Heading to Hauser & Wirth’s new gallery, in Monaco, with Airport, please!

Louise Bourgeois
Spider in Monaco

Over a nearly 30-year history, Hauser & Wirth has created physical spaces in locations where their artists and collectors reside—of course in the large urban cities of London, New York, and Los Angeles but also in legendary resort communities and seasonal gathering spots such as Southampton and St. Moritz. In July 2021, Hauser & Wirth will also open an extraordinary center for the arts on King’s Island, in the port of Mahon in Menorca. The artists and estates represented by the gallery has always been  its driving force for expanding in the areas of art, education, conservation and sustainable development. The impact of the events of the last year and one-half have acted as a compelling catalyst to accelerate Hauser & Wirth, and every major network of galleries, auction houses, and art fairs, in developing new and innovative, often technologically based, ways to present and sell works of art.

https://www.hauserwirth.com/

Hauser & Wirth
Gallery Interior
Monaco

On June 19th, located in the heart of Monaco, near the historic Hôtel de Paris, Hauser & Wirth’s latest gallery features a spectacular main exhibition space, an impressive 350 square yards cube with 30 foot high walls, lit by a dramatic skylight. The conversion of the site has been conducted by Selldorf Architects, New York, which has collaborated with Hauser & Wirth on its spaces internationally since the founding of the gallery in 1992. In Monaco, Hauser & Wirth occupies the lower spaces of a building designed by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners and owned by the Société des Bains de Mer.

https://www.hauserwirth.com/news/32176-hauser-wirth-monaco-opens-inaugural-exhibition-louise-bourgeois

The inaugural exhibition ‘Louise Bourgeois. Maladie de l’Amour’ (Love Sickness although it sounds so much better in French!) runs from  June 19th until September 26th, 2021. A monumental public sculpture from the French American artist’s Spider series, a bronze arachnid over three meters tall, will be installed in the gardens adjacent to the gallery.

One Monte-Carlo
Gallery facade
Monaco

‘When we were invited to play a part in the continuing revival of the art scene in Monaco,’ says Iwan Wirth, President, Hauser & Wirth, ‘we saw that it offered an exceptional opportunity to present our artists in the heart of city, engaging with the vibrant contemporary scene across the south of France, strengthening our European presence. In former times, Monaco was a destination for artists, writers, and filmmakers who were as captivated as we have been by the Côte d’Azur.

Louise Bourgeois
Hauser & Wirth Monaco

INAUGURAL EXHIBITION, HAUSER & WIRTH, MONACO: LOUISE BOURGEOIS

The works in the inaugural exhibition by Louise Bourgeois span a period between 1947-2008 and draw on recurring themes of anxiety and longing, emotions which the artist repeatedly evoked to create her personal visual vocabulary. Along with Bourgeois’ monumental Spider sculpture dating from 1996, one of the artist’s most enduring and iconic motifs, two further aluminium sculptures are suspended inside the gallery. ‘Untitled’ (2004) gently rotates, as a continuously morphing form. The abstract spiral belongs to an important series Bourgeois made during the 1990s and shares a particular affinity to a previous work entitled ‘Les Bienvenus’ (1996), commissioned by the French Government and installed in the Parc de la Mairie in the village of Choisy-le-Roi, France, where she grew up.

Louise Bourgeois

LOUISE BOURGEOIS

Bourgeois’s work is inextricably entwined with her life and experiences. ‘Art,’ as she once remarked in an interview, ‘is the experience, the re-experience of a trauma.’  Employing motifs, dramatic colors, dense skeins of thread, and a vast diversity of media, Bourgeois’s distinctive symbolic code enmeshes the complexities of the human experience and individual introspection.

Rather than pursuing formalist concerns for their own sake, Bourgeois endeavored to find the most appropriate means of expressing her ideas and emotions, combining a wide range of materials – variously, fabric, plaster, latex, marble and bronze – with an endless repertoire of found objects. Although her work covers the range of painting, drawing, printmaking, and performance, Bourgeois remains best known for her sculpture.

 

Bourgeois’s work was included in the seminal exhibition ‘Eccentric Abstraction,’ curated by Lucy Lippard for New York’s Fischbach Gallery in 1966. Major breakthroughs on the international scene followed with The Museum of Modern Art in New York’s 1982 retrospective of her work; Bourgeois’s participation in Documenta IX in 1992; and her representation of the United States at the 45th Venice Biennale in 1993. In 2001, Bourgeois was the first artist commissioned to fill the Tate Modern’s cavernous Turbine Hall. The Tate Modern’s 2007 retrospective of her works, which subsequently traveled to the Centre Pompidou in Paris; The Guggenheim Museum in New York; The Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles; and The Hirshhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden in Washington D.C., cemented her legacy as a foremost artist of late Modernism.

 

In response to the isolation and distancing of the pandemic, many of the major galleries have successfully opened branches in luxurious resort areas, Palm Beach and the Hamptons, on the East Coast. The debut of a new Hauser & Wirth gallery on the Cote d’Azur is a seductive destination and supports Monaco’s efforts to establish an active art scene with Monaco Art Week and the Monte-Carlo fair.

See for yourself! Airport, please!

Airport, please! A visit to the impeccable Axel Vervoordt’s Hong Kong gallery

Chung Chang-Sap

For more than half a century, Axel Vervoordt’s relationship to art and antiques has been a way for him to share his flawless perception and aesthetic. He believes the best way to fully inhabit a space is to be surrounded by architecture, furniture, art, and objects that represent the honesty of their materials and the purity of intent in their creation.

 

Axel Vervoordt Gallery space, Hong Kong

In March 2019, Vervoordt, a legendary antiquaire, art dealer, architect and true visionary, who integrates the best of the past with a minimal sensibility of the present, announced a move to a new gallery space in Wong Chuk Hang. Five years after opening his first overseas venue in a prime location in Central Hong Kong’s Entertainment Building, Axel Vervoordt Gallery relocated to an expanded two-level space in Wong Chuk Hang, the dynamic artistic hub on the south part of Hong Kong Island. 

https://www.axel-vervoordt.com/gallery

From February 6 to May 8th, the extraordinary space is dedicated to an exhibition of the uniquely resonant paintings and objects by Korean artist, Chung Chang-Sup, (1927-2011), a leading member of the Dansaekha movement that began in South Korea in the 1970s. The pioneers of Dansaekhwa were born between 1913 and 1936. They rejected any references to Western representation in their work creating primarily monochrome and minimalist paintings. The artists also attempted to break away from the legacy of Japanese imperialism and Western abstraction. Their influence and presence in the international art market has grown thanks to the exhibitions at such galleries as Blum & Poe and Tina Kim, and of course Axel Vervoordt.

Chung Chang-Sup

Chung Chang-Sup is a prominent figure of the Dansaekhwa monochrome movement, a synthesis of traditional Korean spirit and Western abstraction, which emerged in the early 1970s. His oeuvre reflects his Taoist belief that the artist must balance material and nature in the unified act of making in order to reach harmony.

After the world has suffered from the effects of the pandemic, feeling constricted at best, isolated, alone, and vulnerable economically and physically at worst, an exhibition of the quietly transformative beauty and peace found in the work of Chung Chang-Sup is more meaningful than ever.

DANSAEKHWA

Dansaekhwa, which remains a driving force in Korean contemporary art, has gained international recognition over the past few years. Although the Korean monochrome painting style has never been defined with a manifesto, the artists affiliated with it primarily share a restricted palette of neutral hues—namely white, beige, and black—hence the umbrella term dansaekhwa (single color). However, monochrome as such has not been the main focus nor the raison d’être of any of the Dansaekhwa leaders, whose unique ascetic vocabularies led to an overall aesthetics that is formally comparable to that of Western minimalism: process prevails. Artists of the Eastern Dansaekhwa movement and Western minimalism reacted to the intensity and gesture of abstract expressionism and sought to clear art of self-expression or the emotional outpouring that single strokes and vibrant colors evoke.

