Malang’s work fetches P1.5 million at first auction in a mall at The Podium
It’s a first: holding a très important auction at The Podium, that is, in partnership with one-of-a-kind Gavel&Block, presented as “Under the Tree: The Holiday Sale,” palanggas.
Just in time for Christmas, the auction curated by the country’s premier auction house Salcedo Auctions and its subsidiary, Gavel&Block, featured an exceptional range of over 350 lots ranging from fine art, original prints, exquisite jewelry and timepieces, design collectibles, and historic memorabilia.
Salcedo Auctions’ chairman and chief specialist Richie Lerma led the auction at The Podium’s West Tower into record-breaking territory for a number of Filipino artists. These included such well-known artists as Mauro Malang Santos, whose work Untitled (2000) went for a jaw-dropping P1,518,400, three times higher than its original estimate. Malang’s piece had the highest bid for its size at just 12 x 10 inches, while Poklong Anading’s sold for P700,800, eclipsing its original estimate by 17 times. Anading’s was the highest selling price by the artist at auction.
Under the Tree: The Holiday Sale was preceded by a weeklong preview giving mallgoers an exclusive opportunity to view the lots on offer before they fell under the hammer. Attending the auction was Bohol Governor Arthur Yap and wife Carol; Salcedo Auction founders Richie and Karen Kua-Lerma, and managing director Victor Silvino; Escuela Taller chairman of the board Jun Capistrano and executive director and architect Tina Bulaong, dahlings.
“In time for the season of sharing, Salcedo Auctions also launched the innovative online donation platform, Bid for the Future, for art collectors,” explained Joaquin Lerma, a 16-year-old junior student at the International School Manila. Bid for the Future will help support the cultural heritage preservation projects of Escuela Taller, an NGO that educates and trains underprivileged youth to gain the skills necessary to preserve and restore the country’s built cultural heritage.
Under the Tree: The Holiday Sale was sponsored by Salcedo Auctions’ Gavel&Block, Ça Va Creperie and Floral Atelier, Salvatore Cuomo Café, Niu and Richmonde Hotel. Not bad, eh? Not bad at all, palanggas.
