VIP Guest and Artist Rolled into One
1/01/2008
By Chris Pike
TENNIS fans at the Hyundai Hopman Cup this year have the added advantage of being the only ones in Australia to see Martina Navratilova’s ‘Art Grand Slam’ exhibition.
Navratilova is at the Hyundai Hopman Cup for the first time, not as a player but as this year’s VIP guest. Along with that honour, she decided to bring her renowned art exhibition to Perth.
Fans are encouraged to make the most of the opportunity, with it not appearing at the Australian Open in Melbourne. Navratilova has taken it to places such as Paris, Prague and Bratislava, where it first appeared in 2005.
Some of the artwork will be on display in the foyer of the Intercontinental Perth Burswood, with the main exhibition at the Zone Gallery, where it will remain for several weeks.
Navratilova has been pleased with the reaction she has received to the paintings and is keen to keep the project going.
“It was an idea of Juraj Kralik, who is an artist in Slovakia. Another tennis player introduced us and he had the idea that I should actually hit the tennis ball onto the canvas and see where it goes,” Navratilova said.
“That was seven years ago, I thought I would see how it goes with a few paintings, but the result turned out a lot better than we hoped. I just kept going and had a few exhibitions. We were in Bratislava in Prague, then the French Open this past year for six months, now here we are starting to sell the pieces.
“Most of them have sold for between $5000 and $20,000, but for the big pieces some have gone for over $100,000. Maybe we’ll make some calendars and who knows where the merchandising will go.”
Navratilova never played at the Hyundai Hopman Cup and returns to Perth after a 33-year absence.
She is a big fan of the tournament, though, and after winning 167 singles titles (18 Grand Slams) and 165 doubles titles (31 Grand Slams) and nine Grand Slam mixed doubles, that praise couldn’t come from a better source.
“It’s fantastic for the top players, particularly, because they have a guarantee of three or four matches. It’s a great preparation and it’s nice to play for a team,” she said.
“I always enjoyed playing for a team, so I would have loved it here playing singles and doubles. It would have been my idea of heaven. It’s a great venue as well, for both the players and spectators.”
Navratilova can also be heard during the ABC’s coverage of the Hyundai Hopman Cup and will be speaking at this year’s Topspin Club before Friday’s final.
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