Gursky's Chicago stock exchange photo sells with 169% increase

German visual artist Andreas Gursky's photograph Chicago Board of Trade III - one of five photographs of international stock exchanges taken by the artist - has sold for £2.2m ($3.3m) in London.

Gursky stock exchange
Chicago Board of Trade III

The sale price represents a 169% increase on the work's £800,000 ($1.2m) top estimate.

Sotheby's Contemporary Art evening (June 26) realised £75.8m ($115.7m) in total, with an average lot value of £1.4m ($2.1m).

Other works by Gursky also proved popular among investors: Chicago Board of Trade sold for £1.5m ($2.3m); Kuwait Stock Exchange II brought £662,500 ($1m); and Tokyo Stock Exchange made £626,500 ($966,125).

Andreas Gursky's dramatic stock exchange series casts an ambiguous, god's eye view over proceedings, capturing the topographical chaos of the trading floor.


Andreas Gursky's Kuwait Stock Exchange II, taken in 2008

Sotheby's Oliver Barker commented: "This is a landmark collection and undoubtedly one of the most important group of works by Andreas Gursky to ever come to market.

"Not only are they fresh to the market, but they represent the apotheosis of Gursky's technique and trademark subject."

In November 2011, Gursky's landscape Rhine II became the world's most valuable photograph when it sold for $4.3m.

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