Phillips and Blackbird present Disruptors: Evening Sale of 20th Century & Contemporary Art, Design and Watches next Thursday, 25 May in Hong Kong. After two highly successful sold-out collaborations, Phillips and Blackbird partner together for the third time for another groundbreaking multi-category offering. A collection of curiosities and icons, “Disruptors” is curated by Blackbird founder TK Mak as a reflection of the items that have bucked the status quo and changed the course of design culture and history. The sale presents over 60 lots of exceptional works of art, design and watches, ranging from paintings and sculptures by sought-after artists such as Yayoi Kusama, Anish Kapoor, Nicolas Party, Takashi Murakami and KAWS, as well as important pieces by iconic designers including Ron Arad and Hans J. Wegner. Speaking to his cross-disciplinary interests as a collector, TK Mak has also curated a noteworthy mixture of timepieces by Patek Philippe, Rolex, and Cartier to be offered in this sale. The works of these zeitgeist-defining visionaries, all of whom, whether by fate or intention, have left their mark in their respective fields of art, design, and watches, etching their names into modern history.
LARRY’S LIST highlights 10 lots to check out from this multi-category auction.
Trees, 2014
pastel on canvas
199.3 x 130 cm
Estimate
HK$ 10,000,000 – 15,000,000
US$ 1,280,000 – 1,920,000
Born in 1980 in Lausanne, Switzerland, Party has cultivated a sharp awareness of compositional efficiency and the emotional impact brought by color and form. Steeped in the rich tradition of art history, Party’s oeuvre simultaneously forges a singular path within the contemporary landscape. Through his masterful manipulation of form, color, and composition, Party cultivates a space where the natural world merges with the fantastical, inviting the viewer to embark upon a journey of discovery and introspection as he celebrates and challenges conventions of representational painting. The present work boasts impressive exhibition history, having been exhibited at Party’s recent 2022 solo show at Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.
Ref. 5207P-001, circa 2010
platinum minute repeating perpetual calendar tourbillon wristwatch
Estimate
HK$ 4,000,000 – 6,000,000
US$ 513,000 – 769,000
Released in 2008, the ref. 5207 was at the time of its launch the top three most complicated wristwatches ever produced by the firm, developed over a five-year period by Patek Philippe’s finest watchmakers and engineers. The present ref. 5207P-001 cased in platinum delivers precise striking of the gong with a melodious chime and outstanding quality. The platinum version of ref. 5207 is now discontinued, making this highly complex wristwatch both extremely exclusive and desirable. Only 15 examples have surfaced on the market so far.
Non-Object (Mirror), 2009
stainless steel
180 x 180 x 43 cm
Estimate
HK$ 3,800,000 – 4,800,000
US$ 487,000 – 615,000
As one of contemporary art’s true champions, British-Indian sculptor Anish Kapoor’s works represent a convergence of deep metaphysical inquiry and innovative material exploration. Kapoor’s sculptural pieces delve into profound metaphysical dichotomies: presence and absence, being and nonbeing, and solidity and intangibility. The reflective sculpture of “Non-Object (Mirror)” seamlessly weaves together the artwork, the observer, and the environment into a singular, ever-changing tapestry. Boasting impressive exhibition history, the present work was shown as part of Kapoor’s important 2009 solo show at the Royal Academy of Arts in London.
Cosmograph Daytona ref. 6241, circa 1969
yellow gold chronograph wristwatch with champagne dial
Estimate
HK$ 1,000,000 – 2,000,000
US$ 128,000 – 256,000
Designed as the designated timekeeping tool on the wrist of professional racetrack drivers, the three-handed Daytona chronograph is, with no doubt, one of the most robust icons of all time. The ref. 6241 with a striking black acrylic bezel is a rare series within the Daytona family, launched in 1965 and remaining in production for only four years until 1969. Created over half a century ago, the present watch is still exceptionally beautiful with its wondrous state of preservation and vintage appeal.
