Like eBay, for Wealthy Architecture Nerds

The vast majority of the architects and artists that submitted work to Contemplating the Void–an ongoing exhibition at the Guggenheim that re-imagines Frank Lloyd Wright’s iconic building in fanciful, and often humorous, ways–have also contributed those pieces to an online auction that will run through next week.

About half of the 178 items up for auction have yet to receive any bids, and only a quarter elicited more than one offer. The works range from the whimsical, to the psychedelic, to the esoteric, but if there’s a trend, it has more to do with the art-makers than the objects themselves; generally, it’s the fine artists and not the architects that have garnered more, and higher, bids (maybe because they’re easier to collect). Beyond that, it’s hard to see broad differences in approach or style. Some projects look like schematic architectural sketches, others more like plans, paintings, or posters. The works range in estimated value from $500 to $25,000, which, we’re guessing, is a little steep for most people. But with opening bids starting at $150 (and all proceeds going to future museum programming) it’s probably as close as many of us will get to owning a museum-quality print. After all, if you can’t afford a Toyo Ito house, at least you can buy his drawing.

After the jump, images of some of the lots and their auction status as of this morning.

SPIDERMUSE(UM)…WRIGHT-O-WEB…SPINNING GUGGY…, a digital print by Vito Acconci, has an estimated value of $10,000. (As of this posting, there were no bids.) Image: © Acconci Studio

This pair of digital prints by Doug Aitken (Untitled, 2009) has been bid up to $3,500. Image: © Doug Aitken

Terunobu Fujimori’s colored-pencil-and-ballpoint drawing New York 2109 is popular: it’s received six bids so far, the last for $3,750. Image: © Terunobu Fujimori

Greg Lynn’s Liquid Plastic Robot–a digital print, not an actual robot–hasn’t received any bids yet; it’s valued at $2,500. Image: © Greg Lynn FORM

There have been five bids for Anish Kapoor’s Ascension (Red), the last for $4,752. Image: © Anish Kapoor

Surprisingly, Zaha’s Z Wave had only received one bid as of this posting. Image: © Zaha Hadid Architects

Somebody wants to pay $500 for WORKac’s Flow Show. Image: © WORKac

This is FLW in His Element, by Norway’s Saunders Architecture. It can be yours for $650, maybe. Image:© Saunders Architecture

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Find all 178 auction items at charitybuzz.com/guggenheim.
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