The first 49 lots consist of Property from the Sammlung Lenz Schönberg, one of the most prestigious European collections. The couple have collected around 600 works, concentrating on a movement set up in the 1950s which sought to abandon the art of the past, and by extension the sins of the past generation which brought fascism and world war, and start from scratch. Their 1963 manifesto statement read: "Zero is stillness: Zero is the beginning."
The movement began in April 1957 with a series of exhibitions around the studios of Heinz Mack and Otto Piene in Duesseldorf, Germany, and eventually went on to become one of the most significant collaborative movements and incorporated the work of Klein, Fontana, Manzoni and others.
Zero brought together protagonists of pioneering contemporary artistic movements from across Europe, including Nouveau réalisme and Arte Povera. The ideology of the Zero group was voiced through its own eponymous magazine, which was published between 1958 and 1961 and included influential texts by Piene, Mack and Klein.
Art in America wrote a great article about the movement and their ideologies last June (2009), which you can read HERE
This sale includes unmatched paragons of Zero art such as the extraordinary, three-metre wide F 88 by Yves Klein and the most stunning Pietre and Metalli works by Lucio Fontana ever to appear at auction, in addition to many other highlights. Check out the E-Catalogue!
