About us
About Us
The main area of Desa Unicum’s activity is trade in art and antiquities - at auctions and in galleries. During each year Desa Unicum organizes about 12 auctions, including antiquities auctions, modern and contemporary art auctions, young artists and thematic auctions (for example artistic photography). We arrange also charity auctions and auctions at order of private clients. Desa Unicum prepares also monographic exhibitions of interesting artistic personalities and schools. Furthermore, Desa Unicum provides art consultancy services. Our experts advise on purchase of particular objects - taking into account their aesthetic value and investment potential. At clients’ order they research objects by particular authors. They also represent collectors in transactions with Polish and foreign galleries and auction houses. Our experts also help in creating of collections and in taking proper care of them. Desa Unicum performs valuation of works of art, mediates in the ordering of expert opinions, and maintenance antiquities.
Our History
The origins of the current company date back to Desa State Company, shortcut
Desa, which is still until these days the synonym of art and antiquities
market in Polish and comes from the words: Works of arts and antiquities. The
company was created on 3 April 1950 by the Minister of Culture and Arts in
consultation with the Ministry of Internal Trade. In the communist times this
company had a monopoly for trade of works of art in Poland.
At the beginning company headquarters were located in the Primate’s Palace on
Senatorska Street in Warsaw, and the first antiquities shop, founded in 1950,
was located on Wilcza street. Desa soon opened delegations in Cracow, Poznan,
Lodz, Wroclaw and Gdansk. The company flourish in the 70’s. At those times Desa
had 17 galleries, 19 antiques shops and 19 mixed salons in smaller cities,
where old and modern objects were sold side by side.
The year 1991 was revolutionary for Desa. Minister of Culture and Arts decided
to divide the company into the Warsaw part (capital department) and the Krakow
part (other departments). In 1991 Warsaw Downtown Municipality became the owner
of the capital department (from 1994 Warsaw Centre Municipality) and
transformed the company into a single person partnership ,,Desa Warsaw’’. As a
result of privatization Desa Cracow has been working as National Desa Limited
Liability Company since 1997. In 1998 the Center Municipality decided to find a
strategic investor, which would take over the company guarantying continuation
of Desa’s activities and maintaining the existing brand. Desa Warsaw was
privatized and merged with the Unicum Auction House. Unicum Auction Agency was
the first company in Poland which started organizing fine art auctions after
the World War II (there were of course art auctions and free art market before 1939
in Poland). The first auction took place in June 1988. During 10 years of
Unicum activity, the company organized 95 auctions of works of art (paintings,
decorative art), bibliophilic (books, old prints, manuscripts) and collectibles
(philately). It was the only auction house at the time with a such big offer.
After taking the shares by a consortium, Desa Warsaw was merged with Unicum
Auction House by the decision of shareholders. The new company was called Desa
Unicum Company Ltd. At present Desa Unicum is the owner of four galleries in
Warsaw:
- Marszalkowska Gallery
- Exhibition Gallery “Marchand” on the Constitution Square
- Jewelry Gallery at Nowy Świat Street
An important part of our activity is the Auction House, which is located at 34/50 Marszalkowska street in Warsaw. We cooperate with the most of important galleries and art dealers in Poland. Our Contemporary Art Department annually organizes 5 Contemporary Art Auctions centered around classics of Polish art after 1945. In 2008 we have started the Young Art Auctions Project. We also built strong relationships with important Polish artists of each generation: from renowned classics of Polish art to young debutants, just graduating from Fine Art Schools.
Copyright © 2009 DESA UNICUM Sp. z o.o.
