Nir Hod work sells for $1M at US art show
Israeli artist displays sculpture of snow globe filled with floating specs of gold, moving oil derrick at Art Basel Miami Beach. Four pieces sold within two hours for some $250,000 each
NEW YORK – Four copies of a new piece by Israeli artist Nir Hod have been sold at the Art Basel Miami Beach,
considered one of the most important art shows for modern and contemporary works, for a total of $1 million.
The piece, called "Once Everything was Much Better, Even the Future," has been sold to a museum in Berlin and to top private international collectors. In addition to the four large copies, three small models of the work have been sold for $80 each.
Hod, who has been living in New York for the past 15 years, is presenting his work at the show, which opened last week, alongside the world's greatest artists.
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Hod arrived at the event with just four big models, which were all sold within two hours from the opening.
"It was a long searching process, which last three years," the 42-year-old artist said Saturday. "After I realized I wanted to create a piece in which specs of gold would float inside a sort of snow globe with an oil derrick in it, it took a year and a half to figure out how this whole thing could be produced.
"The process was very complicated technically, but eventually we managed to find a way for the specs not to sink into the bubble."
The Miami Herald daily published the picture of the piece on its front page, and Hod received excellent reviews on American media outlets.
"Throughout the flight from New York I said to myself, 'I hope they just show an interest in it, and I'm very excited with what has happened. The financial issue is less important because I'm here to create good and interesting work," he said.
"Next year, the piece will be presented in my exhibition in Manhattan, and I would love for it to be displayed in Israel. With everything that's happening to me here, a big exhibition in Israel has always remained my aspiration."
Reuven Weiss contributed to this report
