this fall, several ingo maurer designs will be available through two different events in New York and Paris. The first is a fundraiser, through which Maurer will donate the proceeds from the sale of his personal ‘one-off’ of Porca China (a variation of the suspension lamp Porca Miseria) to the nonprofit organization Médecins sans Frontiéres, also known as Doctors without Borders.
The luminaire was exhibited last spring in conjunction with the Milan Furniture Fair and Euroluce. Maurer received numerous offers for the piece, but declined. However, in August 2005, Maurer decided to sell the piece and donate the proceeds. In a statement on his website, he explains: ‘Terrible impressions of hunger and suffering in our world in these months, has led me to offer my Porca China for sale with the proceeds donated as a whole.’
The prototype will be on display at Maurer’s New York store through the end of October. The minimum starting bid is €45,000. Current bids will be updated on the company’s website, and interested parties are asked to send their bids to the store by fax at 212.965.8819, or to visit the shop and make a bid in person. Inquiries can be addressed to auction@ingo-maurer.com.
In contrast, 30 Maurer ‘one-offs’ and prototypes will be auctioned on November 23 at French auction house Artcurial, as part of its ‘Light is More – Lighting Objects of a Century 1905-2005.’ Items will be on view in an exhibit prior to the sale, from November 18 to 21, and a catalog will be available in early November. For more information, contact Artcurial, at (+33) 1 42 99 20 20 or contact@artcurial.com. For details on both events, visit www.ingo-maurer.com. A|L