SIGRIST exhibition "Paintings"

" Child prodigy the the painting "

" genius the the color "

The auction house Marc Labarbe had the honor to welcome from 9 to 17 June 2017 an exhibition dedicated to the works of Flore SIGRIST, a young Franco-Swiss artist born in Strasbourg in 1985.

An early artist

Flore started painting large format paintings at the age of 7. Hospitalized during her early childhood, the girl who had trouble communicating with the outside managed to make this medium his means of expression.

Aged just 20, in 2006 she was chosen to paint the mural on the façade of the Council of Europe. Secretary General Terry Davis said at the opening in October 2010: “This mural is not intended to hide the façade of the Council of Europe. It is an adrenaline rush that reminds us of what we must always strive for – to be creative, energetic and free.”

A dazzling success

Since then, from Strasbourg to Tokyo, via London, Miami and Monaco, her paintings have reached a wide audience. "The strength of her work lies in the fact that we find her writing in different cultures around the world, such as in Africa or Asia," her father enthuses. Her works are now sought after by international collectors and institutions such as the FRAC Alsace. The young woman thus received praise in the sale catalogue from the vice-president of Sotheby's France, Alain Renner, who wrote in particular: "She rejects all fashion and all concessions. Her whirlwinds of shapes and colours contrast calm and immobility with the frenzy of gesture. It is a staging in which she reinvents each element. There is a permanent challenge in each work." Flore Sigrist does not only use abstract vocabulary, as demonstrated by her "Barbie" series where she diverts the famous doll to express according to Pascal Neveux, director of the FRAC Provence-Alpes-Côte-D'azur.

A strong presence in the international market of contemporary painting since 2011

Years 2011 and 2012: SIGRIST is the second most popular artist under 30 years of contemporary painting - Artprice.

While his work was devoid of any auction, two of his creations of 2010, were met with great success in 2011 during their passage in the auction as part of a program of contemporary art. They far exceeded the estimates in the catalog, the acrylic on canvas culminating at € 72,000 and the other, smaller (150 x 150 cm) pocketing € 44,000.

March 2013: A 150 x 150 cm 1998 work by the artist was sold at € 104,000 at an auction organized by Sotheby's New York.

Artprice's "Top 500 Contemporary Artists" ranking in 2013 includes six French artists: Robert Combas, Philippe Pasqua, Richard Orlinsky, Bernard Frieze, Flore Sigrist and Jacques Tardi.
Flora Sigrist is the only French woman to be included in this ranking (at 458th place)

 Exhibition at the Monaco Sporting Club in December 1995. 10-year-old SIGRIST flora surrounded by Prince Rainier and Prince Albert.

The interview

by Alain Renner

 

Auctioneer since 1974, former Vice-President of Sotheby's France and European Director of Sotheby's Europe, Alain RENNER agreed to take part in the interview, answering questions from Me Camille Chabroux, auctioneer at the Marc Labarbe auction house.

CC. Mr. Renner, your name comes up very often when an exhibition is devoted to SIGRIST. What role do you play alongside him?

AR. I do not think I'm his mentor or his godfather, but I have been following his work and defending him since 1995. I am also become his agent since this year 2017 and now organizes its exhibitions.

CC. Do you remember your feelings and thoughts when you saw for the 1era once a work of SIGRIST?

AR. This was a shock, especially to think that it was the work of a 10-year-old child. Everything was already in place for a great work: superb color relationships, respect of the golden ratio, dimensions of the paintings.

CC. How do you explain the spectacular success of SIGRIST and the rise of its rating on the auction market?

AR. Only by quality of its work and the confidence that international collectors place in it.

CC. SIGRIST fits you according to you in a step resolutely innovative or finally, can we say that it is a young woman at ease with its time which is in the line of the painters of the lyrical abstraction?

AR. It's a bit of all of this because it resolutely fits in its time while creating novelty with each work with a conductive thread which makes it possible to immediately recognize one of his paintings. She actually works completely in an approach of lyrical abstraction.

CC. How has SIGRIST's work evolved from its beginnings to the present day (it's been more than 20 years!)?

AR. His work evolved towards more maturity, more strength in setting up and in technique. All this is currently perfectly controlled to make a synthesis at once constructed, often joyful.

CC. Do you think that the significant prices that have reached some of his works auction will be maintained or go up, or is it rather a fad?

