Comme ci, Comme ça in Paris

International Thu 28-10-2010

Comme ci, Comme ça in Paris
By AfricanColours Correspondent

There was always something about Tingatinga art that – forgive the pun – set one’s art nerves tingling at the first encounter. The blithely surreal, yet not surreal look of what is by now a full-blown art-school enchants and intrigues and you don’t forget it.

It is probably the reason why at the just-ended Artcurial auction in Paris, it fetched the highest bid of the afternoon – at 36,776 Euros, the highest record, it is said, of payment for Tingatinga art.

^Rajabi ^{Chiwaya, Gold Spot Tiger}

It is as well, they were works by one of the earlier names of the school, Rajabi Chiwaya.

The auction, which was held at the Hotel Marcel Dassault on Sunday 24 October, was titled "Africa Scenes I".

But wait a bit – 36,776 Euros, for what was just a week before was trumpeted as an African art invasion of the European mainland?

The event may have made names for Tingatinga, but for African art watchers, the auction, given the big name, Epochal African Art Auction in Paris, what turned out in the end was anything but epochal.

The great and good names of African art were there: El Anatsui, Jak Katarikawe, William Kentridge, Eduardo Saidi Tingatinga, George Lilanga, Twin Seven-Seven, Iba Ndiaye, Paul Ayhi, Marcel Gotène, Esther Mahlangu, Kay Hassan, Gérard Sekoto, El Salahi, Seydou Keita, Fosso, Moké, Malik Sidibé, Chéri Samba, Barthélémy Toguo, Robert Saint-Brice and André Pierre among others.

It’s a long list and many of these names reverberate for many who know the continent’s art. Yet when it was time for the gavel to come down, more than half the 85 works on offer did not reach the reserve price and bidding had to be stayed.

^{Untitled by George Lilanga}

It might sound like just another piece of “bad” news from and for Africa. African art has of course been auction for years in London. But the expectation of what Artcurial would result in, in Paris of all places – added the fact that it was the first time the auction house was venturing into African art - made the show even more abysmal.

Yet the quality of the art was not to blame for what transpired:

Timing and happenstance were heaped against the event. With the news coming from France the week before, something like that might have been expected. Riots resulting from opposition to French President, Nicholas Sarkozy’s proposal to raise retirement age in France (barely passed by parliament), meant that African art was not the only casualty. Much of public life in France ground to a halt; international air-travel was disrupted, as were trains and public services.

According to art market observers at the event, many potential buyers cancelled plans to travel to Paris, and this more or less put paid to what should have been a bonanza for African artists.

Expectations were lively. Wedding Night, one of the better-know works of Jak Katarikawe, the Ugandan-born artist and long-time resident in Kenya, was expected to fetch some estimated 25,000-30,000 Euro. ES Tingatinga's Great Lion, was expected to sell at about 15,000 to 20,000 Euro. They did not go very far.

^{Wedding night by Jak Katarikawe}

It was Chiwaya's Gold Spotted Leopard and Friend the Songbird that managed to climb above the lower estimate of 30,000 Euros, and in doing so, set a respectable record for Tingatinga.

It was a case of first time unlucky, but promoters of African art are hoping the Paris-based auction house does not give up on the continent’s art:

“I hope that Artcurial was not discouraged by the generally poor showing by bidders. This was their first sale on Africa and with time more international buyers will get to know what the excellent works they have on offer” one observer said.

Epochal African Art Auction in Paris

Posted By: Maggie Otieno

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