Open Conversations
19 May 2017
Centre Pompidou, Paris
A partnership between Talking Galleries and CHOICES Paris Gallery Weekend
A series of talks for gallerists, collectors and art professionals on new ways of collecting
Talking Galleries and CHOICES cooperated for the first time in creating a site specific event within the frame of the celebration of the fourth edition of Paris Gallery Weekend (20-21 May).
Held as a 1-day programme on Friday 19 May, at the Centre Pompidou, the Open Conversations opened this year’s Paris Gallery Weekend, a major event in the field of contemporary art aorund the city.
With the intention of expanding the programme of activities and offering a space for shared discussion and professional encounter, CHOICES invited the Barcelona-based platform Talking Galleries to conceive a series of talks especially devised to reflect upon current trends in the art gallery sector.
The Open Conversations offered the opportunity to consolidate the city’s leading position in exploring gallery practices and roles in relationship with new ways of collecting contemporary art nowadays. The meeting consisted of an opening session in a conversation format between a renowned French gallerist and a prominent collector, followed by two discussion panels held in the afternoon. The will featured the participation of leading art professionals, including profiles such as gallerists, representatives from a museum or art institution, collectors, curators and artists.
What does it mean to be a collector in the 21st century? How to collect contemporary art? Is it possible to collect without possessing? Contemporary art practices are shaping new ways of collecting.
It is no longer just about the acquisition and accumulation of objects, but also about participation in the art production process, which goes beyond the mere heritage of the artistic object. The collector of contemporary art ceases to be simply a buyer to become an active actor who contributes to the art scene, be it by providing material to the artists, intervening in the production or supporting its circulation. Collectors’ actions may also imply a new role for galleries and art institutions. In such context, what role should galleries assume? As key actors that manage artists’ careers, galleries are at the forefront of the art ecosystem and their task is decisive in the production, promotion and display of art nowadays.
The Open Conversations programme aimed at reflecting on the ways of collecting contemporary art today and their impact on the different actors involved in the art world. In doing so, it seeks to contribute to rethinking how galleries are positioned at the centre of this debate. The sessions brought together the viewpoints of galleries, collectors, artists and institutions, in order to offer a broad insight on collecting from different positions.
Schedule
10.45-11.00h | Welcome speeches Serge Lasvignes, president, Centre Pompidou, Paris Llucià Homs, director of Talking Galleries, Barcelona Marion Papillon, founder and director of Choices Paris Gallery Weekend, Paris
11.00-12.30h | Opening session
“Going Beyond the Collection: How to Approach the Future of Collecting” With: Sandra Hegedus, founder, SAM Art Projects, Paris Nathalie Vallois, director, Galerie Georges-Philippe & Nathalie Vallois, Paris
Moderated by Georgina Adam, art market journalist, Financial Times and The Art Newspaper, London
14.45-16.15h | Panel discussion 1 “Fostering Creation: the Key Role of Collectors”
With: Aaron Cezar, director, Delfina Foundation, London Kamel Mennour, director, Kamel Mennour, Paris/ London Samia Saouma, director, Galerie Max Hetzler, Paris/Berlin Aldo Rubino, founder and executive director, MACBA – Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Buenos Aires
Moderator: Melanie Gerlis, art market journalist, Financial Times, London
16.30-18.00h | Panel discussion 2
“Working Hand in Hand: New Collaborations Between the Collector, the Gallerist and the Artist” With: Jean Altounian, vice president, Centre d’Art Contemporain Genève, Geneva Jérôme Poggi, director, Galerie Jérôme Poggi, Paris Sandra Terdjman, co-founder and director, Council, Paris Kees Visser, artist, Haarlem (NL)/ Paris (FR)/ Reykjavil (IS) Moderated by Georgina Adam, art market journalist, Financial Times and The Art Newspaper, London
