An international auction house has been engaged to sell the sculptures that were part of the controversial Vancouver Biennale because there hasn't been huge interest in the works among Metro Vancouver buyers.
Biennale spokeswoman Miriam Blume said only one of the 15 works the 15-metre high sculpture in Richmond by Ren Jun called Water #10 has been sold to a local developer.
The rest, along with the smaller maquettes, are expected to be sold in a series of auctions and private sales this fall through Phillips de Pury and Company, which has connections in New York, Hong Kong and London.
"Obviously, this art inventory is what funds our next exhibit," Blume said.
An auction/gala scheduled for last spring was cancelled because of lack of ticket sales.
Blume noted the focus this year was on Asian art, which requires an international audience, and many of the pieces cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and weighed several thousands tonnes, so weren't exactly patio furniture.
"It was very clear that Vancouver was the wrong venue for this type of artwork," she said. "Vancouver, and Canada, frankly, is not very big when you're dealing with that kind of price ticket. That's not odd in the art world; art is an international field."
The lone sculpture that was sold will remain on public display in Richmond, as part of a new development.
Blume would not disclose the sale price, but it was valued as high as $450,000.
Blume added many art patrons in Vancouver are also buying the maquettes, which are available for between $10,000 and $65,000.
The Vancouver Biennale is planning a series of events this fall to engage the public in the artwork before it's removed from Vancouver in December.
Two bicycle tours are being staged for Sunday, Oct. 2. One will be free and family oriented, with a tour of seven sculptures in Vancouver.
The other, which will cost a $100 registration fee and is for serious cyclists, will be a 95-km tour of 15 sculptures in Vancouver and Richmond.
