Auction of graphic artworks in the gallery „Kairė-dešinė“

On August 31 - September 2, 2006 the first auction of artworks took place in the gallery of Vilnius Graphic Art Centre „Kairė-dešinė“. 26 graphic artworks have been sold during it. The finances collected during the auction were devoted to the development of Information Centre of Vilnius Graphic Art Centre.

Auctions in Lithuania have not reached the acceleration equal to typical auctions of the western countries (since auctions there already take place on Internet). The fact provokes discussions about art market that influences earlier activity of galleries, the basis of which were the auctions. When culture is becoming, with reference to Michael Lofgren “a very useful sector of the new world economics”, it is essential to develop the market of artworks in own country. The disability of Lithuanian market is determined by clear reasons. The backwardness as compared to Western art market was determined by the market of art, which was close, having many State regulations. When the era of centralized buying of artworks came to end, the functions of the State were taken over by galleries, which often rather passively wait for a buyer (not to be forgotten that there are always exceptions; in this case, the exceptions might be commercial galleries, the inner policy of which is highly orientated purely to financial relations). Postmodern manner requires cultural attractions, the most convenient of which, in this case, might be a form of auction. Especially due to the reason that a gallery can freely choose a form of auction and organize thematic, genre, strictly bounded in a period of time, art branches or even movable auctions, etc.