AR. I think that prices should continue to rise as demand is high, and I foresee for her many international exhibitions, in USA, China, Switzerland, England as well as a big retrospective. All this should contribute to the development of the market of Flore SIGRIST's work.

 

Interview and article written by Camille Chabroux

Definitions

The auctioneer conducts the auction.

There are two auction types :

  • Voluntary auctions : an owner provides freely items. The voluntary auction is organized in accordance with the provisions of the French Civil Code (laws of July 10, 2000 and July 20, 2011,art. L. 321-1 to L. 321-38 of the French Commercial Code). The fees are applied in addition to the hammer price. They are generally set at 20% pre-tax, i.e 24% after tax.Upcoming Voluntary Sales.
  • The judicial sales : a judicial sale is provided for by a law or regulation, or can be authorized by a judge. Fees in addition to the hammer price are set at 12% pre-tax, i.e 14.40% after tax.Upcoming judicial sales.
 

A sale can be described as an auction when anybody is free to participate, under the sole condition of his solvency.

Everybody is able to hear all the offers made, and can thus outbid. The object presented is won by the highest bidder.

Any bid has to be equal to or higher than the starting price, or must be higher than the one proposed by a competitor for the purchase of the thing.

The amount of every bid is repeated out loud by the auctioneer so that every bidder can hear it.

This way, auctions are an objective and automatic mode of designation of a price and a purchaser.

The purchase order corresponds to a specific maximum amount in euros up to which the auctioneer is mandated to buy the item. The auctioneer buys the item on behalf of his client, in accordance with the instructions of the purchase order form. The auctioneer aims to purchase the item at the lowest possible price and still under the maximum price his client has set.

 

How to bid ?

The auctions being "public", they are open to anyone who can bid, i.e to any creditworthy person.

The place where the sale takes place is public. The auctioneer ensures the free access to the sale.

The restrictions to participate in an auction are those of common law : non-emancipated minors, protected adults, people under the influence of alcohol.

The auctioneer may subject the participation to a prior registration and the presentation of a guarantee of payment, these conditions being objective, non-discriminatory and appropriate.

The price is shouted. The sale is conducted in French and bids are made in euros. The auctioneer conducts the operations. He designates the item for sale and announces a starting price. People start bidding. When it turns out that no one is willing to offer a higher price, the item is won. The lot is sold and the sale is over when the auctioneer blows the hammer and says 'Adjugé'.

It is possible to bid by raising your hand, the sign being immediately translated into figures by the auctioneer, who announces it orally.

If you can't attend the saleit is possible to place an absentee bid. You have to fill in a purchase order form with the highest amount you are willing to pay for the artwork..
Once your form is registered, you will receive a confirmation by email.

If you can't attend the saleit is possible to place an absentee bid. You have to fill in a purchase order form with the highest amount you are willing to pay for the artwork..

Once your purchase order is registered, you will have the confirmation by email. You may be required to provide a piece of identification for the buyer as well as his bank details.
For some objects of exceptional character and/or value, a guarantee deposit may be required.

If the purchase order is made on behalf of a legal entity such as a company, you may be required to provide a Kbis extract and the ID of the manager mentioned in this document.

If the auctioneer receives several orders for identical amounts on the same lot and if, at the auction, these orders represent the highest bids, it will be awarded to the bidder whose order has been received first. .

No purchase order lower than the low estimate is accepted.

Full contact details must be provided in the form.

If the purchase order has been completed, the bill of sale summarizing the designation of the objects purchased, the amount awarded and the total amount with the fees will be sent no later than 24 hours after the sale (excluding non-working days).

The sending is done to the email filled during the request or, in the absence of it, by postal way.

it is possible to place bids by telephone.

Bidding by telephone lets you take part in the auction without having to be present in the auction room. If you would like to do this you will need to book yourself in as a telephone bidder in advance. Places are available on a first-come-first-served basis. You will also need to fill in a telephone bid form, providing proof of identity and residence and a contact telephone. is the one by which the person asks to be called on the phone during the auction, to make a live auction. To do this, simply fill in a Telephone bid form.

Once your request is registered, you will have the confirmation by email or telephone. You may be required to provide an ID as well as bank details.
For some objects of exceptional character and/or value, a guarantee deposit may be required.