Stupid, 1990
acrylic and spray paint on canvas
182.1 x 242.9 cm
Estimate
HK$ 800,000 – 1,200,000
US$ 103,000 – 154,000
FUTURA is an icon of graffiti and street art with a unique blend of futuristic and abstract styles. FUTURA started his artistic career in the early 1970s as a graffiti artist, and as his style evolved, he began to incorporate elements of abstraction and experimentation, creating a distinctive aesthetic that would set him apart from his peers. With his characteristic flair for abstraction and futuristic imagery, “Stupid” is a shining example of this unique vision of the world that is both visionary and grounded in the realities of urban life.
4 OCT 1950 from the series First Encounter, 2020
acrylic on canvas
220 x 220 cm
Estimate
HK$ 800,000 – 1,500,000
US$ 103,000 – 192,000
Michael Lau is internationally acknowledged as an imaginative, forward-thinking, and undeniably disruptive Hong Kong artist. Known as the “Godfather of Toys”, he is widely celebrated for pushing boundaries and advertising to conceive toys as a “high” forms of art. Over the years, his “First Encounter” series has grown to become one of his most iconic and sought-after bodies of works. Drawing from a range of influences—from street art and graffiti to comic books and popular culture—Lau’s oeuvre is vibrant, energetic, and often humorous.
Royal Oak Jubilee ref. 14802ST, circa 1992
limited-edition stainless-steel wristwatch with salmon dial, numbered 622 of 1000 pieces made for the 20th Anniversary of the Royal Oak
Estimate
HK$ 600,000 – 1,200,000
US$ 76,900 – 154,000
In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Royal Oak in 1992, Audemars Piguet launched a limited-edition ref. 14802 Royal Oak Jubilee for the special occasion. Of the 1,000 pieces released, about 700 were made in stainless steel, and of those 700, it is estimated that only 200 to 300 were fitted with the rare, resplendent salmon dial that has become in the intervening decades overwhelmingly desirable to collectors. The present watch is a time capsule distinguished by its well-preserved condition.
KAWS: MONSTER Chair, 2019
plush toys, stainless steel, and bronze
89 x 130 x 102 cm
Estimate
HK$ 400,000 – 600,000
US$ 51,300 – 76,900
KAWS is known for his practice of using pre-existing imagery to explore the relationship between fine art and consumer culture. Recognized as an international pop culture phenomenon, he has set new possibilities in art, music, and fashion and has collaborated with major industry giants such as Pharrell Williams and Kanye West, to high-end fashion lines like Dior, and Comme Des Garcons. KAWS has followed in the footsteps of icons before him, such as Andy Warhol and Keith Haring, to become acknowledged as a disruptor of 21st-century creativity.
‘Big Easy Volume 2’ armchair, circa 1988
polished stainless steel and patinated mild steel
96.6 x 132 x 86 cm
Estimate
HK$ 200,000 – 300,000
US$ 25,600 – 38,500
A persistent theme throughout Ron Arad’s work is innovation and the idea of the “new.” Still producing work today, he integrates the latest technology into his designs. Arad has an exceptional skill to coax volume and undulation out of his designs, with a particular affinity for metal. His works, such as “Big Easy Volume 2” armchair (1988), walk the line between design and sculpture. His relentless energy and experimental spirit have placed him firmly within the highest ranks of the design world.
Bay of Sagami, Atami, 1997
gelatin silver print
42.2 x 54.2 cm
Estimate
HK$ 160,000 – 240,000
US$ 20,500 – 30,800
Hiroshi Sugimoto’s portrayals of otherworldly seascapes are produced via prolonged exposures, capturing motionless waters in a state of tranquility. They appear unusually flat and clean, where waves melt into each other like silk beneath misty horizons. Setting him apart from his contemporaries in photography, Sugimoto’s distinctive use of natural light and manipulation of shadow create sublime, abstract photographs of the sea that are almost geometric in form, reducing the face of the earth to its most primordial, simplistic elements: water and air— the beginning of life.
