The interviews of ProfessioneArte.it
Five questions to know in advance the great art professionals, the daily challenges to face, the choices that have determined their path in the art system and in the art market, the digital changes and the advice for those who want to start the same career in collaboration with ProfessioneARTE.it.
Art Basel, the world’s most important art fair, blows out 50 candles.
Photo Credits: Art Basel
The New York Times calls it the “Art Olympiad”, the Parisian newspaper Le Monde “the best in the world”, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung calls it “Art in its best form”, while Vogue presents it as “The most beautiful temporary museum in the world”.
Art Basel is not just a fair, but it is THE fair, probably the most important fair of the art system in the world.
In 2020 Art Basel, directed by Marc Spiegler, celebrates 50 years since its foundation and for this reason we want to retrace its history to learn about the dynamics that have made it a real brand famous throughout the world, not only in the art sector.
Although Art Basel currently belongs to the MCH group, precisely because of its 50th anniversary, the management of the fair would be compromised, due to the Coronavirus emergency that caused the cancellation of the Hong Kong stage and the traditional Basel stage, to postpone everything until 2021.
In this delicate phase, in fact, a few weeks ago the name of the millionaire entrepreneur James Murdoch, son of the famous Rupert, who presented a plan and strategy for the relaunch of the fair.
But returning to the history of the fair, Art Basel was born from the collaboration between three Swiss gallery owners: Ernst Beyeler (whose foundation of the same name is now one of the spearheads of the international exhibition system), Trudl Bruckner and Balz Hilt. Its first edition took place in 1970 (at the time it was simply called “Art”) attracting over 16,000 people to 90 galleries.
Its location in Messen, a German term that recalls the markets that took place during the Middle Ages during the festive periods, prefigures its mission, which is to be the main square for the art market, capable of attracting up to 93,000 visitors, collectors from 80 countries and more than 400 representatives of international museums (data from the 2019 edition of Basel).
From the beginning Art Basel distinguishes itself from other purely economic events, highlighting its cultural as well as commercial nature. In 1973 Ernst Beyeler and Leo Castelli, among the most important gallery owners in those years, organized the first collateral exhibition to a fair, to attract a public interested in the not only economic aspects of the event.
In 1975, just five years after its foundation, Art Basel has managed to become the leading international contemporary art fair, hosting more than 300 galleries and dictating the winning rules of a contemporary art event. In fact, a multitude of other exhibitions were founded in the following years, all based on the same organizational principles: the presence of demanding selection committees, the choice of very similar locations – large, anonymous and empty, the works presented by modern and contemporary artists.
At the beginning of the year 2000 “Art Basel UNLIMITED” was born, which transcends the concept of the classic exhibition stand with an open plan environment to host the most extraordinary and monumental works of great artists who often see the collaboration of several galleries participating in the fair for the production of the work.
In 2002, the first stopover overseas, in Miami Beach, dates back to 2002, while in 2013, the one in Hong Kong: thanks to its global dimension, Art Basel becomes in time a thermometer of the desires of the art market.
High quality, great variety and international participation have given Art Basel unparalleled consideration. Collectors, artists, museum directors, curators and professionals participate in this annual event of the art scene (March in Hong Kong, June in Basel and December in Miami) to see the largest and most selected offer of the international art market and meet the insiders of the international art scene.
Among the historic Italian galleries participating in the fair, Massimo Minini‘s gallery won the record, with his first participation in 1977 and the “Basel Art” Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017.
To celebrate 50 years Art Basel was planning a major intercontinental art project (Basel, Miami and Hong Kong), curated by a prestigious intergenerational team (Kasper König, Christina Li and Hamza Walker) which of course was cancelled due to Covid 19, as well as its physical appointments in Hong Kong and Basel.
Art Basel, although limited in its physicality, has proved to be a brand capable of reinventing itself even in times of crisis thanks to online: the Viewing Rooms first in Hong Kong and then in Basel have achieved limited but encouraging results for the future, leading the way to the digital dimension of art fairs.