If the purchase order is made on behalf of a legal entity such as a company, you may be required to provide a Kbis extract and the ID of the manager mentioned in this document.

Please note that this is a free service provided by the Auction House that can not be held responsible in case of late request or defective telephone link or in case of any error made in telephone contact.

No telephone bid form for objects whose low estimate is lower than 200 euros is accepted.

 

If you want to bid on the internet, the Auction House Labarbe uses the platform Interencheres Live. Live sales are broadcast on https://www.interencheres-live.com/. They bring two new services:

  • of the live auctions it allows to remotely participate in a real-time auction. From your computer, you can follow the auction fire and the auctioneer's comments during the sale (with sound and video). At any time and with a single click, you can bid as if you were in the room on the lots you want.
  • of the secret purchase orders : interencheres-live.com offers a service of secret purchase orders. Secret purchase orders are automatically executed and computerized. Their maximum amounts are not disclosed to the auctioneer. The bidders benefit from the guarantee of a purchase at the fairest price if they win the auction.

If you want to participate in an auction live or deposit a secret purchase order, kindly note that you have to register BEFORE the sale on interencheres-live.com.

Taxes are alway included in the hammer price, but the selling fees are not. Selling fees are a percentage calculated on the total amount of the sales bill. They can cary from one sale to another.

If you bid on the internet, an additional 3-percent fee applies. It pays the subcontractor responsible for organizing the auction live.

The payment of any item is due immediately. spot.

You can pay cashcash in the limit of €1000 with fees for French citizens and up to €15,000 with fees for anybody whose tax domicile is abroad.

The payment can also be made by credit card when the place of the sale allows it. 4% additional fees are charged to purchasers holding foreign cards.

If you bids were placed remotely, payment must be made upon receipt of the sales slip. You can pay by making an appointment with our accounting department, or use a bank transfer. Please contact us to retrieve our bank details.

For purchases made via the platform interencheres-live.com, the total amount can be debited from the credit card you've used for the registration.

How to pick up your purchase ?

  • I'm leaving with my goods on the same day.
    The staff will give me my goods on presentation of my sale slip (my invoice) fully paid.
  • I can not immediately take away my goods.
    Exceptionally, the Labarbe House can give you 72 hours to pick up your items. You should find out the place of storage of your object by contacting us beforehand. We will give you your good on presentation of my sale slip (my invoice) fully paid.
  • You can also mandate the person of your choice to pick up your property. In this case, you have to :
  1. fill out and send it to the Auction House a withdrawal authorization of the goods by a third person.
  2. This third person must present a copy of the sale slip fully paid, the withdrawal authorization, and his ID. If the sale slip hasn't been fully paidthis person has to do it at the auction house, in cash up to €1000 with fees or by credit card.
  • You pick up your property in person.
    On presentation of a sale slip fully paid, the goods can be withdrawn at the auction house. during opening hours, or when appropriate, at another place of sale. You should find out where your good is stored by contacting us beforehand.
  • You mandate the person of your choice to pick up your property. In this case, you must :
    1. Inform us by filling in a withdrawal authorization by a third party.
    2. This person must present the copy of the fully paid slip sale, the withdrawal authorization, and an ID. If the sale slip hasn't been fully paidthis person has to do it at the auction house, in cash up to €1000 with fees or by credit card.

    You should first find out where your good is stored by contacting us beforehand.

  • You want to call a carrier.
    You are free to call the carrier of your choice. If you don't know any transport company, the auction house can give you the details of a professional. In any case, you must :
  1. Inform us by filling in a withdrawal authorization of the goods by a third person.
  2. Transmit to the carrier a copy of my fully paid sale slip.
  3. You should first find out where your good is stored by contacting us beforehand.

Unless otherwise specified, the property is sent in good condition. The auction house is not liable for any loss or damage. The cost of the transport is the responsability of the purchaser.

  • I wish my purchases to be sent by post.
    It will be perceived a A price for packaging and shipping is required. It changes from 5 to €20 depending on the weight and volume of the property. Unless otherwise specified, the property is sent in good condition. The auction house is not liable for any loss or damage. The costs and the responsibility of the transport belong to the purchaser. In case of a postal sending, please contact us so that we can give you a quote. The auction House can refuse the packaging service if it seems to be too risky, given the nature of the object. The transport being carried out under the full responsibility of the buyer, please contact us to know if the good you want to acquire can be dispatched.