Art auction in VietNam goes pro

Ben Dong Song Do (Alongside the Red River) by Dao Hai Phong.

Art for art’s sake. There goes the first art auction in Viet Nam, set to take place on May 28, not for charity purposes.

Among the works are paintings Happiness by Hoang Phuong Vy, Uplands Fairies by Quach Dong Phuong and Alongside the Red River by Dao Hai Phong. The starting price for the paintings is between VND50 million and 120 million (US$2,300 and $5,300).

Along with the paintings, a pair of Tu Linh (Four Sacred Animals) jars by artisan Pham Anh Dao from the Bat Trang pottery village, produced in 2010, will also be presented at the auction. The starting price for the jars is expected to be between VND900 million and 1 billion ($40,300 and $45,000).

Dao’s workshop did something that many generations of Bat Trang artisans had wished to do. They successfully handcrafted two jars, each weighing 500kg. They were each 2.7m in height, with a diameter of 1.3m, with a cracked enamel – imitation of ancient ceramics. Dao spent more than a year to make the jars by hand and took 70 hours to bake them.

Additionally, painter Le Thiet Cuong also sends an altar from the late 19th century to the auction with an expected starting price of VND65 million to VND80 million ($3,000 to $3,600).

Auction in the field of art aims to honour the value of labour and creativity of the authors as well as establishing a transparent market for domestic artworks, according to Do Thi Hong Hanh, director of Lac Viet Company, the organiser of the event.

“The idea of holding the special auction occurred many years ago, with a range of preparations held early on, including collecting valuable works, connecting with experts, and inviting advisers,” she said.

Earlier, artists often sold paintings at galleries. Sometimes, artworks were auctioned for charity purposes, so these auctions did not reflect the true value of the items, she added.

Tien Nu Vung Cao (Uplands Fairies) by Quach Dong Phuong.

The auction process is being done in line with current legal provisions that makes it different from all previous charity auctions.

The author or owner of the artworks will receive 100 per cent of the value of the works at the starting price they set. The additional amount from the auction will be divided according to the provisions in the contract between the auction organisers and property owners.

The organisers must ensure that products on auction are exclusive with clear origin and proper dating.

The auction, which will take place at Sheraton Hanoi Hotel, is expected to attract between 40 and 50 bidders.

The organiser has offered profiles enrolled for the event and started receiving registration dossiers from now until May 28 at the Lac Viet Company, 49 Van Cao Street, Ha Noi.

Anyone interested in watching the artworks in advance can register at the company.