It's Blue. It's A Boat. And It's Bomb. The RAL 5015 By Xavier Veilhan.

John Dodelande of Artcurial invited artist Xavier Veilhan to draw a nautical sculpture to be built by the Frauscher shipyard. This unique project marks the first time artist Xavier Veilhan has been invited to design a functional object in sync with his aesthetic beliefs.


above: Veilhan's oversized animal sculptures are faceted and always one color

First off, if you're not familiar with Veilhan's work, he's best known for his sculptural installations and had an impressive show at Versailles in 2009:

above: Veilhan's purple horse-drawn carriage at Versailles

Now, back to his RAL 5015 with tons of images, auction info and a video, too.



The name of the boat refers to the actual color. RAL is the standard color system when it comes to painting and coating (the way Pantone is for printing).


above: The artist, Xavier Veilhan, stands in his RAL 5015

The unique design corresponds perfectly to Xavier Veilhan’s approach to movement and means of transport – from the horse to more sophisticated types of craft… such as this motor-boat.



Veilhan's moving sculpture can hold 8 people and functions beautifully with a maximum speed of 40 knots:





The Shark - Stainless steel Shark sculpture (50 cm length) on remote controlled platform.


As an integral part of the RAL 5015 boat, "The Shark" is a small object with a length of 50 cm, made of solid stainless steel that ascends and descends by remote control! A rectangular cover of composite material is provided, which is why you don't see the shark in all the images) and protects the piece from unwanted attention.

Dimension of the Shark : 20 x 49,7 x 21,7 cm
Dimensions of the stand : 3,5 x 6 cm made of solid stainless steel, fitted in the bulk.
Material : Polished solid stainless steel
Surface treatment : The shark is permanently protected from sea salt as the roughness of the metal has been diminished through a special wash, making it non-oxidizing
Protective case : In blue composite material (monochrome RAL 5015) ; 60 x 30 x 25 cm
Remote control : 2 buttons

The boat was designed on computer:




And thanks to the expertise of the Frauscher shipyard, the work of Veilhan, RAL 5015 is also a powerful boat and at the forefront of marine technology.



A sneak preview of the boat was shown from May 27 to June 14, 2010 at the Hôtel Marcel Dassault, Paris, prior to its auction.






The functional artpiece, made of composite resins and metal was auctioned on July 20th at the Hôtel Hermitage in Monte-Carlo, by Artcurial. The sale results have not yet been disclosed. Estimate for the auction price was $235,000.00 to $260,000.



Specifications of the piece:

Frauscher 686
Vessel hull identification number (HIN) : AT FRALOO82D010 Length : 6.90m Width : 2.20m
Water-level : 6.40m
Visible height above water : 1.25m
Draught : 0.65/1.00m
Dry weight : 1700kg
Tank capacity : 157 litres
Maximum speed : 40 knots
Cruising speed : 25 knots
Engine : MERCRUISER Output 220 HP
Cubic capacity : 4.3 l MPI, 220 PS ; Alpha 1
Number of persons : 8 max.

A standard gauge and construction certificate, as required for navigation permit, will be provided to the purchaser.

The hull of the RAL5015 has a 2-year guarantee from the Frauscher shipyard; its engine has a 3-year constructor’s guarantee.

An artist certificate was also given to the buyer

Photos for this post, courtesy of the artist, © Fabien Lemaire 2010, © John Dodelande 2010 and © Nicolas Thiery

The Artist:


Born in 1963, living and working in Paris, Xavier Veilhan has established itself as one of the major artists of his generation, winning over his exhibitions international recognition. Emerged in the early 90s, Veilhan established the elements of a singular and unique vocabulary. If his work borrows the most varied forms: from sculpture to painting, photography, installation, film or live performance, all these practices converge towards creating a world whose wealth stems from a relationship very strong history and a profound reflection on modernity.

Original Slabs Of Berlin Wall By Artist Ben Wagin Go Up For Auction

Many of my readers are too young to recall the historic event of the tearing down of the Berlin Wall, which had split Germany in two for almost three decades, and allowed millions of former Communist slaves a life of freedom.

On November 9, 1989, the wall erected by the GDR that separated West Berlin from all of East Germany was cracked, beginning the reunification of Germany that took almost a year to complete. Initial construction of the Berlin Wall began on August 13, 1961.



On July 21st, three separate lots (shown below) of German artist Ben Wagin's decorated Berlin Wall slabs will go up for auction. Given the size and cost of the pieces, corporation, museums and incredibly wealthy individuals with plenty of space in their homes or yards, now have a chance to own a part of history as well as unique and significant art.



You'd be hard pressed to find a greater symbol of the triumph of freedom over tyranny than the Berlin Wall. To own one of these amazing complete 12' (4 m) sections of the Berlin Wall is the ultimate historical architectural and artistic statement.

As a memorial to those killed trying to escape to freedom, famed German artist Ben Wagin painted his powerful messages over the sections of Wall in 1990 after initial visitors had chipped off the original graffiti--creating a uniquely textured surface whose effect is as dramatic as it is powerful.

Safely preserved since 1990, these seven complete sections are now being sold at auction.



