What happened when millions of famous paintings were torn up by bear children? A painting originally scheduled to be auctioned at Christie's Hong Kong Spring Auction of 'Chinese modern calligraphy and painting' on May 28 was torn up by a child visiting the preview on May 26.
According to the on-site photos posted on the Internet, what was destroyed was the No. 1393 photo of the site - the light yellow willow with rooks, which is the four screens of Ren Bonian's flowers and birds. The lower half of the painting was completely torn off. The set of paintings was created in 1889 and the estimated value is HK $1.5 million to HK $2.5 million (about RMB 1.3 million to RMB 2.19 million). At present, Christie's official website shows that the auction has been withdrawn.
As soon as this happened, it immediately aroused widespread concern and heated discussion in the auction industry. " We have never encountered this situation. The key perpetrator is a minor child, and we are also concerned about the follow-up. " Gao Hong, general manager of Chengxuan auction, said. For the protection measures of the auction in the pre exhibition, Gao Hong said that due to different exhibition forms, various companies have taken different protection measures.
The reporter saw at the auction preview of various auction houses that in order to let collectors observe the auction closer, many paintings have no glass layer and blocking protection, and some antiques can also be experienced by viewers.
As of press time, Christie's had no further response to the matter. Some media previously reported that Christie's is negotiating with the insurer, and the investigation and compensation has not been finalized.
Xi Yaoyi, an art critic, said that the latest progress he learned from Christie's is that insurance is responsible, '(the painting) is now to be repaired. It should be restored to its original state through mounting. The work is insured, and the cost is no problem. I didn't know about other accountability issues. I just withdrew the shooting and repaired the mounting. If there is no trace after the repair, it is generally unlikely to affect the future auction price of the painting. "
Accidental destruction of exhibits by children is not an individual case
In recent years, accidental destruction of exhibits by children has happened occasionally.
In August 2015, a little boy accidentally fell down while watching the truth Da Vinci's talent exhibition in Taipei and pressed his hand on Paul & middot, who is more than 300 years old; Paolo porporpora's painting "flowers" made a hole in the work, and the boy who caused the accident blamed himself very much. Later, the work was urgently repaired by the repairman, and the little boy was not responsible for the compensation for the accident.
For the preview of the auction house, the important auction items are basically insured. Chen Junda, a researcher of the academic research department of the China collectors association, said: "the destroyed auction is insured, so the auction company's first step is to negotiate with the insurance company to see the claim proportion and amount. If the auction is not insured, the party concerned will compensate. "
Should auction companies prohibit children from entering
Huang Xiangjie, a member of the China Book Association, said, "the pre exhibition of the auction is no better than that of the museum. Almost all the works on display have no protection measures, so that collectors can see the works more clearly. Some parents like to take their children to the preview site for artistic edification, which is really the wrong place. Children who are really interested in art should be taken to museums and art galleries. The collections there are all classics, which are more suitable for learning. "
"A staff member of the antiques Department of an auction house fell in high heels and broke his porcelain. Since then, there has been a rule that the staff of the antiques department can not wear high heels. I think the auction house may take measures to treat children carefully in the future. " Xi Yaoyi analyzed.
Zhang Xiaobin, a senior observer of the art market, believes that due to site reasons, the exhibits can not be fully protected, especially the traditional vertical axis form, which is easy to be damaged by the audience. " Originally, it was good for parents to take their children to the exhibition and edify their children's artistic atmosphere, but the risk of children damaging art exists. Whether to prohibit children from entering the exhibition in the future is an issue that auction companies should consider. "