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Warhol's MarilynAndy Warhol's Orange Marilyn fetched 17.3 million at a Sotheby's auction in New York, four times the highest sum ever paid ...

Warhol8217;s Marilyn

Andy Warhol8217;s Orange Marilyn fetched 17.3 million at a Sotheby8217;s auction in New York, four times the highest sum ever paid for a work by the pop art master. The 1964 portrait of US movie star Marilyn Monroe, done from a photo taken during filming of Niagara, is set against an orange background. It was sold for 17,327,500 after two bidders battled it out by telephone, as the audience held its breath. It broke into applause when the hammer fell. Sotheby8217;s said at least six people wanted Orange Marilyn but that all but the last two bidders quickly dropped out. The previous record for a Warhol work was set in May 1989, when Shot Red Marilyn 1964, sold for 4.070 million at Christie8217;s in New York. quot;This is a very wise buy for this price,quot; noted Tobias Meyer, a contemporary art specialist for Sotheby8217;s. Warhol8217;s painting quot;is an icon of the century. This is the equivalent of a De Kooning, a Jasper Johns or an important Picassoquot;. Warhol, who died February 22,1987 of a heart attack, is already the third most expensive contemporary artist, but still far behind De Kooning or Johns, who 8212; like the Impressionists 8212; have broken the 20 million mark.

Cardin coffee

Pierre Cardin, the first French designer to break into the Chinese market, has signed an agreement to operate a Maxim8217;s coffee shop in Shanghai, his representative in China said. quot;We have signed a 12-year contract with the Shanghai city government to open the coffee shop in the lobby of the Shanghai Grand Theatre opera house,quot; Song Huaikuei said. Song said the menu had not been decided yet but the concept would be casual and not fine dining in order to broaden the restaurant8217;s clientele base. quot;The location is not suitable for an upmarket restaurant so the market will be small. Besides we have limited space,quot; she said, the company had been looking for a suitable location for a classy outlet. She said Cardin had renewed his joint venture contract with the Beijing municipal government for the upscaleMaxim8217;s in the capital city last year and a French chef was being sent to the restaurant.

Carrey8217;s conduct

US film star Jim Carrey admitted having sex with prostitutes and masturbating at the premiere of one of his films, a court has heard in Melbourne. Lawyers fighting a defamation action by Carrey over an article last year in Australia8217;s Woman8217;s Day magazine told the court he displayed lewd, crude, and childish behaviour. Jeffrey Sher, QC, representing Australian Consolidated Publishing ACP, told the Supreme Court hearing information he submitted to the court showed Carrey was psychologically unstable. quot;To use a colloquialism, he is nuts,quot; Sher told Justice John Hedigan. Carrey, star of Dumb and Dumber, The Mask and Liar Liar, is suing ACP over an article which claimed he sexually harassed actors Jennifer Tilly, Courtney Cox, Alicia Silverstone, Drew Barrymore and Courtney Love. Sher said Carrey admitted going through a phase of chronic masturbation and, as a young man,videotaped a female housemate having sexual intercourse before he joined the activity. Carrey8217;s counsel, Simon Wilson, QC, said several of the actions were long ago and not indicative of Carrey8217;s present character, he said.

Spice engaged

A second member of the British pop sensation The Spice Girls was reported to have become engaged to be married. The Sun said Scary Spice Mel B, 22, had joined fellow band member Posh Spice Victoria Adams, 24, in announcing her engagement. The paper said Mel B had quot;wept with joyquot; when band dancer Jimmy Gulzar, her look alike Spice Boy recruited for the band8217;s current world tour, proposed in a bar in Paris. Onlookers in the bar applauded, said The Sun. Adams announced her engagement to Manchester United football player David Beckham in January. The all-girl five-strong British group has had a string a worldwide hits since their first release Wannabe almost two years ago. Estimates put their earnings in that time at anything from 8 million to 23.4million each.

Clinton to Hingis

Swiss tennis champ Martina Hingis said she had received an apologetic message from US President Bill Clinton for having taken over her suite in one of Berlin8217;s upmarket hotels. The 17-year-old world number one, currently playing in the German Open, said she had a message on her answer phone that morning saying quot;Hi. This is Bill Clinton. I8217;m sorry for having taken your suite8230; but I8217;m only staying one night.quot; Hingis had to give up her preferred Presidential Suite in the city8217;s InterContinental Hotel to make way for Clinton and his security team for the president8217;s commemoration of Berlin8217;s Allied airlift operation 50 years ago. A hotel spokesman said Clinton8217;s minders had booked the suite before Hingis, who was transferred to a standard room because another tennis player, Croatia8217;s Iva Majoli, was in the only other grand suite.

The other festival

The Hots D8217;Or, or Golden Hots, the porn movie industry8217;s equivalent of the Academy Awards, are returning toCannes after a year8217;s absence, though the precise location of the venue for the ceremony is a closely guarded secret. The Hot awards, instituted at Cannes alongside the festival in 1991, skipped last year after being banned from the Noga Hilton, their traditional venue, and other sea-front hotels, but have hired a local villa for their return scheduled May 20. Awards are to be made by representatives of the European and American adult movie industries in eleven categories. Organisers have lined up a special award for Baywatch star Pamela Anderson for her role in a home movie in which she reportedly does the business with her husband Tommy Lee from whom she has since divorced.