January 5, 2022
3 Min. Read

How to bid for art online!

First Live Zanzibar Art Auction: 24 African paintings from $700 to $12,000 

A pre-Christmas highlight for art lovers takes place on 11 December at the Zanzibar Serena Hotel - and online. Read here how to get the best under the hammer.

By ANDREA TAPPER

African art is rising all over the world, becoming a worthwhile investment besides a nice-to-have for your walls. Art sellers have noticed a shift to artists of colour and to art “reflecting the issues of our time such as race, gender and sexuality”, said Abigail Asher, one of the most a renowned American art consultants. Another trend: hybrid auctions with part of the bidders attending live, others tuned in via livestream.

Follow the auction via livestream

This is exactly what is coming now to Zanzibar, organised by the Forster Gallery of  Swiss collector Markus Forster and managing partner Marina Majiba (THE FUMBA TIMES reported). They first live auction at Zanzibar Serena Hotel in town takes place on 11 December, starting at 9 pm. The hotel offers a special dinner and overnight stays for the occasion. Everybody can follow the auction by livestream, but only registered buyers can bid. 

Bidders are expected to take part locally and from all over the world. On sale are 24 works  - called “lots” in the auction world – of African and Africa-based painters and sculpturers including famous Tanzanian Tinga Tinga art, George Lilanga, David Mzuguno, up-and-coming Valerie Asiimwe Amani and more. Other contemporary artists come from Cameroon, Ethiopia, Congo, Sudan, South Africa, Uganda. From Kenya, popular Michael Soi is in the hybrid auction. 

Estimates for the art pieces range between 700 dollars to 12,000 dollars – still a far cry from, for example, blockbuster Black artist Michel Basquiat of whom a skull painting recently sold for $93 million at Christie’s. Still, gallery owner Forster acknowledges: “The value of African art is certainly on the rise, on all levels.”  Sales after the auction will continue via his web platform and at the gallery premises in Mbweni – for anybody missing the event. 

Bidders from all over the world

For first time bidders, procedures and rituals at art auctions - likely to involve a champagne-sipping crowd, a high degree of anticipation and at times undiscernable  mumbles of bids – might be puzzling but “really exciting”, says gallery manager Marina Majiba who will be the auctioneer in Zanzibar. 

Here’s our What-is-What for newcomers:

Hammer (symbol) 

When the hammer (or gavel) falls, the auction of a particular piece (called lot in an auction) is over. The winning bid determines the sales price. 

Money (symbol)

Auction terms differ all over the world. But usually the seller has to pay a commission from the price to the auctioneer. The buyer pays a premium on top of the hammer price. Estimates give an idea of the artwork’s value, but the actual price reached at the auction can be much higher, or lower. A painting of whiz kid Pakistani artist Salmon Toor, for example, recently sold for $867,000 at Sotheby’s, ten times its estimate!

Bidding (symbol number) 

Whether you bid live at the Serena or online, now or at a later auction, you have to register before (see gallery’s website) and will get a personal account. As a bidder you can set your own limit, which stays secret, but when the going gets hot you can go above it.

Taking the art home (symbol)

In Zanzibar it’s payment strictly within 7 days. You’ll pick-up your art at the Forster Gallery or have it shipped home. 

Forster is planning more auctions in 2022. “We are inviting artwork for that“, he appeals to sellers in East Africa, „it is time to unlock the value of your art“.

Auction fever

  • Information about auctions and art in Zanzibar 

forster-gallery.com

  • Inspiration from the world’s best

Sothebys.com

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