An untitled work by Indian-origin sculptor Anish Kapoor sold for more than double the pre-sale estimates while a monumental copper installation by contemporary artist Subodh Gupta fetched 229,250 pounds (Rs 1.7 crore) at a Sotheby's auction here.
The gourds, acrylic and pigment work by Kapoor, whose giant sculptures adorn squares from Chicago to Nottingham, had a hammer price of 70,850 pounds with buyer's premium.
The piece, which was executed by the Mumbai-born artist in 1993-95, had a pre-sale estimate of 30,000-40,000 pounds at the auctioneers' Contemporary Art Day sale on February 11.
On the other hand, Gupta's sculptural installation was created from a 10-foot tall tower of traditional copper cooking vessels stacked one on top of the other.
The untitled work had an estimate of 200,000-300,000 pounds. The identity of the buyers was immediately known.
Gupta, one of India's most exciting contemporary artists who loves to incorporate in his works everyday objects that are ubiquitous, executed the piece in 2006.
According to Sotheby's, this was a "visually arresting and dynamic manipulation of an everyday, utilitarian object references numerous sculptural precedents".
Gupta's choice of the traditional copper cooking vessels as opposed to their cheaper, more readily available stainless-steel counterparts has added symbolic connotations too; specifically of the rapidly changing cultural values in Indian society and the way in which modern techniques and mass-produced products are frequently usurping the country's traditional practices and objects, the auctioneers said.