The term Dansaekhwa, or “monochrome painting,” may elude readers unfamiliar with Korean, but it represents arguably Korea’s most important art movement of the late 20th century. The artists who practiced this approach to painting began to emerge in the early 1970s, when the Republic of Korea was still under a military dictatorship. They included Park Seo-bo, Ha Chong-hyun, Yun Hyong-keun, Kim Whanki, Chung Chang-sup, Chung Sang-hwa, and Lee Ufan, among others. These painters were dissatisfied with the cultural lassitude in South Korea and began painting in a manner that challenged the normative aesthetic to which most Koreans were accustomed. At the outset, the artists worked independently without a group name or identity. It wasn’t until a 2000 exhibition at the Gwangju City Art Museum that the term Dansaekhwa was introduced.

The appearance of the word coincided with the 20th anniversary of the Gwangju uprising, an important moment in modern Korean history when protesters took to the streets to defy the military dictatorship in control at that time. In many respects this uprising was comparable to the Tiananmen Square protests in Beijing nearly a decade later. Similarly, in Gwangju, armed soldiers opened fire on students and ordinary citizens in a series of clashes that cost  hundreds of lives. This sad but decisive historical event is generally cited as the end of the military government in South Korea and the beginning of a free democracy as the Republic is known today. Throughout the 1970s, prior to the Gwangju uprising, the oppressive regime was a binding force in the underground among the Dansaekhwa artists in Seoul.

https://hyperallergic.com/258279/koreas-monochrome-painting-movement-is-having-a-new-york-moment/

The LRFA blog is whispering Airport, Please! in honor of the quiet beauty of this exhibit.

 

Collecting wisely at Sean Kelly Gallery, past, present and future, with Senior Partner Cecile Panzieri

Cecile Panzieri, Senior Partner
Sean Kelly, Founder
Sean Kelly Gallery

PODCASTING WAS DEVELOPED IN 2004  WHEN ADAM CURRY, FORMER MTV VIDEO JOCKEY AND DAVE WINER, CODED A PROGRAM KNOWN AS iPODDER WHICH ENABLED THEM TO DOWNLOAD INTERNET RADIO BROADCASTS TO THEIR IPODS. AS A RESULT OF THE PANDEMIC, THE NUMBER OF PODCASTS ON EVERY SUBJECT HAS MULTIPLIED EXPONENTIALLY, POPPING UP EVERY DAY, ON A VAST NUMBER OF PLATFORMS. AS OF 2019, PRE-PANDEMIC, 165 MILLION PEOPLE HAVE LISTENED TO A PODCAST WITH 90 MILLION AMERICAS LISTENING MONTHLY. THE LRFA BLOG IS CERTAIN THAT THE NUMBERS ARE EVEN MORE COMPELLING SINCE COVID.

ONE OF THE MOST THOUGHTFUL, INTELLIGENT AND INTERESTING CONTRIBUTIONS TO PODCASTS ON THE SUBJECT OF ART IS SEAN KELLY’S COLLECT WISELY. STARTED IN THE SPRING OF 2018, THE PODCAST EXPLORES COLLECTING AND CONNOISSEURSHIP IN A DIALOGUE WITH A DIVERSE GROUP OF INTERNATIONAL COLLECTORS. REFLECTING THE GALLERY’S PRINCIPLES, IT REFOCUSES THE DIALOGUE AROUND CORE VALUES THAT CENTER MORE ON ART, ARTISTS, AND A PASSION FOR COLLECTING THAN ON ART WORLD STATUS AND SHORT-TERM MONETARY INTERESTS. IN COLLECT WISELY, WE LISTEN TO THE FASCINATING STORIES OF HOW INDIVIDUALS CAME TO COLLECT ART, WHAT THEY COLLECT AND WHAT THEY WOULD OWN IF THEY COULD HAVE ANY ARTWORK IN THE WORLD. ARTICULATE AND IMPASSIONED, IT IS AN INSPIRING AND INFORMATIVE DIALOGUE REFLECTING BOTH THE EXPERT KNOWLEDGE  OF SEAN KELLY, GALLERIST, AND THE PASSION OF THE COLLECTOR.

https://www.skny.com/

 

Collect Wisely.
Sean Kelly Gallery Podcasts

THE GALLERY HAS INITIATED A WONDERFUL PODCAST, COLLECT WISELY,  THAT THE LRFA BLOG BINGED ON WHEN IT FIRST APPEARED. HOW DID THE GALLERY COME UP WITH SUCH AN ORIGINAL IDEA AND HOW WAS IT REALIZED?

I am glad that you are admitting to bingeing on it.  This series of conversations between Sean and different collectors  about collecting and connoisseurship started in 2018. It was his idea, and something that he had been thinking about a lot and felt it was necessary to speak about.  Luckily we were able to draw and rely on a diverse group of passionate art lovers who were willing to share with refreshing sincerity their respective and  unique collecting history and perspective.  This initiative resulted so far in 21 fascinating and inspiring podcasts, and has been very well-received in the press worldwide.  It has sparked conversations about our current ecosystem.   Like you, I have loved listening to them, and love what they say in turn about the ethos of the gallery.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/collect-wisely/id1378595357

 

Marina Abramovic
The House with the Ocean View
Sean Kelly Gallery 2002

 WHAT ARE SOME OF THE EXHIBITIONS YOU HAVE HAD IN THE SPACE IN CHELSEA THAT WERE PARTICULARLY OUTSTANDING?

We were in our space in Chelsea for almost 12 years and held many great exhibitions.  That said I would like to single out Marina Abramovic’s extraordinary 12 day performance entitled “The House with Ocean View” in 2002, Joseph Kosuth’s outstanding neon installation entitled “A Propos (Reflecteur de Reflecteur) in 2004,  two remarkable installations by Antony Gormley’s entitled “Clearing”  in 2005 and “Blind Light” in 2007, Kehinde Wiley’s superb exhibition entitled “Economy of Grace” in 2008, and a beautiful installation of over 100 watercolors by Callum Innes made in response to a novel written by Irish author Colm Toibin in 2011.  

Kehinde Wiley
An Economy of Grace
Sean Kelly Gallery 2012

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE EXHIBITIONS IN THE 36th STREET HUDSON YEARS SPACE THAT ARE NOTABLE AND COULD YOU HAVE HAD THEM IN THE FORMER SPACE?

Four exhibitions come to mind: Joseph Kosuth ’s 40 year neon survey in 2015,  our first exhibition of Belgian filmmaker David Claerbout in 2016, our exhibition of monumental sculptures by Mariko Mori in 2018 and  Anthony McCall’s experiential installation “Split Second” in 2019.   The challenging  size of our 36th street’s main space created unique conditions for these artists to respond to it with ambition.  

Joseph Kosuth
A Propos (Reflecteur du Reflecteur)
Sean Kelly Gallery 2004

 WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR PLANS FOR FUTURE EXHIBITIONS AND PROJECTS?  

I was really thrilled when we are able to return to the gallery which we had to close on March 13.  I have missed my colleagues and being there.  We devised a re-entry plan that we hope will allow us to remain open and once again a destination during this uncertain time.  This includes Joseph Kosuth’s exhibition “Existential Time” which had to be postponed due to the pandemic, to Sam Moyer’s first major outdoor sculpture project presented by the Public Art Fund which will be sited at the Doris Freedman Plaza entrance to Central Park, and to our first major and much awaited solo current exhibition of Shahzia Sikander’s work since she joined the gallery.  

Sam Moyer
Doors for Doris  Doris Freedman Plaza

 

 ARE THERE ANY PLANS TO EXPAND TO ANOTHER CITY AND/OR COUNTRY?

Two years ago we established a presence in Taipei.    Our operations there are currently on hold due to the pandemic.  Asia is a region that cannot be ignored and we hope that we will be able to resume them in the not too distant future. 