Lot.1 "Erde werde Erde" (Earth becomes Earth), 1990
2 original slabs of the Berlin Wall, combined as one object, Ben Wagin, 1990.

This part of the Berlin Wall stood on Schiffbauerdamm/ Reinhardtstraße in Berlin-Mitte in the bend of the Spree river, opposite the Reichstag.

"This slab is part of a whole work of art the subject of which is the "Preservation of the Dignity of Man and Nature“. It belongs to my ensemble "In memory of Victims and Perpetrators from 1948 to 1989“. --Ben Wagin

Approximate size: 2 pieces, each 3,60 height x 1,20 width. Weight: 2,750 kilos.
Minimum bid: 2.000 Euro (plus auction commission of 17 % on the accepted bid price + value added tax)

Lot. 2 "Unbekannte Opfer" (Unknown Victim), 1990
1 original slab of the Berlin Wall, by the Berlin artist Ben Wagin.

This part of the Berlin Wall stood on Schiffbauerdamm/Reinhardtstraße in Berlin-Mitte in the bend of the Spree river, opposite the Reichstag.

"This slab is part of a whole work of art the subject of which is "In memory of the victims of war propaganda and hatred in the cold and hot war and its consequences.“--Ben Wagin

Approximate size: 3,60 height x 1,20 width. weight: 2,750 kilos.
Minimum bid: 1.000 Euro (plus auction commission of 17 % on the accepted bid price + value added tax)

Lot. 3 "Parlament der Bäume“ (Parliament Of Trees) , 1990
Ensemble of 4 original slabs of the Berlin Wall, combined as one object, by Ben Wagin, 1990.

This part of the Berlin Wall stood on Schiffbauerdamm/ Reinhardtstraße in Berlin-Mitte in the bend of the Spree river, opposite the Reichstag.

"This slab is part of a whole work of art "Reconciliation of the Cultures“ and is connected with a thought of Richard von Weizsäcker.“ --Ben Wagin

Approximate size: 4 pieces, each 3,60 height x 1,20 width. weight: 2,750 kilos.
Minimum bid: 4.000 Euro ( plus auction commission of 17 % on the accepted bid price + value added tax)


WORKS OF ART – 7 ORIGNAL SLABS OF THE BERLIN WALL, COMBINED AS THREE OBJECTS, CREATED BY THE BERLIN ARTIST BEN WAGIN IN 1990

Date of auction/start: Wednesday, 21 July 2010, at 3.00 PM
Place of auction: Interdean AG, Hauptstraße 7, 14979 Großbeeren
Viewing: Wednesday, 21 July 2010, from 00.45 PM until 2.45 PM
more info (in German)

images and information courtesy of the artist and the auction house.

Artist Bio:

Ben Wagin (born March 25, 1930 in Posen, actually Bernhard, whose last name is often mistakenly called Wargin) is an Performance Artist and theater director.

Wagin has lived in Berlin since 1955. He worked there, among others, for the renown sculptor Karl Hartung. On 3 May 1962 he opened the "gallery S" in the student Siegmund‘s court. Here he first exhibited works of Berlin artists, but soon the "S showrooms“ advanced nationwide as well as worldwide as a known address. In many works and exhibitions and other actions, such as the "Parliament of Trees“, Wagin tries to help the viewer to reflect on the man-altered environment . In 1986, he played a major part to implement the "Galerie Weltbaum II" at Berlin S-railway-station Savignyplatz.

After the award of the "Bundesverdienstkreuz“ (Cross of Merit) in 1985 he received in 1996 the award "Victor Wendland Ehrenring", a Berlin prize for his contribution of the the conservation of nature. For his exhibitions, he used until 1999 the "Lindentunnel“ next to the Humboldt-University and now has a studio in the Panke-Halls in Berlin-Gesundbrunnen. "Das Palament der Bäume" (the Parliament of the Trees) is as permanent Installation located in Berlin‘s government district and is even part of the "Neue Staatsbibliothek“ (New State Library). The “Anhalter Bahnhof“ at the metro station Gleisdreieck is one of the most impressive "Denkstätten“ on historic ground, supplemented by several exhibition halls in the halls of the old freight depot. In 2005 Wagin implemented the "Sonnenboten“ campaign together with schools and communities to create around 4 million sunflower oasises.

In 2005, his artist‘s work has been honored with a major exhibition in the University of the Arts, Berlin. Nationwide Ben Wagin is known as the "Baumpate“ (patron of trees) and had the possibility to plant 50,000 Ginkgo trees from Moscow to Vilshofen. Since 2006, Ben Wagon has his own permanent Exhibition hall at the Technical University of Berlin. As of May 2010, the performance artist - on the occasion of his 80th birthday - could be seen in the Kurt Mill main mountain village with a museum exhibition and a theatrical spectacle, inaugurated by Martin Gorholt, Secretary of State Ministry of Science, Research and Culture in Brandenburg.

With his art activities Ben Wagin wants to show man‘s responsibility in dealing with nature, said Gorholt. The Ben-Wagin-show does not only exhibit human sculptures in wood, and the photo series "The tree are you" but as well an installation with Gingko leaf paper bags on the ceiling of the barn to give insight into the diverse work of the honored artist.
(Source: Wikipedia, Märk.Allg.Ztg.)