New York, NY – It was a royal weekend for all as Phillips‘ inaugural Dropshop featuring artist Cj Hendry was released yesterday online. The first-of-a-kind event unveiled Hendry’s 100 red-coated bronze crowns reminiscent of inflatables, along with 1 large-scale drawing of one of the crowns. Dropshop, a digital platform curated by Phillips, offers limited-edition releases of primary market art and objects in partnership with the artists, collaborators, and brands defining contemporary culture. Dropshop is the first and only platform in the international auction sphere that partners directly with working artists, disrupting the traditional, long-held dynamics between the primary and secondary markets. Offerings are exclusive to Phillips’ Dropshop; once they’re gone, they’re gone. Works purchased in Dropshop and subsequently resold in a Phillips auction or exhibition will earn the artist a resale royalty commission, enabling creators to participate in the secondary market success of their work.
Though one hundred bronze crowns were released, the actual limited-number of 79 Hendry’s crowns available was based upon a much anticipated in-person Willy Wonka “Golden Ticket” treasure hunt, which took place Saturday, August 19 at the Phillips headquarters on Park Ave in New York. Thousands of Hendry’s fans gathered and picked among 50,000 inflatable crowns vying to find one of the 100 crowns marked AIR hidden amongst the rest marked SPARE. It was a battle to be crowned and the 21winners were honorably awarded one of the 100 bronze crowns, signed, and numbered. Cj is committed to the principles of zero waste in practice. Any leftover plastic crowns will be recycled and used in an upcoming exhibition.
ABOUT CJ HENDRY
Cj Hendry (b.1988) is a New York-based artist originally from Brisbane, Australia. Hendry transforms her fascination with contemporary material culture into large-scale, hyper-photorealistic drawings. Cj Hendry’s exhibits aren’t intended to be passively observed but, rather, actively experienced through engaging, fun, and thought-provoking exhibits. For her exhibit Monochrome, Hendry and her team built an entire multi-room “home” inside a warehouse with each room entirely monochrome-colored from floor to ceiling and everything in between. For Rorschach, guests jumped through a gigantic bouncy house maze in order to reach and finally view the impressive series. Each Cj Hendry exhibit, from Miami to Melbourne, draws massive crowds with attendees waiting in line for several hours – and, in the end, everyone leaves more enriched than when they arrived. With her celebrity clientele – and many works in private collections – Hendry’s waitlist is now well over 3,000 collectors with a wait time of up to five years to get their hands on a piece.
ABOUT PHILLIPS
Phillips is a leading global platform for buying and selling 20th and 21st century art and design. With dedicated expertise in the areas of 20th Century and Contemporary Art, Design, Photographs, Editions, Watches, and Jewelry, Phillips offers professional services and advice on all aspects of collecting. Auctions and exhibitions are held at salerooms in New York, London, Geneva, and Hong Kong, while clients are further served through representative offices based throughout Europe, the United States and Asia. Phillips also offers an online auction platform accessible anywhere in the world. In addition to providing selling and buying opportunities through auction, Phillips brokers private sales and offers with appraisals, valuations, and other financial services. Visit www.phillips.com for further information.
