Berlin Wall art fetches 730,000 euros at auction

A single anonymous buyer snapped up 48 sections of the Berlin Wall bearing works by international artists for 730,000 euros at auction in Paris, the auction house Pierre Berge & Associes announced. The fragments weighing several dozen kilos each are critiques of the divided Germany or celebrate the tearing down of the wall starting in 1989. One work by French conceptual artist Daniel Buren, "Etching and Oil on Concrete", was valued at between 60,000 and 90,000 euros ($120,000). Another by Erik Bulatov of Russia was valued at 120,000 euros. Other artists represented in the collection included Luciano Castelli of Switzerland, Frenchman Gerard Fromanger, French-born American Arman (who died in 2005), Eduardo Chillida of Spain (who died in 2002) and Serbian Vladimir Velickovic. The concrete wall separating the Soviet occupation zone of Berlin from that of the Allies was built in August 1961. The two Germanys were reunified in 1990.