1. How was the 2009/10 season?
2. In your opinion do you believe that the worst has passed or…
Paula Cooper
Paula Cooper, New York
1. The 2009/2010 season was surprisingly strong — one of our best.
2. I don’t believe that the worst has passed. We’re facing a very uncertain future.
Tim Van Laere
Tim Van Laere, Antwerp
1. In the end, the 2009/2010 season was very good for us; the speculators were not buying anymore, but only the true passionate collectors, who are always looking for good art to live with.
2. In a couple of years we will probably look back at this as an important time for the art world!
Jean Bernier & Marina Eliades
Bernier / Eliades, Athens
1. The season was consistently very strong on an international level, especially with established and mid-career artists. The market in Greece has been uncertain, due to current affairs, but it remains buoyant, from younger artists exhibited for the first time to works in the higher range. 2. We are optimistic for the upcoming season as Art Basel 2010, which is the most recent fair and a strong indicator, went very well. In Greece, the situation is still uncertain and unpredictable, but we believe that the market will continue to hold up, as the new season is already doing well.
Carolin Leistenschneider
Contemporary Fine Arts, Berlin
1. The season 2009/2010 went surprisingly well. Art fairs such as Art Basel were successful.
2. Although the last season was very positive, a slight uncertainty however can still be noticed.
Johann König
Johann König, Berlin
1. The summer was way too short!
2. I think it can only get better — always!
Barbara Weiss
Barbara Weiss, Berlin
1. The season was good for us. We focused on the artists represented by us over a longer time period. We never had been spoiled by easy, quick sales. We could even increase our turnover the last two years.
2. The shrinking process is quite healthy and the serious artists will always survive.
Camilo Alvarez
Samsøn, Boston
1. It was ok. I think this is a slow business, and trust in my gallery and artists have been building over the years.
2. There is an ebb and flow to everything. I don’t think the worst has passed, which means the best is yet to come.
Javier Peres
Peres Projects, Berlin
1. Pretty shitty, but better than the previous season.
2. Hard to say, there are so many variables out of our control that could affect people’s attention and desire for art. For example, if all these wars going on around the world escalate, if another environmental disaster happens, these sort of things can really affect people’s reality and their attention for art; and by attention I don’t just mean consumption. I am also referring to interest in it, and even willingness to stroll through galleries to look at art. But for our end, we are excited about our plans for the upcoming season, and now that I have two spaces in Berlin and I am spending less time traveling back and forth to the US, I am happier myself and more able to focus on what Berlin has to offer, which is a whole lot.
Jan De Clercq
Meessen De Clercq, Brussels
1. The season has been terrific.
2. Each gallery fills a micro niche in the art market, and some niches have been more affected than others. The appetite for good works is present and growing. The near future looks good, but small elements can totally change that. We prepare for a ‘roller coaster’ period, in which long term certainty is a thing of the past.
Kourosh Nouri
Carbon 12, Dubai
1. The season was surprisingly good as we witnessed the “birth” of some stars with almost sold-out shows. There is a tendency for “bargain hunting,” with galleries representing the same artists competing with each other. It is a very healthy situation in a way to have common prices; in some other cases the only winner is the collector.
2. We are in a transition period. There is a sharp tendency toward painting again, and sculpture. The more established names of our gallery did not suffer. That wasn’t the case for emerging art. I still believe that a high-quality exhibition will always draw the right collectors, therefore the future seems positive.
Tarané Ali Khan
The Third Line, Dubai
1. It has been a challenging last 12 months but there is still movement in the market for good work.
2. We feel the worst has past; I think it will slowly grow over the months to come.
Barbara Davis
Barbara Davis, Houston
1. The season has been very active and I have not noticed a distinct difference in activity compared to previous years.
2. I feel very fortunate that the economy in Houston, and Texas in general, has not been as affected as in other parts of the US. The first few months of 2010 proved extremely positive; collectors have not hesitated to nurture their passion and acquire fine art. I am very optimistic about the future.
Erik and Luc Mulier
Mulier Mulier, Knokke-Zoute, Belgium
1. Art Brussels was very successful; we sold many works at our extra booth with a one-man show by Art & Language at the opening. Our seventh participation at Art Athina was more difficult, as the important collectors from Athens didn’t come to the fair this year, but we made several new contacts. Our exhibitions with Guy Van Bossche and Tadashi Kawamata were very successful; the exhibition with Malick Sidibé was more difficult.
2. I think the situation is getting better and better. I don’t believe in a bubble dip but the economic growth will be low in the next years.
Marco Altavilla
T293, Naples / Rome
1. The season was full of highlights and changes: we opened a new space in Rome, we went paperless, we found an assistant who was actually quite helpful.
2. We are sure that the worst is over. Yet things turn out differently from what we expected. It looked like there was going to be a change in the attitude of looking at art, but we noted that the interest for quality is as always an elite and small-scale phenomenon.
Iwan Wirth
Hauser & Wirth, London/Zurich/New York
1. The past year looks much better than expected and we are very satisfied with how things developed against many concerns. However, the market remains very selective, with only top quality work being successful.