WHAT ARE YOU MOST EXCITED ABOUT FOR THE FUTURE OF THE GALLERY?  I am excited about the gallery’s continued growth and place in the art world, and to do so alongside  Sean, his adult children, Lauren and Tom, who have been part of the gallery for a number of years now.   I have known both of them for over twenty years, and have had the pleasure of mentoring them closely.  Though different, I can see how they complement one another, and are determined to being part of the gallery’s present and future.  I look forward to continuing to doing what I love and to playing an active role in the gallery’s future. 

CECILE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SUCH A WONDERFUL INTERVIEW. YOUR WARMTH AND LOVE OF PEOPLE AND OF ART SHINE THROUGH EVERY WORD. MUCH APPRECIATED!

A view of the post-pandemic art world with Laura Lester, Director of Richard Gray Gallery

Rashid Johnson
Seeing in the Dark
Frieze Masters: Gray Gallery

In the current UBS Global Art Market Report, the effect of the pandemic on the art world has been thoroughly investigated by the brilliant art economist, Clare McAndrew:

Signs that the pandemic will have long-lasting consequences could be here, according to the report, which said that the rise of the digital market during the crisis may lead to the slowing of brick-and-mortar retail and a further investment in e-commerce.The survey used data from 795 galleries and analyzed the collecting habits of 360 high-net-worth individuals across the U.S, the U.K., Europe, and Asia. According to the report, galleries reported sales have fallen by 36 percent in the first half of 2020, compared to the equivalent period in 2019, though the report does not provide an estimated total. According to their annual report published in February, sales in dealer sector were estimated to have reached $36.8 billion in 2019.

Gray Gallery, Chicago
Rashid Johnson
Seeing In the Dark
Current exhibition

The gallery sector has been hit hard by the contraction in sales volume, leading to staff furloughs and layoffs at enterprises of all sizes. Of the dealers surveyed, one third reported staff downsizing. Smaller galleries with annual turnover between $250,000 and $500,000 saw the largest share of staff cuts, with roughly 38 percent reporting that they had shrunk their workforces.

In general, the pandemic has forced new habits for dealers and collectors alike. New buyers continue to be a priority for dealers, accounting for 26 percent of those online sales overall and 35 percent for smaller galleries with an annual turnover of less than $250,000. Art fairs around the world have been canceled and postponed, meaning that dealers have also had fewer opportunities to sell their art there. Sales volume through this channel fell from 46 percent in the first half of 2019 to just 16 percent in 2020. Yet the report found that, without the cost of showing at fairs, galleries were able to mitigate the loss in sales money. Dealers add they were now most focused on online sales, reducing costs, and maintaining existing client relationships for the remaining of 2020. 

September 9, 2020, Artnews.com

Richard Gray Gallery
New York City

 

TODAY THE LRFA BLOG IS DELIGHTED TO WELCOME BACK LAURA LESTER, DIRECTOR OF THE ILLUSTRIOUS RICHARD GRAY GALLERY,  CHICAGO/NEW YORK GALLERY. LAURA’S PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE IN THE ART WORLD SPANS BOTH FIRST-TIER AUCTION HOUSE AND GALLERY EXPERIENCE.

IN TODAY’S POST, SHE WILL SHARE HER OWN ASTUTE OBSERVATIONS ON THE EFFECTS OF THE PANDEMIC CRISIS ON THE ART MARKET.

https://www.richardgraygallery.com/

LAURA, WELCOME BACK!

WHEN YOU WERE AT KASMIN GALLERY, WERE YOU INVOLVED IN LOOKING AT ARTISTS TO JOIN THE GALLERY ROSTER. WHAT IS THE SELECTION PROCESS AT THE GALLERY?

The artist selection process at Kasmin was very democratic. We met as a team often and would raise our various ideas and discuss if they could make sense in the gallery’s program. If an artist seemed like they could be a potential fit we’d go on studio visits, bring a few of their works to fairs, etc. to explore the match further. I focused almost exclusively on estates at Kasmin and was involved in bringing one very special estate to the gallery’s roster- the American modern legend Stuart Davis, who is still thriving there. 

Gray Warehouse
Wheeler Kearns Architects
Chicago

WHAT WAS THE CURATORIAL PROCESS? KASMIN CERTAINLY HAS AN EXTENSIVE ROSTER OF STRONG MASTER AND CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS AND ARTISTS’ ESTATES, AND ALSO ORGANIZES THEMATIC EXHIBITIONS OF NOTE. 

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE EXHIBITION HIGHLIGHTS THAT MEANT THE MOST TO YOU?

With three spaces to program on 6 to 8-week rotations, each director is responsible for organizing a few shows a year—so, we are constantly pitching to each other, looking for projects with rigor and resonance that we also felt could be financially successful for the gallery. Paul—and Nick Olney, who manages the gallery now—encouraged risk taking and were forgiving of occasional failure. That positive and supportive culture gets the best creative “juice” out of all of us! 

Alex Katz
Richard Gray Gallery
Gray Warehouse, Chicago

DUE TO THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC, THERE HAS BEEN A RATHER ABRUPT SHIFT FROM THE TRADITIONAL BRICKS AND MORTAR VIEWING OF EXHIBITIONS AT GALLERIES AND AT ART FAIRS TO THE VIRTUAL WORLD.

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THE POST-PANDEMIC ART MARKET?

I think the consensus amongst gallerists and art professionals generally is that technology has been under-utilized in the art world, and the pandemic is going to force many to get up to speed and develop what’s needed to make e-commerce as efficient and helpful as it can be for our business. That being said, we are all desperately craving the physical experience of being with art and the exchange of ideas that gallery spaces, fairs, and openings facilitate. Their invaluable and irreplaceable nature have really been cemented.

DO YOU THINK THE SHIFT TO VIRTUAL WILL BE SUSTAINED IN THE “NEW” NORMAL?

I hope that our business will become more comfortable with technology overall, and that certain platforms that have become important during the COVID crisis, such as online exhibitions & ecommerce at a certain price point, will become a lasting and successful component of business as usual.

LRFA BLOG: SO DO I!

Gray Warehouse, Chicago

 

HOW DEEPLY AND FOR HOW LONG DO YOU ANTICIPATE THE ECONOMIC EFFECTS OF COVID-19 WILL AFFECT THE ART MARKET?  DO YOU SEE A SHIFT IN THE TYPE OF BUYING THAT IS TAKING PLACE AND IN WHAT WAY?

For the first several weeks after the quarantine began, nearly everyone’s priorities were elsewhere- including mine! Once we all began to navigate how to live in this incredibly new and cautious world, sources of pleasure and culture became desirable once again. The collectors who are continuing to buy art, of which there are many, are looking for only the very best examples and at very correct prices. I’ve seen a surge of interest in my area of expertise, Post-War and Modern, because of the established stability of that market.

THANK YOU, LAURA, FOR YOUR INSIGHTS INTO THE CURRENT ART MARKET, PERHAPS A SHIFT TOWARDS A MORE CONSERVATIVE COLLECTING ATTITUDE THAT HAD STARTED TO EMERGE EVEN PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC CRISIS.

NEXT WEEK, THE LRFA BLOG LOOKS FORWARD TO LAURA LESTER, DIRECTOR OF RICHARD GRAY GALLERY, NEW YORK, JOINING US TO EXPLORE THE CURRENT AND FUTURE PLANS OF THE GALLERY. BE IT IN A VIRTUAL, PHYSICAL, VIEWING ROOMS, OR DIGITAL FORMAT, GRAY UPHOLDS ITS REPUTATION FOR QUALITY AND INTEGRITY.

PLEASE JOIN US AND THANK YOU FOR FOLLOWING THE LRFA BLOG!

