A sculpture of a stainless steel heart hanging from a golden bow sold on 14 November for USD 23.6 million, becoming the most expensive piece by a living artist ever auctioned, Lauren Gioia, a Sotheby’s spokeswoman said. The bright magenta “Hanging Heart” sculpture, considered one of Jeff Koons’ most important works, also set a record for Koons at auction, says Ms Gioia. The previous record for a living artist was Damien Hirst’s “Lullaby Spring,” which sold for USD 19.5 million at Sotheby’s in London in June. Mr Hirst’s piece was a stainless steel cabinet containing 6136 handcrafted and painted pills. The Koons work was bought by the Gagosian Gallery, which had picked up his “Diamond (Blue)” sculpture for USD 11.8 million at a Christie’s auction on 13 November. The “Hanging Heart,” nearly 9 feet tall and weighing more than 3500 pounds, is from Koons’ “Celebration” series, inspired by celebratory milestones such as birthdays and anniversaries. The “Diamond (Blue)” is also from the series. The sculpture was offered for sale by a private American collector and had a pre-sale estimate of USD 15 million to USD 20 million. Its sale price included an auction house commission.
