Surveillance Camera, 2010  – an evocative sculpture, never before at auction, by celebrated artist Ai Weiwei who has dedicated his art to champion the cause of a free and open government – leads Heritage Auctions’ fall Modern & Contemporary Art Auction to be held for the first time ever in New York on October 28. The auction’s carefully curated selection includes important works by Robert Motherwell, Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, and Tom Wesselman, among others; as well as a collection of five works from a Distinguished New York Collection featuring works by Richard Diebenkorn, Robert Graham, Arshile Gorky, Franz Kline and Bob Thompson.

“Heritage Auctions is increasingly attracting important Modern and Contemporary artworks and the time has come to bring it these auctions to the New York stage,” said Leon Benrimon, Director of Modern and Contemporary Art in New York. “We have a carefully curated selection of works to perfectly capitalize on our recent New York and international expansions and capture collector’s attention in a very real way.”

Critics hail Chinese contemporary artist Ai Weiwei’s artwork as the defining voice of modern activism and dissent, and whose selective use of symbolic mediums shares the message of his mission in drawing attention to important issues such as democracy and human rights. A major retrospective exhibit of Ai Weiwei's work opened this week at London’s Royal Academy of Arts and runs through Dec. 13, marking the first time in four years he has been able to attend his own exhibition following the return of his passport by the Chinese government. Sculpted from a single slab of marble, a replica of surveillance cameras positioned outside his home, Surveillance Camera, 2010, is a statement on the seemingly permanent surveillance state that has taken root in the bedrock of even the most democratic of governments, let alone the artist’s native Communist China. With a presale estimate of $400,000 - $600,000 USD, collectors of Weiwei’s works and the scarcity for his prized works could push the work above its presale estimates.

The inaugural New York Modern and Contemporary Art auction, symbolically titled Part I: New York, includes Robert Motherwell’s important Untitled (Ochre with Black Line), 1972-73/1974 (est. $800,000-$1,200,000 USD). An exemplary example from the celebrated Open series, the work comes from an important private collection which acquired the work the same year it was painted and has not been to market since.

A Sinister Figure Lurks in the Shadows, 1962, a recently re-discovered work, by Mel Ramos, was acquired directly from the artist in the 1960s (est. $80,000-$120,000 USD). A lover of comic books, Ramos decided early in his career that he would paint the subjects he grew up with. In fact, in the early 60s, Ramos loved superheroes so much that he traded A Sinister Figure Lurks in the Shadows for comic books with the current owner. The consignor, Bill Steinfelt has held onto the painting ever since. Mr. Steinfelt wasn't aware of the tremendous value of his trade until earlier this year.

The highly exhibited Van Vleck Series VI, 1978 by Robert Rauschenberg (est. $120,000-$180,000 USD) will be on offer, as will several important unique editions by Andy Warhol, including $ (Quadrant), 1982, a fantastic combination of colors (est. $80,000-$120,000 USD).

Heritage Auctions’ inaugural Modern and Contemporary Art Auction, Part I: New York, is Oct. 28, 2015, with a full preview planned for Oct. 26-28 at The Fletcher-Sinclair Mansion, 2 East 79th Street, New York. The sale is followed by Modern and Contemporary Art, Part II: Dallas on November 14th, 2015, previewing November 12-14, featuring a morning session devoted to important paintings, drawings and sculptures, and afternoon session of prints featuring a special section of Andy Warhol Trial Proof works.