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Lot 2/5 · Art2015
#2 Most Expensive
The ItemInterchange (Willem de Kooning)

An "ugly" abstract painting became the priciest artwork on Earth at $300 million.

$300,000,000

The Item

Interchange is a chaotic, gestural abstract expressionist work by Willem de Kooning — the kind of painting that regularly draws the reaction "my kid could paint that" from people encountering the price tag for the first time.

Why It Went Viral

The 2015 private sale from media mogul David Geffen's foundation to hedge-fund billionaire Kenneth Griffin made international news specifically because of that contrast — headlines everywhere asked, only half-joking, how an "ugly" painting could be the most expensive artwork in the world.

Interchange (Willem de Kooning)Verified · Public record
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