Christie’s will host a single-owner sale of the contemporary art collection of Danish businessman Ole Faarup in October, featuring works by Peter Doig, Chris Ofili, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and others. The sale, estimated at up to £22 million, is anchored by two major Doig paintings—Country Rock (1998–99) and Ski Jacket (1994)—and Ofili’s Blossom (1997). Proceeds will fund the newly formed Ole Faarup Art Foundation, which aims to promote Danish art internationally and bring international works to Danish museums.
The auction serves as a key test for the high end of the art market, which has struggled recently, and highlights the enduring appeal of fresh-to-market, blue-chip works tied to a philanthropic mission. For Danish artists, the foundation’s export focus could open new institutional opportunities abroad, making the sale culturally as well as commercially significant.