An auction of works from the collection of Kasper König, the pioneering German curator, has achieved around €6m at Van Ham in Cologne. König had arranged the sale, which took place over two days on 1 and 2 October, before his death in August at the age of 80.
The top lot was a work by the Japanese conceptual artist On Kawara, a red painting featuring the date “May 7, 1967” written is large font, that sold for a hammer price of €800,000 (€1.06 with fees) to a British collector. It set a new record for one of the artist’s date paintings, the auction house said in a press release.
On Kawara, MAY 7, 1967 (1967)
Courtesy of Van Ham
König did not consider himself a classic collector, but rather bought spontaneously or received gifts from the many artists he became acquainted with through his work. The auction, for which König planned the catalogue and exhibition, comprised 250 lots.
Another date-themed painting by Kawara—a close friend of König’s—fetched €290,000. The black painting bearing the date “21 Nov 2003” was a gift to König for his 60th birthday, which was on that day. The work was sold to a Swiss buyer, Van Ham said.
A private collector from Berlin paid €172,000 for a work by William Nelson Copley called Lady Be Good. A red garland by Thomas Schütte that hung in König’s Berlin apartment fetched €132,000.
A private collection in Britain paid €343,000 for a work by Claes Oldenburg, Ghost Wardrobe for M. M.. The first exhibition König curated, at the age of 23, was a solo show devoted to Oldenburg in Stockholm and the two remained lifelong friends. The work by Sigmar Polke that König selected for the cover of the catalogue, Meisterwerk als Ramsch versteigert (Masterpiece sold as junk), fetched €73,000. Other top lots included works by Richard Artschwager and Thomas Bayrle.
Claes Oldenburg, Ghost Wardrobe for M.M (1967–83)
Courtesy of Van Ham
König was considered one of the most influential contemporary art exhibition-makers of his era. He lived for more than a decade in New York, working on European exhibition projects, and met artists including Carl Andre, Hanne Darboven, Dan Graham, Sol LeWitt, Bruce Nauman and Andy Warhol.
He also founded Skulptur Projekte Münster, the internationally renowned sculpture exhibition that takes place every 10 years. He taught as a professor at the Städel art school in Frankfurt and served as director of the Museum Ludwig in Cologne from 2000 to 2012. He donated 50 works to the Museum Ludwig last year, including pieces by Pawel Althamer, Maria Eichhorn, Isa Genzken, Jenny Holzer and Jeremy Deller.