The Artists’ Archives have not at all simple tasks: receiving, acquiring, recording and documenting, these are among the key actions that determine their value for the art community and a point of reference for collectors.
Carrying out the activities of an Archive requires a team of professionals, along with a network of knowledge and budgets that are often lacking in most cases.
Today and more and more, Artists’ Archives need an evolution, following the potential of new technologies such as digitization, the real keystone for a management in progress and an almost immediate data sharing, but in total privacy and security, like the one offered by the Art Rights platform.
This is why an “advanced” Artist’s Archive must demonstrate that it is able to act with professionalism, tools and methodologies that allow it to become a leading player in the management of information, no longer and only experts to be consulted to verify the authenticity of works in favour of third parties.
This is an arduous task and not easy to accomplish for a large number of Artists’ Archives.
For this reason in recent years the Artists’ Archives have found in art galleries, but not only, real allies, even when the heirs decide to give up the management of the legacy, for management activities, enhancement and promotion combined with the sale.
The art galleries that manage, totally or partially, an Artist’s Archive, are growing and among the most famous we find:
But how and with what activities can art galleries support the Artist Archives?
Depending on the size and value of the tunnel, this can guarantee:
Collaboration with the Archive thus allows the gallery, which takes charge of its management in agreement with the heirs, to become a point of reference for the market and for collectors who will turn to them to acquire or sell works, as well as for museums and institutions interested in loans or publications.
The partnership between Artists’ Archives and art galleries is a long-established reality, but today it leads to new scenarios still in progress.
The interviews of ProfessioneArte.it
Five questions to know in advance the great art professionals, the daily challenges to face, the choices that have determined their path in the art system and in the art market, the digital changes and the advice for those who want to start the same career in collaboration with ProfessioneARTE.it.
Author’s note: In dealing with this second part of the article “Out the showcases from museums…PART I”, as a “due” act, I declare the possible conflicts of personal interest having as others, designed, built and set up museum showcases.
TO READ THE FIRST PART OF THE ARTICLE CLICK HERE
NO BIBLIOGRAPHY
Having said this, a first consideration is aimed at highlighting how the theme of the museum displays in the showcase is substantially devoid of bibliography, if not really “scientific” even methodological, but there are still some examples that can be defined as technical-technological and architectural-expository display of the spaces, even valuable ones.
The topic “showcase” is certainly better and methodologically treated for the commercial and visual merchandising aspects, where the costs-benefits become tangible, different in museums where it seems that the experience of excavation, study, research or museum management is enough to proceed with the preparation of the showcase, without too much elaboration of thought.
In addition, two considerations to highlight that the installations take place too close to the opening of an exhibition or museum and that the designer, museologist and curator meet little or nothing, with the specifications prevailing.
THE “DE VETRINA”
The matter becomes an interesting terrain, touching on paradoxical aspects to the point of deserving an exercise on the thread of a possible “reduction ad absurdum” for which it is possible to affirm: Away with the windows from museums!
The elaboration of the thought on the shop windows would need a small treatise, a space of its own and not already cut out or budded from other subjects, but developed in the actions of study and realization.
The “De Vetrina“, could be the title, naturally without comparison with Lucio Vitruvio Pollione’s De Architectura.
Beyond the divertissement we see instead an analysis of the multiple aspects that motivate the need for a better articulated study in thought.
TABULA RASA
Shall we try razing existing shop windows to the ground and guess what to do next?
TYPES OF DISPLAY CASES
Let’s draw up a simple list of some types of showcases, however extendible:
Leaving aside to go into more detail, let us now consider, using the same method, some examples of internal fittings of goods:
HORROR VACUUM
In some installations, for reasons of so-called scientific completeness, works are exhibited in a certain abundance and loaded with information, an exhibition mode defined as: Horror Vacui.
This is because the collective fruition assigns approval ratings on the quantity of the works seen, leaving the other historical, cultural or stylistic aspects in the background.