2. Probably yes. The US market is recovering, Europeans keep going strong and the emerging markets are slowly becoming a force.
Marianne Boesky
Marianne Boesky, New York
1. 2009/10 has been a sobering experience for the art world. A lot of the excess has cleared away and we seem happily to be back again to the essence of art making and art dealing.
2. I think people have adjusted to life being a state of flux. Caution seems to prevail over unbridled emotions. And better art can come from this.
Elizabeth Dee
Elizabeth Dee, New York
1. This season was challenging but also uniquely productive. It was a turning point towards vital new ways of working, as we increasingly find ways to resemble something other than simply a gallery. We extended beyond the walls of the storefront with projects occupying the former Dia Center, first as X-Initiative and then as the first annual Independent in March.
2. Whether the worst has passed is beside the point; for our boldest and most resourceful peers, the sustained uncertainty of these trying years has meant sustained creativity and reinvention.
Rebecca Davis
Bose Pacia, New York
1. The season saw exciting challenges and successes. The market has seen a welcome, if conservative, upturn from 2008/2009 though we are still far from a sense of permanent stability. We have been able to focus on other creative developments, and look forward to a successful and exciting season. 2. Feeling and trends seem to suggest that the worst has passed. Though I strongly believe that the confidence in the art market will continue to grow with a cautious optimism.
Friedrich Petzel
Friedrich Petzel, New York
1. It was a fine season. The gallery took on established artists, focused on experimental projects such as artists collaborations, Troy Brauntuch’s first comprehensive monograph was published and much more.
2. We will continue our New York Gallery Week initiative in May 2011, in a continued effort to bring the focus on urging viewers to visit the galleries and museums of New York. We are certain that the market will develop according to the quality of the program presented.
Lisa Spellman
303, New York
1. It was better than expected!
2. Yes, by far the worst is over! It only gets better from now forward…
Marina Leuenberger
Karma International, Zurich
1. We started the gallery in 2007. There are people saying it was the worst period, generally, to start a business. From our previous experience as a not-for-profit space we knew how to realize exhibitions at a very low cost. We were used to doing transport ourselves, installing works, painting the gallery, doing our own graphic design. We kept this spirit even when growing. The season has been very good for us and it was nice to see how things develop and grow.
2. We are curious and keep an open attitude.
Yvon Lambert
Yvon Lambert, Paris / New York
1. The season has proven to be challenging, with the gallery going through many crucial structural changes. Generally, collectors seem to be questioning the purpose of their collection more, and truly taking the time to think before they buy. I am convinced that collectors and museums are being more prudent with younger artists. This new development benefits more historical works by bringing higher levels of attention and recognition to artists from the ’60s and the ’70s.
2. I am optimistic and want to believe that the worst is already behind us. Yet I have a sense that things may still change from one day to another.
Nathalie Obadia
Nathalie Obadia, Paris / Brussels
1. The season proved to be more dynamic than one could have hoped for. We concluded commissions for private companies and sold works of almost all the artists the gallery represents, which means that our international network has gained momentum. The opening of the gallery in Brussels in 2008 allowed us to bring forth exhibitions that we would not have been able to organize so quickly in France.
2. The situation is very fragile but the world is gaining a new overture. If some areas are affected, such as Greece or Germany, it is possible to develop a market in the Middle East or in Asia. That is why I decided to go to Art Dubai in 2011 and to visit the Hong Kong Art Fair next spring, though the US and parts of Europe remain key. I am optimistic, but one has to know how to adjust to this economic and political outbreak.
Thaddaeus Ropac
Thaddaeus Ropac, Paris / Salzburg
1. We had a very good season with our exhibition programs in Paris and Salzburg, our experiences at many of the art fairs and with museum exhibitions by our artists. We had a full and satisfying year, more so than we could have imagined. Our clients have continued to passionately involve themselves with the work of our artists and their interest in collecting has been undaunted.
2. None of us have a crystal ball but the rhythm and energy that we are experiencing with the market makes it seem highly unlikely that there will be a dramatic downturn.
Daniel Templon & Anne-Claudie Coric
Daniel Templon, Paris
1. The season was excellent for a gallery like ours with established international artists. They are all reasonably priced for their level of recognition, they do not produce very much and the gallery has a solid reputation. Many collectors may have felt it was safe to invest in our artists. For example, we have been successful with the new Anthony Caro works. His sculptures are in all major museum collections and yet prices for most of his new works are relatively accessible (50,000 – 200,000 euro).
2. One can never be sure, but it does feel like the worst has passed. The art market is active and sales are good. This time the crisis does not feel as dramatic as it was in the early ’90s. That time in Paris collectors completely deserted galleries. Now we still receive very strong interest and have many visitors coming to shows and attending openings. It’s a very good sign.
Friedrich Petzel
Friedrich Petzel, New York
1. It was a fine season. The gallery took on established artists, focused on experimental projects such as artists collaborations, Troy Brauntuch’s first comprehensive monograph was published and much more.
