With the advent of online auctions, more young people are now bidding for art pieces
For six months now, most of us have been staying indoors, turning our homes into company offices and, for some, into school classrooms. While this setup is necessary, it might not be healthy for everybody, as staying in the same place for a long period of time can result in cabin fever or running one’s creative juices dry.
No wonder, more and more individuals have been looking forward to giving their homes a makeover. And if you’re looking for art pieces to add color and life to your room, you don’t have to look far. Casa de Memoria is set to hold its “Tercero” online auction with more than 200 pieces to choose from.
Variety of choices
“Tercero” offers a wide array of art pieces that can tickle anyone’s curiosity, from 17th to 19th century European paintings and sculptures to furniture and jars.
You can finally fulfill your dream of having a lavish mirror ala Queen Grimhelde from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, with 19th century mirrors such as a French mirror in Napoleon III style giltwood frame and a Spanish mirror in Isabelo style.
If you’re into magical-looking cabinets a la Narnia, there’s a long list to check from the auction’s catalog, which include the Napoleon III style curio cabinet, 17th century Flemish-Spanish bargueño, and Spanish walnut bargueño.
“The Casa has always been focused on providing objets d'art that will enhance your home or your apartment. Our goal is to offer provenance pieces of art and history pieces for your safe space,” Camille Lhuillier, Casa de Memoria’s general manager, tells Manila Bulletin Lifestyle. “We believe that investing in a curated and comfortable living space builds not just style but also strengthens a sense of adventurism in taste. Focusing on European art in itself is very much out of the normal.”
And if you’re looking for antique religious images, there are a lot of pieces to choose from. There’s Spanish school Madonna and Child, Saint Joseph with Child Jesus, and 18th to 19th century Spanish devotional embroidery representing the blessed virgin.
Young people joining online auctions
Gone are the days auctions were exclusive for certain groups of people. Camille says that there’s a growing number of young people joining their auctions.
“We’ve seen a younger demographic involve themselves on our online platforms, especially when we did ‘The Casa Online’ where pricing began at P40,000,” she says. “Given the unique nature of our offerings, our pieces can become highly coveted lifestyle must-haves.”
With restrictions on live events and shows in place due to Covid, galleries have been forced to look for innovative ways and avenues to hold exhibits. Although bidding in auctions virtually isn’t new, online auctions have become more common the past months. This public platform has opened the doors for audiences across different age groups.
“The Casa has provided online platforms for several projects this year. This included a virtual walkthrough on our website, with the help of Invaluable, an online bidding platform, and having our first all-online auction, ‘The Casa Auction’ last July,” Camille shares. “This digital transformation marked Casa de Memoria’s move to the new realities in auction and events management. We have extended our reach, not only to young and emerging collectors, but to a worldwide audience, who now have access to masterful works at reasonable prices. In the process, we hope to entice a new generation of art and history collectors.”
“Tercero” is set on Sept. 26, 2 p.m. | bit.ly/CasaDeMemoriaOnline