The future is now: traditions and innovations at David Zwirner with gallery partner Greg Lulay and director Veronique Ansorge

 

Isa Genzken
Paris New York
Opening at David Zwirner, Paris

OVER THE LAST DECADE, DAVID ZWIRNER HAS UNDERGONE AN UNPRECEDENTED TRANSFORMATION AND STANDS AS A MAJOR DRIVING FORCE IN REDEFINING WHAT A GALLERY PRESENTS AND HOW AUDIENCES INTERACT WITH THE ART AND EXHIBITIONS. A NEW BREED OF EXPANSIVE AND TRANSPORTING SHOWS OFFERS UNIQUE EXPERIENCES TO A WIDER , CULTURALLY ENGAGED PUBLIC WHILE ALWAYS SUPPORTING AND HONORING THEIR ARTISTS’ AMBITIOUS VISIONS.

THE LOCKDOWN AND PANDEMIC CRISIS ONLY SERVED TO FURTHER STIMULATE THEIR EFFORTS TO SUPPORT THEIR ARTISTS, THEIR GALLERIES AND OTHER SMALLER STRUGGLING GALLERIES  REACHING OUT IN NEW AND INNOVATIVE WAYS TO THEIR INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC.

William Eggleston
David Zwirner Hong Kong
Opening September 10

TODAY, THE LRFA BLOG WARMLY WELCOME BACK VERONIQUE ANSORGE, GALLERY DIRECTOR AND GREG LULAY, GALLERY PARTNER, TO SHARE THEIR ARTICULATE VISION OF DAVID ZWIRNER NOW AND IN THE FUTURE.

GREG AND VERONIQUE, ART FAIRS HAVE BECOME A DOMINANT VEHICLE TO SHOW ARTISTS. WHEN THE PANDEMIC HIT, HONG KONG ART BASEL WAS THE FIRST FAIR TO CREATE EXCLUSIVELY VIEWING ROOMS FOR ALL THE EXHIBITORS AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO BEING AT THE FAIR.

HOW DID THE GALLERIES IN GENERAL DO AND HOW SUCCESSFUL WERE THE MAJOR INTERNATIONAL GALLERIES?

GL: I think that the dominant form of physically seeing work still happens within the galleries and museums themselves. After that, comes the art fair setting.  

Since the 1970s, with the birth of Art Cologne, and on to the long-standing fairs like Art Basel, we’ve seen the landscape of art commerce change dramatically. The art world and the art fair sector of that art world has grown tremendously into a global industry. Regional art fairs are now held across the globe and are typically intended to serve the collector base of the specific country or region where they take place. Other art fairs have a much wider reach in terms of exhibiting galleries and the international patrons that visit and buy from the fair. The difference between the two types of fairs has to do with the brand behind the fairs, the destination, the time in the yearly calendar, and the longevity of the fair as an institution. As the art fair model of business took off, galleries became more reliant upon them for a large part of their annual business. In one week and in one spot you are able to interact with large numbers of new and existing clients, connect with curators, and make significant sales. Over the years we’ve found that all of that activity for each fair is precluded by digital outreach to our clients. So, there’s been a growing online component of what we do at a fair which occurs digitally even before we set foot in our booth. 

Suzan Frecon
Opening David Zwirner Gallery
September 10 – October 17, 2020

I think one of the big questions is, will the digital art fair exchange begin to replace the need for an actual art fair? 

When Art Basel Hong Kong was cancelled earlier this year due to Covid-19, all galleries had to turn solely to online presentations and interactions supported by Basel’s new online platform. Because our gallery already had developed the technology to support an online viewing room experience, we were able to do something in tandem with Art Basel’s platform. We were able to reach people who were interested in looking at art even if they couldn’t go to the fair, let alone leave their homes.

VA: I’m very happy that it was a success for the gallery. We will all have to see what is happening now based on the health crisis in the long run for the art fairs. But you do miss the interactions with clients in an art fair context, and human interaction will certainly not be able to be replaced completely.

GL: Certainly not. I think that a key component of this industry is that it is experiential and social. People who are interested in building collections and living with art love the personal connections they make with artists, curators, and art dealers. There is a social aspect of gallery openings and art fairs that will never be replaced by a purely online experience. What we have built online is something to run in tandem with what we are already doing in our physical spaces. 

Harold Ancart: Traveling Light
David Zwirner Gallery West 19th Street
Opening September 10th

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE OTHER WAYS IN WHICH YOU ARE NOW COMMUNICATING WITH CLIENTS AND ARTISTS IN LIGHT OF THE CURRENT CRISIS?

GL: I think in a time when people are forced to be at home, we all still have a need to be connected. Even this conversation that we are having now is being done virtually, where we can see each other on the screen and have a conversation. This is something we are doing on a daily basis with our artists, many of which are busy in their studios, but they need a connection and want a connection just like the rest of us.

VA: And obviously all these video conferencing apps that allow you to have meetings and interact with multiple people are very helpful both in terms of internal meetings and meetings with artists. I do feel a lot of clients also appreciate calls and ways of communicating where we see each other.

WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS TO DEVELOP YOUR ONLINE PRESENCE IN THE FUTURE?

GL: While we discussed this earlier,  I think it’s worth noting that while we have focused on this initiative for the past several years, we are only just beginning and will continue to explore what this new online platform can offer to our artists.

VA: Yes and also making it usable in a way where artists can really have control over the experience the visitor has on the site; the artist can put their artistic vision in it. 

Josh Smith
David Zwirner, New York East 69th, London, Grafton Street
Opening September 15th

DO YOU AGREE THAT THIS IS MORE AND MORE THE FUTURE OF THE GALLERY WORLD, AND THAT THE COVID-19 WAS MORE OF A CATALYST TO AN ALREADY ESTABLISHED TREND?

VA: Yes, Covid-19 is somewhat of a catalyst. As the other options are temporarily inactivated it is forcing us to accelerate our performance in the digital space. 

GL: Exactly, I think that this is obviously the way in which the world is moving, and people are becoming more and more accustomed to receiving content of all sorts online. Like we’ve said, these changes are not going to replace the essential in-person exchange or experience. But certainly in this moment when none of us can physically be with each other or walk into a gallery space, the necessity to charge ahead in some fashion has been a catalyst for this digital exchange on a larger scale. 

GL: It’s worth saying that the gallery in its 25+ years has weathered several storms, including the attacks on September 11th and Hurricane Sandy. This is a new experience for all of us, and a challenge we will overcome together, hopefully stronger as a gallery and as a world. During this uncertain time we have come together as a gallery to help those who may be struggling even more than we are. We’ve been able to share our existing technology and Online Viewing Room with galleries in New York and London who don’t have the same capabilities to present and sell artworks online. With an initiative called Platform: New York, and Platform: London, respectively, we’ve invited a group of young gallerists from those cities to select one artist from their program to feature on our online viewing room platform. We’re hosting our friends and neighboring galleries in an effort to connect them with collectors who are interested in buying art during this very challenging moment.

Platform
David Zwirner Gallery

IT HAS BEEN A GREAT PRIVILEGE TO HAVE GREG AND VERONIQUE SHARE THEIR THOUGHTFUL AND DEEPLY KNOWLEDGEABLE PERSPECTIVE ON THE DAVID ZWIRNER GALLERY PLATFORM, PHILOSOPHY AND ARTIST-CENTRIC POINT OF VIEW AND THEIR VISION OF OUR ART WORLD IN GENERAL NOW AND IN THE FUTURE.  SO MANY THANKS TO YOU BOTH!

THE LRFA BLOG WILL RESUME AFTER LABOR DAY. WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO A CONVERSATION WITH LAURA LESTER  AND LEARNING ABOUT HER NEW POSITION AS DIRECTOR OF GREY GALLERY, NEW YORK.

