SOTHEBY'S TO SELL AI WEIWEI'S SUNFLOWER SEEDS

CHINESE ARTIST AI WEIWEI GENERATED HEADLINES AROUND THE WORLD WHEN HE INSTALLED 100 MILLION CERAMIC SUNFLOWERS IN THE TATE MUSEUM IN LONDON. THE EXHIBIT, WHICH STARTED LAST OCTOBER, INITIALLY WAS OPEN TO FOR GUESTS TO FROLIC THROUGH THE SEEDS. SHORTLY AFTER IT OPENED HEALTH CONCERNS ABOUT DUST LED THE MUSEUM TO RESTRICT ACCESS TO THE EXHIBIT. BUT IF YOU WANT TO RUN YOUR HANDS THROUGH THE SEEDS, YOU WILL SOON BE ABLE TO BUY A 100-KILOGRAM PILE OF SEEDS AT SOTHEBY'S IN LONDON ON 15.FEBRUARY. THE FIRST PILE OF SEEDS CARRIES AN ESTIMATE OF £80,000 to £120,000. EACH PORCELAIN SUNFLOWER SEED WAS INDIVIDUALLY HAND MADE AND PAINTED BY SPECIALISTS WORKING IN SMALL-SCALE WORKSHOPS IN THE CHINESE CITY OF JINGDESHEN. THE SOTHEBY'S LISTING SUGGESTS THAT THE PIECE CAN BE INSTALLED EITHER IN A MOUND OR SMOOTHED OUT INTO A CARPET-LIKE EXPERIENCE. THERE WILL BE A TOTAL OF TEN LOTS SOLD FROM THE WORK.