The Designblok auction raised nearly 600,000 crowns

Prague - Design items worth nearly 600,000 crowns were successfully auctioned today at an auction held at the conclusion of the 10th annual showcase of contemporary design, Designblok. Over 170 items were auctioned at the superstudio Palác Corso in Karlín. The most expensive item sold was a sofa by Josef Hoffman, which was sold for 120,000 crowns. Kateřina Hodysová, the auction coordinator from Cohnstudia, which organized the auction, told ČTK.
    "This auction was the first auction in the Czech Republic purely dedicated to design. It was not an auction of art or antiques, although design from the 1920s can be considered antiques. These are items that were exceptional, whether due to their author, execution, or technical classification," Hodysová stated.
    The price range of the auctioned items was very wide. From items sold for 12 crowns, such as waxed paper cups from the 1970s, to Hoffman's suite, which was sold for a starting price of 120,000 crowns. The cups were sold for 200 crowns. Approximately half of the items offered at the auction were sold. Interest was mainly in older items from the last century.
    According to Hodysová, a trend of collecting design and stylish items is beginning to take hold in the Czech Republic. Works created in the last hundred years were presented over an area of 120 square meters.
    Among the most interesting items were, among others, a twelve-sided vase by Pavel Janák designed for the company Artěl, cubist clocks by Rudolf Stockar, a sofa model by Jindřich Halabala, or a teapot set made of thermal glass by Ladislav Sutnar.
    According to the organizers, the aim of the project is to create an engaging collection of objects that would chronologically present the emergence and development of design in the 20th century. In addition to well-known authors, rare works that have not yet been discovered by the general public were also represented. The auction included a chair designed by Karel Prager for the building of the National Assembly of the Czechoslovak Republic.
    The auction also featured a charity auction that included about a dozen items. The auction raised approximately 5,000 crowns. Drawings by leading contemporary Czech designers engaged in fashion design, industrial design, jewelry, or glass were represented. The proceeds from this charitable section are to be donated to the civic association Na cestě do života. This project focuses on comprehensive long-term assistance to disadvantaged groups of young people from children's homes, aiding their integration into the labor market and life in society.