Outstanding highlights from Sikkema Jenkins with gallery partner Meg Malloy

Sheila Hicks

LAUNCHING SOLO SHOWS AND GROUP EXHIBITIONS EVERY MONTH THROUGHOUT THE YEAR CREATES A PHENOMENAL WORKLOAD FOR A GALLERY BUT THIS IS JUST THE PROVERBIAL TIP OF THE ICEBERG OF THE EFFORT IT TAKES TO SUPPORT ARTISTS, PLACE THEIR WORK IN COLLECTIONS, BOTH PRIVATE AND PUBLIC, GAIN INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION FOR THEIR WORK AND ORGANIZE EXHIBITIONS IN OTHER GALLERIES AND MUSEUMS. SIKKEMA JENKINS & CO. EXEMPLIFIES A GALLERY DEDICATED TO A LONG-TERM COMMITMENT TO THEIR ARTISTS, CONTINUALLY ADDING NEW TALENT TO A ROSTER OF ESTABLISHED ARTISTS, AND GIVING THEM A PERMANENT COLLABORATION BETWEEN GALLERY AND ARTIST TO PROVIDE BOTH COMMERCIAL AND CRITICAL SUCCESS.

THE LRFA BLOG IS VERY PLEASED TO WELCOME  BACK MEG MALLOY, PARTNER AT SIKKEMA JENKINS & CO., TO SHARE A VERY FEW OF THE MANY HIGHLIGHTS OF GALLERY NEWS AND TO SPEAK ABOUT THE GALLERY’S HOPES AND PLANS FOR THE FUTURE.

https://www.sikkemajenkinsco.com

Arturo Herrera

MEG, WELCOME BACK. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE EXHIBITIONS THAT YOU HAVE HAD IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS AT THE GALLERY THAT ARE PARTICULARLY MEMORABLE?

Kara’s last show was so exciting. We placed all of the works in the main space with major museums, and all of them have been on view at those institutions since those acquisitions.  I was just up at the Harvard Museums where I saw how many classes were held in front of Kara’s piece,  and it was great to see the work MoMA bought front and center in the rehang of the collection!   Mitch Epstein’s show addressing our uses and abuses of the land was very powerful, and will be shown at the Amon Carter next year.  Vik’s current show Museum of Ashes is striking a chord with visitors. It focuses on the tragic fire at  the National Museum in Rio and the loss of its irreplaceable artifacts, by recreating them out of the actual ashes.  

Louis Fratino

Louis Fratino’s show was so fresh and tender, and Jennifer’s work for her most recent show was just so powerful. It’s hard to convey how much pleasure I get  out of each of our artists’ shows.  Walking through the space and looking for four to five weeks, you really connect and see more, or learn to understand something different over time. It  Is such a gift.

MANY OF YOUR ARTISTS ARE HONORED WITH MUSEUM EXHIBITIONS AND SHOWS AT OTHER PRESTIGIOUS GALLERIES HERE AND ABROAD. HOW DO YOU ARRANGE FOR THESE AND HOW DO YOU PUBLICIZE THEM TO THE ARTIST AND GALLERY’S BEST ADVANTAGE?

We send out email blasts and use Instagram to announce exhibitions and awards.  We have also started making e-books for our shows with installation shots  to better share with a non local audience what the gallery and our artists are up to!

Josephine Halvorson

RECENT AWARDS AND MUSEUM EXHIBITIONS: 

Jeff Gibson wins the  MacArthur Foundation Fellowship

Kara Walker’s commission at Turbine Hall at the Tate Modern

Vik Muniz opening the new museum in Sarasota

Josephine Halvorson wins the James and Audrey Foster prize at the ICA, Boston

Jennifer Packer at MoCA this spring and the Serpentine this fall

Erin Shirreff at SF MoMA  now through November

Deana Lawson with survey forthcoming at Ica Boston at PS 1

Arturo Herrara’s  new work at Corbett vs Dempsey forthcoming

Marlene McCarty exhibit at the UB Art Galleries in Buffalo

Sheila  Hicks in MoMA’s Surrounds, the installation section on the 6th floor

Erin Shirreff

HOW HAVE YOU SEEN THE GALLERY SYSTEM CHANGE AND ADAPT TO GLOBALIZATION IN GENERAL AND HOW HAS SIKKEMA JENKINS APPROACHED THESE CHANGES IN PARTICULAR?

There is a wider worldwide audience.  There is also a lack of interaction as people use places like Artsy for inquiries.  I don’t like that!  I think we need a sense of who a buyer is. 

WE ARE IN THE THROES OF THE PRESENCE OF UBER-GALLERIES BOTH IN THE BRICKS AND MORTAR WORLD AND AT THE ART FAIRS. HOW DO SUBSTANTIAL, LONG-TERM BUT MORE MODEST GALLERIES DEAL WITH THIS COMPETITION?

We cannot compete with the uber galleries. But we can keep doing what we do best. Show great artists, work as hard as we can for them, place the work in the best collections we can, and remain approachable!

Mitch Epstein

WHAT EXHIBITIONS ARE YOU PLANNING FOR THE SEASON AHEAD?

We are currently showing Zipora Fried, a wonderful artist who was with the great  Stellar Rays until they closed. It is our first solo show with her and we are thrilled.  In the back galleries we are showing new  Cameron Martin paintings paired with vintage Kepes photographs.   Cameron’s show at James a Fuentes last year was a stunner, and we are delighted to show these new pieces.  In January, we will show new work by William Cordova and Josephine Halvorson’s Foster Prize show.  Then we will show Kara Walker, including some pieces that will go to Kunstmuseum  Basel for her forthcoming show there. In  May we will show  Merlin James, a still undervalued painter who’s got a terrific artists following.

We have to get Arturo Herrera and Kay Rosen on the books, both such strong wonderful artists

Kay Rosen

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE PLANS FOR THE GALLERY IN THE FUTURE?

To keep going!  To support our artists as best we can and to keep the non-uber gallery alive!

MEG, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR WONDERFUL CONTRIBUTION TO THE LRFA BLOG AND TO SIKKEMA JENKINS & CO.  GALLERY. IT IS NO WONDER THAT THE GALLERY HAS SUCH A LOYAL AND DEDICATED TEAM AND CONTINUES TO GROW AND THRIVE.

TIS THE SEASON, AND IN OUR NEXT LRFA BLOGS, WE ARE DELIGHTED TO ANNOUNCE THE LRFA BLOG ANNUAL TRADITION:  POSTS FROM DOUG FLAMM, GAGOSIAN’S RARE BOOK EXPERT, WITH THIS YEAR’S IRRESISTIBLE GIFTS.

 

The LRFA blog welcomes Meg Malloy, partner at Sikkema Jenkins & Co. gallery

Meg Malloy
Partner
Sikkema Jenkins & Co.

SIKKEMA JENKINS & CO. ENJOYS A LONG AND RESPECTED HISTORY IN THE CONTEMPORARY ART WORLD FOR DISCOVERING EMERGING ARTISTS WHO GO ON TO GAIN GREAT CRITICAL AND COMMERCIAL SUCCESS AND SUPPORTING ESTABLISHED CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS WHOSE CAREERS THEY NURTURE. LOCATED AT 530 WEST 22nd STREET IN THE WEST CHELSEA ARTS DISTRICT IN NEW YORK CITY, THE GALLERY WAS FOUNDED IN 1991 BY BRENT SIKKEMA AS WOOSTER GARDENS. BRENT SIKKEMA BEGAN HIS GALLERY WORK IN 1971 AT THE DIRECTOR OF EXHIBITIONS AT THE VISUAL STUDIES WORKSHOP IN ROCHESTER, NEW YORK. HE OPENED HIS FIRST GALLERY IN BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, IN 1976. MICHAEL JENKINS, WHO HAD WORKED ON PROJECTS WITH THE GALLERY SINCE ITS OPENING IN 1991, JOINED AS DIRECTOR IN 1996, AND BECAME A PARTNER IN 2003.

Sikkema Jenkins Gallery
530 West 22nd Street
Chelsea, New York

SIKKEMA JENKINS & CO. WAS ORIGINALLY LOCATED ON WOOSTER STREET IN SoHo AND IN 1999 MOVED TO ITS PRESENT CHELSEA LOCATION SUBSEQUENTLY UNDERGOING EXTENSIVE RENOVATION AND EXPANSION.  THE GALLERY IS AN EXTREMELY INVITING ENVIRONMENT, WITH A DEDICATED AND ACCESSIBLE STAFF EAGER TO EDUCATE AS WELL AS TO PLACE WORKS.

