With “worlds we create” as its theme, this year’s much awaited “Well-Appointed Life” auction of 130 Philippine artworks, including a Hidalgo, Joya, BenCab and Alcuaz, and 200 connoisseur-level objects is not only a portal to the past, but also a doorway to a whimsical future. It also aims to spark hope, provide solace and a semblance of normalcy and permanence in a world now buffeted by uncertainty.
By Alex Y. Vergara
At first blush, holding an auction featuring important Filipino artworks by the likes of Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo, Fernando Amorsolo, Jose Joya, BenCab, Arturo Luz, Cesar Legaspi, Federico Aguilar Alcuaz, Malang and Ang Kiukok, among others, as well as presenting a so-called “connoisseur collection” celebrating the talent and skill of some of the country’s best artisans through their antique furniture pieces and religious objects seems a tad insensitive given the uncertain times we’re living in.
But art, like beauty, is its own excuse for being. It thrives in the best and the worst of times, driving society faced with steep and unprecedented challenges to seek solace in objects that spark hope, joy and a semblance of normalcy and permanence. Art critic Richie Lerma says it best: These objects, whether art or fine collectibles, “can be a portal to the past where historical figures reveal other aspects of themselves, or a doorway to a whimsical future—one that leads to new dimensions that fill us with mirth and anticipation.”
Amidst the current situation, the contrast between these beautiful and precious pieces and the realities we face on the ground has become all the more stark. But it doesn’t mean that all is lost. This pandemic may seem insurmountable, but humankind has been through something like this before. And in every instance in the past, it has managed to eventually triumph.
Silver lining
“As the Philippines’ premier auction house, Salcedo Auctions has dedicated the past decade reminding all of us that there remains a silver lining,” adds Lerma, chairman and chief specialist of Salcedo Auctions, which holds “The Well-Appointed Life,” its biggest annual event on September 18 at the NEX Tower along Ayala Avenue, Makati.
And Richie and colleague Victor Silvino, managing director of Salcedo Auctions, through this latest auction, are echoing the sentiments and enabling the dreams and aspirations of not a few old and new collectors, as they spend more time indoors and find solace in the “worlds we create,” which, incidentally, is the seven-year-old annual auction’s theme this year. It also marks the second time since the start of the pandemic that Salcedo Auctions is holding “The Well-Appointed Life.” Outside of these two big events, the auction house has also hosted several smaller events in the new normal.
“We’re talking to a particular audience that are empowered to create those worlds, whether it’s about beautifying existing homes or even moving to second homes,” says Richie. “Making sure that they would still have that world that keeps them, I suppose, continuously happy and hopeful—and alive!”
In keeping with government-mandated health protocols and depending on prevailing restrictions on auction day, only a maximum of 50 people will be allowed to join the physical bidding at Salcedo Auction’s sprawling gallery space. The number of people attending could go lower depending on existing regulations.
“But physical viewing in limited batches of people begins from the 8th to the 17th,” says Victor. “Through our website’s e-catalog and printed catalogs, they can already start bidding online. Bidding will continue until auction day. By 11 a.m. of September 18, we’re going to shift our focus on the connoisseur collection.”
Important Filipino art
As far as important Filipino art pieces are concerned, Salcedo Auctions is featuring 130 lots, including this year’s pièce de résistance— Hidalgo’s oil on canvass, which he dubbed as “Marina.” Described by critics as one of the Madrid-trained artist’s most beautiful seascapes, the artwork instantly radiates hope from the canvas as the sun breaks out from behind the clouds.
“When it comes to the works of the masters, this piece ticked all the boxes for me,” says Richie, as he and Victor take PeopleAsia on an exclusive virtual tour of the gallery. “Not only because of its sheer beauty, but also because it really comes as part of the series Hidalgo started doing in the late 1800s.”
A “Well-Appointed Life Life” auction won’t be complete without featuring the works of some of the country’s most sought-after National Artists. “Blue Harbor,” the event’s featured Joya, for instance, teems with “movement of lines and an explosion of energy,” says Richie, that seem to jump out of the canvas
“The sheer ambition of the artist alone in expressing this kind of energy makes it one of the major highlights of the sale,” says Richie, referring to Joya’s oil on wood. With a floor price of P22 million, it also happens to be the auction’s most expensive piece.
For avid collectors of Ocampo’s works, the auction features “Excursion to Pinaglabanan,” an oil on canvas that’s unmistakably the artist’s iconic style in shades of red, yellow, orange and brown. It won’t come as a surprise if you sense, however vaguely, movement of human bodies within the frame, as the abstract work is the artist’s allusion to the Katipunan’s successful raid of a Spanish garrison during the dying days of colonial rule in the country.
Richie also cites a fine example of Alcuaz’s work in “Autumnal Leaves,” which shows the Barcelona-trained artist exhibiting to the fore his training abroad and the unmistakable influences of certain Spanish artists.
“It places him at his milieu during that time,” he explains. “He loved Barcelona, as seen in the aqua color in the background, which reminds the viewer of the waters of the Mediterranean. Even the foliage reflect the various colors during that time of the year.”
National Artists galore
Apart from the works of other National Artists such as Carlos “Botong” Francisco, Legaspi, Ang, Luz, Manansala and BenCab, the auction also features some of the best works of Romulo Galicano, Emmanuel Garibay, Lao Lianben, Ronald Ventura, Rodel Tapaya, Araceli Dans and F.B. Concepcion, among others.
He continues: “The beauty of this auction is there’s something for everybody. Although there’s a range of price points, the most important criterion for us is simply not the value, but also the value we see in a piece. There are artworks in the tens of millions, but there are also priceless pieces. They may appeal to different taste and budgets, but all fall under the theme of how you can create those worlds. And, of course, these are all Filipino artists of renown.”
For the connoisseur collection, Richie and Victor have allotted 200 lots, including religious images made of ivory, vases, excavated jars and plates, silverware and vintage jewelry as well as antique cabinets, tables and armchairs that are in mint condition. The collection also features rustic pieces from the country’s north and south—from brass gongs to indigenous musical instruments, woven winnowing trays to bu’lul statues.
“That’s the difference between antique furniture sold at an auction house and those sold in a bazaar,” he says. While those that end up in a bazaar have been “tampered with” to restore them to their original pristine and usable state, those that are auctioned off by reputable auction houses like Salcedo are mostly in their original state.
Great care
“If a particular piece hasn’t been touched over the decades, then great care must have been given to it,” Richie adds. “Usually, pieces that have been given great care are those that have remained in the homes of distinguished families.”
At the same time, the connoisseur series is also offering collectors of iconic and brand new chairs and sofas from the likes of Frank Gehry, Charles and Ray Eames, and Herman Miller. Instead of scouring the world and the internet for these limited-edition pieces, the items are being brought to collectors by Salcedo Auctions.
And like the featured art works in the annual auction, every item that’s up for bidding in the connoisseur collection is as unique and as original as the genetic makeup of its future owner.
For inquiries, email info@salcedoauctions.com or call +632 8 8230956 | +63 9171075581. Follow @salcedoauctions on Instagram and Facebook
