WIADOMOŚCI

Fangor’s ‘SU 15’ poised to break 3‑million‑zł record at Warsaw auction

Analiza

The oil on canvas "SU 15" (1972) by Wojciech Fangor will be auctioned on 30 September 2026 at DESA Unicum in Warsaw, with a starting bid of 1.5 million zł and expectations of reaching three million. The work measures 142 × 142 cm and bears the artist’s signature, date and a size note on the reverse. Fangor, a pioneer of Polish op‑art, is celebrated for his vibrant colour fields and optical illusion techniques that shaped post‑war avant‑garde. Recent exhibitions, such as Victor Vasarely’s show at Archicom Collection Gallery, have revived public interest in op‑art, driving up demand for seminal pieces. Parallel auctions have already seen Fangor, Kantor and Zieliński works from Grażyna Kulczyk’s collection fetch multi‑million prices, confirming a bullish market trend. The upcoming sale also includes a 20 % auction fee, a 7 % German VAT and a 5 % droit de suite, calculated on the net hammer price in euros based on the NBP average rate.

Kontekst i Tło

If "SU 15" achieves the projected three‑million‑zł price, it will set a new benchmark for Polish post‑war art, encouraging collectors to allocate larger portions of portfolios to op‑art. The heightened visibility of Fangor’s oeuvre may stimulate museum acquisitions and inspire contemporary artists to explore colour‑driven abstraction. Auction houses are likely to schedule more high‑profile sales of Eastern European avant‑garde works, reinforcing Warsaw’s status as a regional art hub. Elevated prices could also attract foreign investors, linking the Polish market more closely with global art indices. In the long term, the record may prompt reassessment of insurance valuations and affect public funding for cultural heritage projects.

Komentarz Redakcji

Fangor’s "SU 15" is not just a painting; it’s a litmus test for how far the Polish art market can stretch in a post‑pandemic economy. The auction will reveal whether nostalgia for op‑art can translate into real financial power.