2. We will continue our New York Gallery Week initiative in May 2011, in a continued effort to bring the focus on urging viewers to visit the galleries and museums of New York. We are certain that the market will develop according to the quality of the program presented.
Jocelyn Wolff
Jocelyn Wolff, Paris
1. The best since the beginning of the gallery seven years ago.
2. I think that the contemporary art market is the sum of all the markets of every artist; some mid-career or even historical artists are doing better now than before the crisis; look at Miriam Cahn or Franz Erhard Walther. The public interest in young positions is still very active but more careful about prices. It is a good time for galleries not exclusively depending on fast sales, and willing to spend time with collectors.
Börkur Arnarson
i8, Reykjavik
1. 2009/2010 was a very tough year for us. Iceland’s dramatic economic crisis at the end of 2008 meant, among other things, some challenging currency issues. In 2009 we also decided to relocate, and renovated an old warehouse near the harbor. Although we were participating in a number of art fairs, the gallery doors were closed for more than six months.
2. 2010 started fairly slowly, but things went well at the Armory Show and Basel. The majority of our clients are based in Europe and the US, which is more of an indicator for us than the state of the local economy — although it seems to have stabilized. We are realistically optimistic that the worst has passed.
Rodrigo Editore
Casa Triângulo, Sao Paulo
1. The 2009/10 season was very good, internationally and especially in Brazil. All the art fairs we participated in (Frieze, Art Basel Miami Beach, SP-Arte) were very successful. We feel there is a growing interest in Brazilian emerging and established artists.
2. In our opinion, the worst has passed and was very concentrated at the end of 2008. After that we were not affected by the crisis.
Stephen Lyons
Platform, Seattle
1. Not great but not bad enough to force the doors closed. On the positive side more sales were made to collectors through the Internet and e-mail. On the negative side, fewer sales were made to individuals who visited the gallery in person.
2. I really don’t know. I highly doubt that sales will return to levels experienced in recent years past. The purchase of contemporary artwork comes out of discretionary spending. Passionate collectors are still collecting but more thoughtfully and less impulsively, which I am fully in favor of.
Patricia Lambert
Front Line Contemporary, Shanghai
1. Our 2009/2010 season was very quiet.
2. It’s picking up now, but I don’t know if the worst has passed.
Eva Presenhuber
Eva Presenhuber, Zurich
1. In 2009 and so far 2010 we did good business. We are spending more time with collectors in person. It suits us better than to be forced to feed the bubble.
2. Collectors will think more about the quality and value of art. We will do well in the future.
Aldy Milliken
Milliken, Stockholm
1. It was an important season, but different in many ways to prior years. It was our best year financially with cost cutting and strong sales. The international market became less present than the Scandinavian. Significantly, we were spared most of the financial crisis that occurred elsewhere, and local clients became much more engaged and supportive. We spent more time organizing events like artist talks and collaborations with museums and art groups.
2. I do not think that the art world will recover financially to the 2008 levels but that is what makes this a dynamic profession. We will work harder for less, and our relationships with our artists and clients will be the mainstay of the gallery’s position. In that sense it’s business as usual.
Daniele Balice
BaliceHertling, Paris
1. For us it was a year of changes, as we started to exhibit in our own space after the share with Castillo/Corrales. The expenses doubled, but artists like Oscar Tuazon, Falke Pisano and Kerstin Braetsch received so much attention that we managed to get through what was a relatively calm season for most of our colleagues.
2. As we never really speculated on the market, we don’t really feel the crisis. We don’t even know what is better and worst because the gallery is very young. We expected a total lack of sales but, instead, most of our faithful clients kept supporting us and they still buy on a regular basis. So maybe yes… the worst is yet to come!
Sueo Mizuma
Mizuma, Tokyo
1. In 2009 sales in Asia were stable; net sales were down about 30% compared to the previous year. The first six months of 2010 was about same as last year.
2. In the Japanese contemporary art market, the economic boom comes at the end, and the economic downturn comes at the beginning. I believe now we are going through the worst season.
Christian Meyer
Meyer Kainer, Vienna
1. There is certainly less money going into the market, but this gives a good chance for art that is relatively underrated; mid-career artists are real winners of the situation. Young artists have the best chance to come into the game with new ideas and there is a lot of attention on long-ignored older artists. But the run for so-called “blue chip art” at the highest imaginable prices did not stop at all. 2. From there, this crisis doesn’t exist for everybody, and it’s rather a comeback to normality.
Łukasz Gorczyca & Michał Kaczyński
Raster, Warsaw
1. The sales to museums and institutions have been recently increasing, especially in Poland, where the art scene is not as saturated as in the Western countries. The good thing is that although the art market in Poland isn’t big, it hasn’t been struck by the crisis at all. It’s well and growing. Local collectors are very much engaged in supporting artist’s activities. They make up a solid pillar.
2. This year we organized a big international project at Villa Reykjavik but we are also concentrated on developing and carrying out our program in Warsaw. In terms of commercial success we would describe our feelings as “moderate optimism.”
