Painting by Adrian Ghenie to be auctioned by Artmark

  An important painting from Adrian Ghenie's youth, "Untitled", and two surprise portraits of former Romanian president Ion Iliescu will be auctioned in the new event of Casa A10 by Artmark, event entitled the Postmodern and Contemporary Art Auction.According to a press release from the Artmark Auction House sent on Thursday, the painting "Untitled" by Adrian Ghenie - the artist listed as one of the best-selling artists worldwide, understood in the key of self-portrait, therefore a composition of the facets of the self, was made in 2007, six years after the painter graduated from the University of Art and Design in Cluj and two years after he founded, together with his colleague Mihai Pop, the Plan B Gallery in the same city."Untitled" is from the artist's monochrome period, in which the refinement of the atmosphere through volume and the the use of grays visibly gained ground to the detriment of chromatic concerns. His entire creative process then became a provocative one, with Ghenie often using so-called "unconventional" objects: from painters' brushes to towels or other such pieces at hand, easy to obtain, the press release from Artmark shows.Another work signed by Adrian Ghenie, "Study for the Devil (3)" will also feature in the same event. It is a study for/after a work made by the artist in 2010. "The Devil" is one of the obsessions in his painting, which has taken on various incarnations over time - from natural disasters to political personalities. The oil version of the work was part of the artist's personal exhibition at the Stedelijk Museum voor Actuele Kunst in Ghent (Belgium), in 2010.The event also brings to the Artmark Galleries two surprise portraits made for Ion Iliescu, the former president of Romania (1989-1996 and 2000-2004). The paintings, very little known to the public, belong to Marian Condruz and Dan Hatmanu.The works, along with more than 200 others, can be admired in the dedicated exhibition, open from Friday until the auction date - Thursday, February 20, at the Cesianu-Racovita Palace. (Photo:https://www.artmark.ro/)