MEG MALLOY, A PARTNER AT SIKKEMA JENKINS, IS THE PERFECT REPRESENTATIVE OF THE OPEN UNPRETENTIOUS SPIRIT OF THE GALLERY AND THE LRFA BLOG IS DELIGHTED TO WELCOME HER TODAY.

MEG, THANK YOU, IN THIS BUSY SEASON OF THE ART YEAR, FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTION TO THE LRFA BLOG.

Vik Muniz: Surfaces
Current exhibition
Sikkema Jenkins & Co.

WHAT WERE YOUR EXPERIENCES GROWING UP THAT ENCOURAGED AN INTEREST IN ART?

I was born in Chicago and raised in Glencoe, a suburb north of the city. I am the oldest of six.   My mother had wanted to be an artist, and going to museums was a part of my childhood.  The Art Institute also had a great outreach program and before any school trip there, museum docents would come to school and educate us about what we might see.  My parents were involved in a local theater group and I took part in the youth version, always on the management side as a producer or v.p.-  never as a performer.    In high school and college, friends and I used to take the train to the city and to go the Art Institute.  We would just wander.  I was always struck by Georgia O’Keeffe’s Sky Above Clouds, which was installed at the top of a grand staircase at the museum: it seemed so majestic, and it motivated me to read her biography. I loved thinking about her work, and what sounded to me like an impossibly exciting life in art.

 

Georgia O’Keeffe
Sky Above Clouds

DID YOU PAINT OR HAVE AMBITIONS TO BECOME A PROFESSIONAL ARTIST?

 I never had any talent for art making, though  I enjoyed it.  I really thought I would go into publishing. I worked on the school newspapers in both junior high and high school.  One close friend did have parents who were collectors, and another had a mom who ran a gallery downtown.    

WHAT WAS YOUR ACADEMIC BACKGROUND, AND HOW DID IT LEAD YOU INTO THE ART WORLD?

 I went to The University of Illinois at Champaign Urbana and studied Comp Lit.  

My plan was to follow my favorite aunt’s career path in publishing.   Because comp lit is interdisciplinary, we often looked at visual art. My interest in its history was piqued, and I added art history classes to my course of study.  I was a resident advisor and had a number of artists on my floor  – I  loved visiting their studios and talking about what they  were doing.

Kara Walker
Turbine Commission Tate Modern

Then  I took a museum studies class and decided I should go into museum education.   With that goal in mind, I decided to go to grad school in art history, and ended up at UC Berkeley. There I had a job at the art museum bookstore, and then became the intern for Connie Lewallen, a wonderful curator and human being.   She ran the Matrix program, which focused on one contemporary artist at a time in a frequently changing exhibition program, always with an accompanying brochure.  I loved the variety and the engagement with the artists and their ideas.  It was compelling.  I also became the de facto house sitter for the curators — all of whom had great contemporary art and libraries, and I loved being immersed in those environments.

Erin Shirreff
San Francisco Museum of Art

SO MANY INFLUENCES LEADING YOU TO NEW YORK AND A CAREER IN THE ARTS. IN OUR NEXT LRFA BLOG, MEG WILL  DETAIL HER FIRST EXPERIENCES IN THE NEW YORK ART WORLD.

PLEASE JOIN US!

Cheim & Read looks to the future with gallery partner, Maria Bueno

 

ONE OF THE ADVANTAGES OF THE DIGITAL AGE IS THE AMOUNT OF MATERIAL ONE CAN VIEW, FROM GALLERIES ALL OVER THE WORLD, WITHOUT LEAVING HOME, PARTICULARLY WITH THE ADVENT OF GALLERIES LAUNCHING ONLINE VIEWING ROOMS. WITH THE ONLINE VIEWING ROOM, THE AUDIENCE FURTHER EXPANDS INTO ONE NOT LIMITED BY GEOGRAPHY. THE VIEWING ROOM IS AN ONLINE EXHIBITION SPACE WHERE VISITORS AND EXPLORE AND COLLECT WORKS FROM CURATED, ONLINE-ONLY EXHIBITIONS BY GALLERY ARTISTS AND SPECIAL COLLABORATIONS.

MANY OF THE LEADING GALLERIES HAVE INITIATED FOCUSED PROGRAMS THAT ARE BEAUTIFULLY CONCEIVED AND PRESENTED, OFTEN SEPARATE AND INDEPENDENT OF WORKS BEING SHOWN AT THE GALLERY OR IN A BOOTH AT AN ART FAIR  IN THE CONTINUING EFFORT TO REACH A BROADER, INTERNATIONAL AUDIENCE. SOMETIMES ONE CAN SEE THE WORKS IN THE FAIR BOOTH IN PERSON BUT ALSO ONE IS INTRODUCED TO WORKS THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY SELECTED SOLELY FOR THE VIEWING ROOM.  THE VIEWING ROOM HAS TAKEN ON A SIGNIFICANT MARKET PRESENCE OF ITS OWN.

https://hypebeast.com/2019/9/sterling-ruby-gagosian-online-viewing-room-frieze-london

IN LA, DAVID KORDANSKY GALLERY JUST ANNOUNCED THAT HIS GALLERY WILL LAUNCH ITS INAUGURAL ONLINE VIEWING ROOM IN NOVEMBER. IN THIS INSTANCE, THE SALES IT GENERATES WILL GO TO A CAUSE GREATER THAN JUST THE BOTTOM LINE, DONATED TO ORGANIZATIONS ACTIVELY ADDRESSING THE ISSUE OF CLIMATE CHANGE THUS ADDING SOCIAL IMPACT TO THE ONLINE VIEWING VEHICLE.

https://news.artnet.com/market/david-kordansky-online-viewing-room-1683550

Ron Gorchov
Current exhibition at Cheim & Read
23 East 67th Street, New York, NY

IT IS NO SURPRISE THAT CHEIM & READ HAS CREATED ITS FIRST ONLINE VIEWING ROOM IN CONJUNCTION WITH ITS INAUGURAL EXHIBITION IN ITS NEW SPACE – ANOTHER SIGN OF CHANGE, EXPANSION AND AN ADVANTAGEOUS USE OF TECHNOLOGY.

Cheim & Read is pleased to present our first online viewing room in conjunction with our inaugural exhibition, ron gorchov: at the cusp of the 80s, paintings 1979–1983. This online presentation offers an overview of Gorchov’s work, which can be classified into two types: saddles and stacks.

The first are the shield or saddle-like shaped paintings. Gorchov developed his signature format, in the late 1960s, by dipping wire forms in liquid that would eventually harden and become rigid (see below, GOSSIP, 1976). In the mid-1970s, the artist re-emerged after a hiatus from exhibiting his work publicly, and presented these early efforts stretching linen across a wooden saddle-shaped stretcher. Some paintings featured two keyhole-like figures side by side on a monochromatic ground, a motif the artist would return to over and over for the rest of his life. One example from this decade is COMET, 1974, in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art, New York. Other series of works, such as the group of paintings on view at Cheim & Read, explore more pictorial methods of painting, with gestural brushstrokes and imagistic space. Over the intervening fifty years, Gorchov has continued to make paintings using this distinctive shaped canvas.

Lynda Benglis
Current, 1979

TODAY, THE LRFA BLOG IS DELIGHTED TO WELCOME BACK MARIA BUENO, DIRECTOR AND GALLERY PARTNER, TO TAKE ABOUT THE BRIGHT FUTURE OF CHEIM AND READ IN ITS BEAUTIFUL NEW UPTOWN LOCATION.

MARIA, WHAT ARE THE IMMEDIATE PLANS FOR THE GALLERY AND WHAT ARE SOME OF THE GOALS AND IDEAS THAT THE GALLERY WOULD LIKE TO REALIZE IN THE MORE DISTANT FUTURE?

