are
It was influenced by previous works, but it shouldn’t be a big problem if you spend a few million dollars on it.
Facts have proved that the afternoon of the next day was the harvest season. Fang Yi sold two works, Keshma's work sold one for 1.05 million, and Anders's work also sold for one million online.
The transaction was completed. The ones who did not sell any works were Artur and Rude. But they don’t have to worry. They will wait until the end of the tour.
A work in Shaodu City was sold, and the buyer was of course Zou Heming’s Lawrence Gallery. With several works sold, how could Zou Heming let the other two works go unsold or fall below the million mark? The value of the gallery is
This is reflected here, which is different from the division of labor among contracted artists, but both suffer losses and gain prosperity.
Six works worth more than one million US dollars were sold in one day (one by Artur and one by Rude was announced by the gallery as being ordered, but actually purchased by the gallery). Such news suddenly appeared in major American newspapers
On the pages of the magazine, the works of the five founders of Linearism have crossed the million-dollar mark and officially entered the upper echelon of the oil painting market.
This news also ignited the enthusiasm of some middle- and upper-class people to see the art exhibition. The number of visitors to the public exhibition on the second day greatly exceeded the gallery's expectations. There was even a queue of more than 20 people at the entrance of the exhibition hall.
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Generally speaking, in the American art market, the low-end and high-end are relatively active, while the mid-range is somewhat sluggish. Although the high-end is active, millions of dollars in a month include millions and tens of millions of works.
The transaction volume is only between three and five works, including some works by deceased famous artists. Now five linearists have sold six works at once, which is naturally worthy of newspaper coverage.
The names of the five people have gradually become familiar to some middle and upper class people: they can’t afford it, but they can still afford it! (To be continued...)