How did the last photography auction go at the Genoese auction house led by Matteo Cambi? The director is well aware that the approach to the market is changing. Although the family initially started with the sale of antiques and ancient art, they are now turning to new sectors loved by collectors and young connoisseurs. In recent years, the auction house has also organized auctions of Naturalia, watches and jewelry, wine, watches, modern art, and design. A new category that is also growing due to the revenue it ensures is precisely photography.
But where are their headquarters located? First of all, the headquarters of Castello Mackenzie in Genoa, a work by the Florentine architect Gino Coppedè, with over 3000 square meters spread over five floors. Then Milan, in Via San Marco, is located in the Brera area, where some pre-auction exhibitions are also held, and Rome in a historic building on Via del Babuino, an important headquarters for the connection with the central-southern clientele.
The photographic auction of Cambi in January
On January 21st, an important live photography auction was held, which led the auction house to achieve excellent sales results. The catalog included 119 lots, many of which were united by the theme of female identity. A section was dedicated to the figure of Marilyn Monroe shot by André De Dienes. Despite this, many photographs of the icon remained unsold.
The best awards start with the work Cassandra Crying 2016 by Francesco Vezzoli, estimated at 70,000.00 / 90,000.00 with a final amount of € 87,600. A photograph of Sophia Loren with golden embroidered tears applied, which characterize the artist’s work.
Cindy Sherman (1954) with Untitled #555 from 2010/2012 which had an estimate between € 30,000 and 35,000 and was sold for the amount of € 35,100 (amount inclusive of auction fees). A major exhibition in Antwerp is noted, at the photography museum FOMU which concluded on February 2.
The shot of Francesca Woodman
Francesca Woodman (1958 – 1981) Untitled, Rome (1977-1978), later print that starting from a rather modest estimate of € 4,000.00/6,000.00 reached € 30,100. It is edition 16 of 40, signed “George and Betty Woodman” in pencil on the back. Also present are the gallery labels of Victoria Miro (London) and Il Capricorno (Venice). The shot is an intimate self-portrait in which Woodman seems to levitate in a domestic interior. The woman is in a nightgown and hides her face by holding onto the door ledge. The pose resembles a crucifixion. Currently, at Libreria – Galleria. Il museo del Louvre (Rome, via della Reginella 8A) the exhibition le ragazze di Maldoror is on view. It is a group show focusing on female art in Rome between 1977 and 1981. The Libreria Maldoror represented a crossroads. Artists Francesca Woodman, Edith Schloss, Sabina Mirri, Monica Albasini Casetti, and Cati Laporte gathered there.
The other awards above 20k from the auction house Cambi
Many lots exceeded 20K. Seeking Martyrdom, from the series “Women of Allah 1993-1997”, by Shirin Neshat was one of the most anticipated works, and indeed, it was sold for € 27,600. The estimate was between € 16,000.00 and € 24,000.00. Speechless, 1996 by the same artist was sold for € 20,100.
Language VI, 2011/2012 by Rashid Rana (1968) fell within the estimate of € 16,000/24,000 but did not reach the maximum: € 22,600.00. Rashid Rana is a Pakistani artist who uses various media. His photographic mosaics are not just a collection of pixels; each fragment hides an additional visual clue.
The American Peter Beard (1938-2020) was featured with numerous lots sold very well. Among these, Alistar and Crocc, 1965 at € 26,975.00 and Turkana Maiden at Lodwar, 1964 at € 19,475.00. Graduated in Art History at Yale, he studied African wildlife and documented the disappearance of elephants in Kenya. He collaborated with Andy Warhol and Francis Bacon. He was severely injured by an elephant but survived. After mysteriously disappearing on the cliffs of Long Island, where his studio was, his body was found in a forest in the state of New York.
The other lots between 10,000 and 20,000
Significant were the sales in a range between 10,000 and 20,000. Campagna italiana, Sicilia, 1943 by Robert Capa (1913-1954) was sold for € 16,350. Elsa Peretti as A Bunny, 1975 (printed 1994) by Helmut Newton (1920 – 2004) met its collector for € 18,850 (estimate € 15,000/20,000). Hôtel, chambre n°28, 3 mars, 1981-1983 by Sophie Calle (1953), whose estimate was € 7,000/9,000, doubled the base, reaching € 14,475. It is part of the series that Calle created in 1981, between images and diary content. Working for 3 weeks from the Hotel C. di Venezia as a maid, she noted and photographed some details related to the experience of the hoteliers. The trash in the bin, the objects on the nightstand or in the bathroom, the personal effects of the guests, the crumpled sheets.
Noteworthy is the photograph Palestinian girls floating in the waters of the Dead Sea (2009) by Paolo Pellegrin (€ 11,350). The image captivates with the gradient of the blue waters of the Dead Sea into the pinkish hue of the hilly reliefs on the horizon.
The other lots included photographs by Liu Bolin, Massimo Vitali, Paolo Pellegrin, Robert Mapplethorpe (a lyrical self-portrait from 1973), Carlo Mollino, Mario Giacomelli, Ferdinando Scianna, Man Ray, Shilpa Gupta, Armando Testa.
Also present are current prominent artists from the Italian scene and beyond: Kim Joon, Botto & Bruno, Silvia Camporesi, Louis Fratino, Vanessa Beecroft.
The upcoming Cambi auctions
The upcoming Cambi auctions will take place in a few days. Arte Moderna e Contemporanea is a timed auction that will conclude on February 27 with as many as 206 lots. Among the highlights is a Natura morta (1945-1946) by Gino Severini (Cortona 1883 – Paris, 1966). Also featured are Pietro Consagra (Mazara del Vallo, 1920 – Milan, 2005) with Progetto di facciata per il Palazzo Comunale di Mazara del Vallo 1984 and Renato Guttuso with Figure – starting bid €3,500.00 -. The auction poster is marked by a work by Sergio Sarri (Turin, 1938) whose estimate is € 3,000/4,000. Il gancio, 1971 has already received a bid that matches the starting bid. The other timed auction (February 19 – March 4, 2025) is on Antiques. The next live auction, in Genoa on the morning of March 5, is on Antique Carpets from the collection of Manlio and Raoul Cabib. In the afternoon, it is followed by the one on Maioliche and Porcelain.
She has collaborated for many years with art magazines such as Artribune, XIBT Contemporary, ArtApp, Insideart and Espoarte, preferring contemporary art in its many facets and media drifts.