The immediate plan was to be up and running in our space! We were all very excited for the September 26th opening of the paintings of Ron Gorchov.  We are working to confirm our exhibition program for 2021 as well as sourcing fresh and significant material from the secondary market.

WHAT IS THE NEW ADDRESS?

23 East 67th Street, between 5th and Madison Avenue.

https://www.cheimread.com/

Sean Scully
Night and Day
Cheim & Read

THAT’S A BEAUTIFUL BLOCK!  WHAT ARTISTS WILL YOU CONTINUE TO REPRESENT IN A MORE TRADITIONAL WAY?

Lynda Benglis, Louise Bourgeois, Ron Gorchov, Bill Jensen, Jonathan Lasker, Serge Poliakoff, and Sean Scully. 

WHAT ARTISTS WILL YOU SHARE WITH OTHER GALLERIES REPRESENTING PERHAPS THE EARLIER WORKS OR THE MORE RECENT ONES?

We are not interested in the traditional model of exclusive representation but instead will maintain our direct relationships with a number of artists and continue to work on their behalf.

Jonathon Lasker

THE GALLERY HAS A SPECIAL REPUTATION FOR ITS DEDICATION TO AND ASTUTE HANDLING  OF ARTISTS’ ESTATES. HOW WILL YOU LOOK TOWARDS THE SECONDARY MARKET RESALE FOR EITHER ARTISTS’ WHOSE ESTATES WITH WHOM YOU HAVE HAD A DEEP INVOLVEMENT OR FOR OTHER OTHERS THAT YOU DON’T REPRESENT.

Our strength in the secondary market comes from our depth of knowledge developed by decades of connoisseurship with a particular group of artists as well as our extensive archive over a twenty plus year period. It will be exciting to comb through our records to identify potential opportunities on the secondary market as well as begin new conversations with collectors who trust us to successfully deaccession their works by artists outside our program. 

Bill Jensen

WHAT ARE THE QUALITIES THAT CHEIM AND READ HAD OFFERED TO ITS LARGE ROSTER OF COLLECTORS THAT WILL CONTINUE TO SERVE YOU IN THE NEW SETTING?

We will continue to offer a particular artistic vision with an emphasis on painting or works related to painting installed in a beautiful environment. We will continue to share our knowledge and expertise about art to the public and strive to give our clients a professional and satisfying experience when working with us. We will be able to provide a level of individualized attention and sense of privacy that collectors do not get from larger galleries. We are confident this more intimate approach will be successful and look forward to the future.

Serge Poliakoff

 

MARIA, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SPEAKING WITH THE LRFA BLOG AT THE TIME OF YOUR LAUNCH OF YOUR NEW GALLERY SPACE. CONGRATULATIONS ON THE PUBLICATION OF A BEAUTIFUL MONOGRAPH ON THE HISTORY OF CHEIM & READ’S FIRST TWENTY-FIRST YEARS PUBLISHED BY DAMIANI IN ITALY.

https://www.damianieditore.com/

HERE’S TO 21 MORE!

A profound commitment to the interests of the artist with gallery director, Maria Bueno, of Cheim & Read

Art Basel 2019
Cheim & Read

IN HIS RECENTLY PUBLISHED BOOK, BOOM, A FASCINATING AND COMPREHENSIVE COMMENTARY ON HOW THE CONTEMPORARY ART WORLD AND MARKET HAS EVOLVED, MICHAEL SHNAYERSON WRITES:

TRADITIONALLY, DEALERS LARGE AND SMALL HAD TRAVELED TO A HANDFUL OF FAIRS: FIAC IN PARIS, NEW YORK’S ARMORY SHOW, AND THE MOST ESTABLISHED FAIR, ART BASEL SWITZERLAND. WHEN ART BASEL MIAMI BEACH JOINED THE PACK IN 2002, AND FRIEZE LONDON IN 2003, THE PACE REMAINED, FOR A WHILE, MANAGEABLE. YET EACH YEAR, MORE NEW ART FAIRS SPROUTED, IN ONE COUNTRY AFTER ANOTHER…CLARE McANDREW, THE CONSULTING ART-MARKET ECONOMIST WHO NOW WORKS FOR ART BASEL, COUNTED 260 MAJOR FAIRS. WITH MORE AND MORE ART TO BE SEEN AND SOLD, DEALERS FELT THAT THEY HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO BE A PRESENCE IN AT LEAST A FEW OF THE PROLIFERATING SHOWS. IT WAS A COSTLY DECISION. 

Michael Shnayerson, BOOM, Public Affairs, New York, pp. 362-363.

Michael Shnayerson
Boom
Mad Money, Mega Dealers, and the Rise of Contemporary Art

A FEW GALLERIES ARE GETTING MORE AND MORE OF THE MARKET SHARE. MANY COLLECTORS ARE VISITING ART FAIRS AS THEIR PRIMARY SOURCE WHEN BUILDING AND ADDING TO THEIR COLLECTIONS AND FREQUENT THE GALLERIES LESS AND LESS. AT THE SAME TIME, JENNIFER FLAY, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF FIAC, IN AN INTERVIEW IN THIS WEEK’S FINANCIAL TIMES,  POINTS OUT THAT ART WORLD INDIVIDUALS MAY SOON NEED TO RE-EVALUATE THEIR CARBON FOOTPRINT WHICH COULD POTENTIALLY BRING THE FOCUS OF THE MARKET BACK TO REGIONAL AND LOCAL SITUATIONS.

IN THIS CLIMATE OF ECONOMICAL, SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS, THE RESPONSIVE ART MARKET IS UNDERGOING A TRANSFORMATION IN ITS WAY OF DOING BUSINESS.

TODAY, WE WELCOME BACK MARIA BUENO, PARTNER AT CHEIM & READ, WHO HAS OPTED TO OPEN AN UPTOWN GALLERY FOCUSED ON CONNOISSEURSHIP, THE SECONDARY MARKET AND AN UNFLAGGING COMMITMENT TO THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE ARTIST.

https://www.cheimread.com

Frieze, New York, 2018
photo taken by Brian Buckley courtesy of Cheim & Read, New York

MARIA, WHAT ART FAIRS DOES CHEIM & READ PARTICIPATE IN, AND WHY?

Art Basel and Art Basel Miami Beach. The outstanding quality of the material on view brings in people who are important to us, from curators to collectors to museum patrons. We take these fairs very seriously and our presentations reflect that effort.

WE ARE IN A CHANGING AND VOLATILE ECONOMIC CLIMATE. HOW DO YOU THINK THAT WILL IMPACT ON THE CONTEMPORARY ART MARKET?

It is hard to predict but collectors will always find the resources to acquire a work of the highest quality no matter the circumstances. We strive to source and show work of this quality level so that collectors feel comfortable and confident in what we are showing and offering them. We have worked hard to establish a loyal client base which we hope will follow us into the next chapter of the gallery’s history.

WHAT IMPACT DO YOU THINK IT WILL HAVE ON THE GALLERY SYSTEM?  WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES IN REPRESENTATING ARTISTS NOW AND EVEN A FEW YEARS AGO SINCE SOME DEALERS HAVE NUMEROUS GLOBAL LOCATIONS?

Dealers will need to find innovative ways to continue doing business and make sure artists have the freedom and flexibility to make their work. Today it seems like everyone is vying for “worldwide exclusive representation” – these representation wars are tiring and not necessarily in the best interest of the artists. Why not have several dealers with whom you like and respect working for you? 

Ron Gorchov
Opening exhibit September 2019
Cheim & Read
23 East 67th St, New York

WHAT ARE THE GALLERY’S PLANS FOR THE FUTURE?

