Anxious observation After years of exponential growth, in light of a very difficult economic, political and social context, the entire modern and contemporary art world is anxiously observing a potential sharp drop in market prices. In...
Bracquemond: The works of the forgotten impressionist couple at auction
1874: Inventing impressionism In Paris until 14 July one of the most popular exhibitions is being held at the Musée d’Orsay. But “Paris 1874: Inventer l’impressionnisme” (Paris 1874: Inventing impressionism) is not what you think.(An entire...
Art Basel Hong Kong is back in force with Chinese artists in fashion as far at the West
Political context Since Covid, the art world has changed. 2024 is the first year that Art Basel Hong Kong (ABHK) has readopted its habitual format following the pandemic, featuring 242 exhibitors who are showcasing their finest wares at the...
Léonce Rosenberg in his flat in 1928 with its De Chiricos, Picabias, Legers… “A dealer with great taste and a terrible head for business”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7LAKrSwfDI Léonce Rosenberg The idea of reconstructing the interior space of an art collector has several advantages. Not only does it showcase artistic dialogues rather than individual artworks but it also...
Arco Madrid: making a case for less expensive contemporary art
Average and exceptional art There isn’t just one art market but many – and they meet different demands. They are stratified with distinct ways of being and rules of functioning. It is common to say, for example, that during times of crisis only...
Tefaf Maastricht: the museum where anything can be bought
Rare quality For some time now each new edition has provoked the same reaction. Against all odds, Tefaf Maastricht is of a rare quality. Through the standard of artworks displayed it induces a kind of state of stupefaction. This year, from 9 to...
Barbier-Mueller Collection: some of the most famous African and Oceanic art objects in the world sold at Christie’s
https://youtu.be/hVWBw7EqwaM?si=PSrya_3OwH4-AUXO It's a masterpiece! “Recently I was at a Parisian dealer’s and I saw a beautiful Dogon mask, crowned with a woman with arms outstretched. I passed on it… Later I went back and my heart stopped....
The Dubai bubble in the Middle Eastern art market
The mosque, synagogue and church https://youtu.be/8MK6v8slhag?si=w0Z8hthHfbb-PzLD The United Arab Emirates exists within a privileged bubble, a long way from the concerns of the world. While the Israel-Palestine conflict rages not far away, in...
New York, Paris: the collection of the man who made Picasso a millionaire
Vulgar money For a long time money had a sulphurous smell as far as art historians were concerned; a vulgar reputation that prevented them from examining the artist’s preoccupations and market. People just liked to talk about the genius...
Artgenève: scandals and good surprises at the little Swiss fair
A little niche Over the past eleven years the Artgenève fair has slowly but surely grown into a key event in the contemporary art world for this international city, famous for its free port among other things. Helmed by its director Thomas Hug,...
Joan Mitchell, Lee Lozano, Judy Chicago: three women artists in the spotlight along with their markets
Only women artists May 2009 marked a milestone in the history of contemporary art. That year, over the course of eight months, an exhibition took place at the Centre Pompidou which was the largest ever staged to showcase the work of women...
Modern and contemporary art sales in New York: all the methods that continue building confidence in the market
Brave face It’s rare that Sotheby’s and Christie’s have interests that coincide. But during these times of acute uncertainty, as wars rage from Eastern Europe to the Middle East, environmental challenges shake the planet – Extinction Rebellion...