IN THE END
The storytelling of the museums, but also their true soul with their real values, flows in these barely mentioned installations.
For those who want to “read” between the lines, the showcases become an open book about the museum and its curators, from which emerges the form, the syntax, the exhibition grammar of the museum, both as masterpieces and as horrors!
The list is not exhaustive, but only an indicative summary for a discussion that confirms the need to deal with specialist studies, avoiding the “do-it-yourself” of home showcases, waiting at least for a technical manual: the De Vetrina.
At the auction part of the great collection to save the airline
The British Airways art collection is one of the most important Corporate Art Collection
in England, created to support contemporary art (especially British art) on a global level.
Much of the collection was created with the help of Artwise, a team of London curators who worked with British Airways for 17 years (1995 to 2012) buying or commissioning over 1,500 works from the likes of Bridget Riley, Patrick Heron or David Nash.
The airline’s decision to recognize the potential of rebranding to Art and Artists dates back to the early 1990s, to increase brand awareness and create a new contemporary (and British) image for British Airways.
The collection, whose value today exceeds millions of pounds, was created with the intention of promoting young British art. In fact, the founders of Artwise, Susie Allen and Laura Culpan, stated in a statement to the BBC that they generally bought and commissioned works by artists at the beginning of their careers whose market value has grown over time.
Not only for the enhancement of British art: as Angeline Mayhead, responsible for the airline’s lounge development, says, the collection was also created with the intention of offering a warm and pleasant welcome to premium customers waiting for their flight in airport lounges. It is no coincidence that in recent years the collection has been displayed at Waterside headquarters and in the company’s executive lounges.
Although enriching itself was never the intention behind the creation of the collection, today British Airways has found itself facing one of the 3D art market players, the Debt condition.
In fact, in order to cope with the losses caused by the Covid emergency and save the company’s balance sheet, it was forced to auction part of the collection. According to Forbes, the company recorded a loss of £1.5 billion in the first three months of the year and currently plans to lay off about 12,000 employees, or 30% of the staff.
About the auction organized in collaboration with Sotheby’s, British Airways presented a list of some of the greatest names of the second half of the 20th century celebrated at length in its collection, which boasts works by artists such as Tracey Emin, Anish Kapoor, Fiona Rae, Gary Hume and Chris Ofili.
17 masterpieces were presented through two auctions, “Rembrandt to Richter” (28 July) and “Modern & Post-War British Art” (online from 20 to 30 July).
Among the highlights are the work “Cool Edge” (1982) by the artist Bridget Riley, in possession of British Airways for over 30 years. The work, previously estimated at between £ 800,000 and £ 1.2 million, was sold off yesterday at a staggering £ 1,875,000.
Other works by Riley are still the protagonists of the “Modern & Post-War British Art” auction: seven silkscreen prints from 1971, next to which are prints by Damien Hirst , Marc Quinn and Julian Opie.
But that’s not all: until July 30 you can also buy paintings by Terry Frost, Patrick Heron and George Shaw online, as well as a portfolio of engravings by Peter Doig.
Deciding to separate from one’s work is never easy, both emotionally and bureaucratically. For the latter case, the management and enhancement of the collection through an impeccable archive and document management that facilitates the transfer of ownership becomes fundamental.
Today the Digital Archives are useful tools to store, monitor and update the documentation: only in this way it is possible to manage and verify the economic value of the works, having all the cards in order to proceed with the sale.
The case of the British Airways Collection, on the one hand, proves how a wise management of one’s own collection can be useful to deal with unforeseen situations that require quick and immediate operations such as the sale of works in a period of crisis; on the other hand, it shows how art can support the economic recovery, making itself absolutely necessary for a market that has no intention of freezing or collapsing on itself.
The interviews of ProfessioneArte.it
Five questions to know in advance the great art professionals, the daily challenges to face, the choices that have determined their path in the art system and in the art market, the digital changes and the advice for those who want to start the same career in collaboration with ProfessioneARTE.it.
The Interviews of ProfessioneArte.it