Our new gallery opened on September 26th with an exhibition of historical, never before exhibited paintings by Ron Gorchov. We plan to mount 3-4 exhibitions per year, most of which will have a historical focus and examine key periods in artists’ oeuvres. Catalogues and other publications will add to our commitment to original scholarship. We also plan to participate in select art fairs. We will continue to work directly with a number of artists whom we have had long relationships with and will continue to pursue meaningful projects on their behalf. We will also concentrate on private sales in the secondary market. This work is informed by our depth of knowledge developed by decades of connoisseurship and our extensive archive.

 

Lynda Benglis
Catalina
Museum of Cycladic Art Athens, November 2019

 

WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE IMPACT OF OUR SOPHISTICATED AND EVER DEVELOPING TECHNOLOGY ON ARTISTS’ WORK?  WHICH ARTISTS EMBRACE THESE INNOVATIONS MOST SUCCESSFULLY?

While Cheim & Read has always had a particular interest in the traditional medium of painting, technology has been helpful in executing a sculptor’s concept in more ambitious scales. Lynda Benglis for example continues to push the boundaries of this medium and uses new technology with her foundries to create incredibly intricate and detailed works on monumental scales. It’s exciting for all of us to see come to life.

Lynda Benglis at The Cycladic Museum, November 22, 2019

“Lynda Benglis: In the Realm of the Senses” opens at the Museum of Cycladic Art, Athens. The exhibition curated by Dr. David Anfam is the first solo exhibitions for Benglis in Greece, a country that has great significance for Benglis aesthetically and culturally. 

THERE ARE CERTAINLY TRENDS IN COLLECTING, MORE THAN EVER, SINCE IMAGES AND ARTWORKS ARE ACCESSIBLE BECAUSE OF THE INTERNET, INTERNATIONAL ART FAIRS, AND THE GLOBAL MARKET.  HOW DO YOU DIFFERENTIATE WHAT IS A TREND THAT WILL RECEDE ALONG WITH THE MONETARY VALUE  FROM AN ARTIST THAT WILL CONTINUALLY COMMAND A PLACE IN THE MARKET WITH ONLY SLIGHT EBBS AND FLOWS ?

In most instances, you can only know these things with time. For us, we continue to show and support artists we believe in, no matter the trends. It is this steadfast commitment to a particular vision that I think differentiates us from other dealers. 

IN OUR NEXT LRFA BLOG, MARIA WILL SHARE HER PERSPECTIVE ON TRENDS IN THE ART MARKET AND THE CONTINUED FOCUS AND FUTURE OF CHEIM & READ.

PLEASE JOIN US!

The artist/gallerist relationship at Cheim & Read with director Maria Bueno

CHEIM & READ
23 East 67th Street

CHEIM & READ GALLERY HAS ALWAYS BEEN PRESCIENT ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE ART MARKET. IN 2018, AT A PANEL AT ART BASEL MIAMI BEACH, CO-FOUNDER HOWARD READ,  AT “THE FUTURE OF THE ARTIST AND GALLERIST RELATIONSHIP” DISCUSSION, ANNOUNCED THE GALLERY’S PLANS TO OPEN ON THE UPPER EAST SIDE, AND LEADING THE WAY TOWARDS A NEW MODEL OF GALLERIES THAT IS MORE PROGRESSIVE. WHILE CONTINUING TO DEAL ON THE PRIMARY MARKET, WORKING DIRECTLY WITH ARTISTS IN RELATIONSHIPS THAT CHEIM & READ HAS LOVINGLY CULTIVATED OVER THE YEARS, THE GALLERY WILL CREATE  A MORE FLEXIBLE INFRASTRUCTURE, FOCUSING ON THE SECONDARY MARKET, COMMISSIONS, AND TARGETED ART FAIRS.

Art Basel Miami Beach
Conversations 2018
Howard Read

http://www.artnews.com/2018/12/07/dealer-howard-read-announces-new-art-commissions-farewell-castelli-model-business/

MARIA BUENO, DIRECTOR AT CHEIM & READ, CELEBRATES HER 10TH ANNIVERSARY AT THE GALLERY AND SHARES WITH THE LRFA BLOG THE GALLERY’S ENORMOUS RESPECT FOR ITS ARTISTS, AND SENSITIVITY TO THE ARTIST/GALLERIST RELATIONSHIP.

MARIA, WELCOME BACK AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTION TO THE LRFA BLOG.

WHAT WERE THE SUBSEQUENT STEPS THAT LED YOU TO CHEIM AND READ?

I graduated college, moved to Europe for a year (and worked for a gallery in Barcelona), and then came back and worked for Phillips in their contemporary art department. I started there as an administrator, then a junior specialist, and although I enjoyed the educational component of learning about new artists as well as the evening sales adrenaline rush, I missed the connection to working directly with artists. I kept in touch with Cheim & Read and when the timing was finally right, joined them in 2010.

Al Held
The Yellow X

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WITH THE GALLERY AND WHAT IS ITS BUSINESS STRUCTURE?

Next year will be my 10th year anniversary with Cheim & Read. It has been an honor and a privilege to work with John Cheim and Howard Read. They encouraged me to find my own identity and style as a dealer, supported projects or initiatives I thought would be beneficial to the gallery, and entrusted me to form my own relationships with the artists they so carefully cultivated over their careers.

For over two decades, Cheim & Read represented over twenty artists and estates and most of our focus was building and supporting these artists on the primary market. We also had a strong presence in the secondary market with artists with whom we had an interest or particular expertise. In June of 2018, we announced that we would be relocating from Chelsea to a more intimate gallery on the Upper East Side and shifting our business model to one that is more nimble, flexible, and in line with John Cheim and Howard Read’s interest in pursuing projects and working with artists they are truly passionate about.

Serge Poliakoff
Bleu Rouge
1951

DO YOU HAVE WORKING RELATIONSHIPS WITH SPECIFIC ARTISTS OR IS YOUR FOCUS PRIMARILY IN THE SALE OF WORKS FOR ALL THE ARTISTS THE GALLERY REPRESENTS?

We have a very organic approach to working with artists – there is no such thing as an “artist’s liaison” at Cheim & Read. John and Howard have their longstanding relationships with our artists and I support their efforts by developing my own relationships so that we can best service the needs of the artists on an individual basis. It has a family-like quality that I think is rare for galleries in the present day and has served us well throughout the gallery’s history.

Milton Resnick
Board Painting
courtesy of Cheim & Read

WHAT ARE THE WAYS IN WHICH A GALLERY BEST REPRESENTS AN ESTATE? IS THE EMPHASIS ON PLACING WORKS IN COLLECTIONS OR MUSEUMS OR IN ARRANGING MUSEUM EXHIBITIONS ON AN INTERNATIONAL BASIS?

Our strategy is to first mount exhibitions of important but perhaps overlooked periods in an artist’s career. The goal here is to expose curators, collectors, and the general public to a body of work that perhaps has not been seen in many years or has not been explored in further depth.

Notable examples of this are Al Held’s Alphabet Paintings (2013), Hans Hartung’s late paintings (2010), the work of Serge Poliakoff (2016), and the Board paintings of Milton Resnick (2018). These exhibitions are accompanied by scholarly publications with writing from curators or critics that helps to reframe this work a contemporary context. These efforts usually begin important conversations with museums to acquire works for their collection and/or mount their own presentation of the artist. We also establish more in depth strategies with each estate to feature works at art fair presentations or other exhibition or project opportunities, undertake outreach efforts to institutions and foundations to feature and/or acquire works, create and/or help organize an estate’s archive, and much more.

Hans Hartung
The Last Paintings 1989
Cheim & Read exhibition

IN OUR NEXT LRFA BLOG WITH MARIA BUENO, DIRECTOR OF CHEIM & READ, WE WILL EXPLORE JUST A LITTLE OF THE GALLERY’S VERY RICH HISTORY.

VISIT CHEIM & READ’S NEW UPTOWN SPACE, AT 23 EAST 67TH STREET, AND ITS EXUBERANT INAUGURAL EXHIBITION CELEBRATING THE WORK OF RON GORCHOV.

https://www.cheimread.com/