Art Media Agency Articles & Interviews

Architecture, a more sustainable future
for 2015
Top stories
page 7
Interview
Michael Hansmeyer
page 9
Museums
page 12
Report
Global Chinese Art
Auction Market
page 15
Galleries
page 18
Interview
Assemble Architects
page 22
Artists
page 25
Interview
Gaspar Libedinsky
page 26
Data
Luc Tuymans
page 33
Auctions
page 38
Fairs & festivals
page 40
Report
Unseen Photo Fair 2014
page 42
Interview
Margaux Fritz
page 44
Interior design for Mexico City airport
image : Foster + Partners
From Frank Gehry's mesmerising Fondation Louis Vuitton in the Bois de
Boulogne to the checkered wood of Aspen Art Museum, 2014's architec-
tural highlights have been both numerous and artistically compelling.
AMA's article of the week looks at the future of sustainable architec-
ture, movements that support the process, and innovators for 2015.
Cultural openings around the globe
This year has seen a slew of big industry players — Renzo Piano, Jean
Nouvel, Zaha Hadid — and firms — Diller Scofidio + Renfro, OMA Of-
fice for Metropolitan Architecture, BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group) — domi-
nating the scene. Festivals, fairs and biennales are thriving in number,
attendance and duration; this year's edition of the Venice Biennale
of Architecture, curated by Rem Koolhaas, takes place over four mon-
ths and sees 65 countries taking part. With festival participation at
this size, it goes without saying that architectural projects are still
influenced by the course of cultural events. Rio de Janiero was the
global destination of 2014 — with the FIFA World Cup — and will be
again in 2016 for the Summer Olympics, for which a plethora of cultural
landmarks have been designed. For instance, Diller Scofidio + Renfro's
Museum of Image and Design, nestled into the hillside above Coco-
pabana Beach, marks the way in which architects are having to utilise
space to their advantage. Amongst the firm's other ongoing projects are
The Broad Museum in Los Angeles; the expansion of MoMA in New York;
and the Culture Shed, a six-story development which will sit adjacent to
the High Line and host a wide range of cultural activities.
Across the pond, British design firm Assemble was chosen to design
the new Goldsmiths art gallery in London; Rem Koolhaas' OMA is cur-
rently creating Fondation Galeries Lafayette in Paris; and Renzo Pia-
no's armadillo-shelled structure, for Fondation Jérôme Seydoux-Pa-
thé, has just been unveiled in Paris' 13th arrondissement. Another big
coup was David Chipperfield Architects beating two Swedish archi-
tects in a competition to design Stockholm's new Nobel Prize Centre.
This document is for the exclusive use of Art Media Agency’s clients. do not distribute. www.artmediaagency.com
AMA NEWSLETTER
17018 September 2014

for 2015
In the Middle East, Abu Dhabi continues to be the seat of cultural and touristic prosperity with the
development of Saadiyat Island. The Louvre's outpost is set completion next year and the Guggenheim
— designed by Frank Gehry — to open at the later date of 2017. Further across the globe, in China,
the Shanghai Tower — currently the world's second tallest building, at 632 metres — is expected to be
open to the public in 2015.
With this unrelenting architectural progress, especially when there is often only space to go upwards,
concerns on the impact of over-developed cities and the amount of materials being used for these pro-
jects are putting pressure on architects to offer long-lasting, environmentally considerate alternatives,
while incorporating the same level of industrial prowess.
Sustainable Solutions
In order to promote awareness around sustainable forms of architecture, the presence of conferences,
fairs and competitions is augmenting around the world as a constant reminder that we have a global
responsibility to create buildings which are environmentally sustainable.
Rio+20 to 2015: a New Architecture for a Sustainable New World — hosted in 2013, in collaboration
with National Defence Resources Council (NRDC) and Yale University — is part of the Rio+20 plan to
encourage a discussion of mobility in this genre. Quoted from amongst their visions, the Conference
aimed to “further the development of a new architecture that can stimulate the transformative changes
we need to realize a sustainable future.” While the development of cities was once considered the cen-
tral obstacle in the fight against pollution, now, as the urban population shows no signs of decreasing
(by 2050, 7 out of 10 people will be living in cities), strategies are now taking shape to make these me-
tropolis' part of the solution. At the forefront of this plan is Communitas Coalition — in partnership with
the UN Development Agenda —, an organisation which seeks to “advance sustainable urbanization”; to
adapt cities to include sustainable development goals (SGDs). Their seven-step trajectory includes tar-
gets to improve the “living and working conditions of both rural and urban dwellers by promoting the
social, environmental and economic synergies between urban and rural areas” and aims to “reduce the
environmental impacts of cities and improve urban environmental conditions”. Evidently, these types
of organisations are offering an international strategy to change urbanisation for the better.
AerialviewofMexicoCityairport
Image : Foster + Partners
AMA Newsletter 170 2 18 September 2014

for 2015
Fairs of the Future
Fairs promoting sustainable architecture are now as plentiful and thriving as traditional biennials. Eco-
build — the world's largest sustainability trade fair — hosts an annual event dedicated to every part
of green building, where architects and surveyors gather to see what's new in the industry. Next year's
edition — from 3 to 5 March 2015 — looks set to draw in double the amount of attendees than it did
in 2014, as relayed by Ecobuild's Group Director of Sustainability & Construction, Alison Jackson, who
commented: “Over the past ten years Ecobuild has cemented its position as the sustainable design and
construction marketplace for new build, refurb, commercial and domestic buildings.”
Next year also brings the World's Fair: Expo Milan 2015; to be held from 1 May to 31 October 2015.
The theme, “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life”, has seen some of the specially-designed pavilions
for the event incorporate this energy-efficient ethos. A prime example is Italy's pavilion, designed by
Studio Nemesi & Partners Srl, which features a lattice skin built from “i.active BIODYNAMIC”, capable of
capturing pollutants and turning them into salts. Likewise is the winning model for the Austrian pavi-
lion, which promotes a healthier bond between the urban and natural environment. Entitled “breathe”,
the enclosed space will be planted with an abundance of native Austrian vegetation and will produce,
hourly, enough oxygen to sustain 18,000 people.
By incorporating ecological messages into technologically-advanced design, these projects — seen by mil-
lions on a global level — go a long way to encouraging a conversation about sustainable architecture, far
beyond the industrial sphere.
MuseumofImageandSound
RiodeJaneiro
Image:DillerScofidio+Renfro

Putting objectives into practice
By taking this research into the practical field, many architectural firms are showcasing increasingly sustai-
nable plans to further their global enterprise. On 3 September 2014 it was announced that Foster + Partners
— in collaboration with FR-EE (Fernando Romero Enterprise) and NACO (Netherlands Airport Consultants)
—, had won the bid to design Mexico City's new international airport. At 470,000 m2
, this project aims to
be the world's largest and most sustainable airport. Instead of the typical multi-building structure, the
design is comprised of one lightweight gridshell — thereby expending less materials and energy; while
also harnessing the power of the sun and collecting rainwater. In addition, the LEED Platinum design har-
monises with the natural surroundings to create a self-regulating temperature for a large proportion of the
year. Speaking in a press release, Lord Norman Foster said of the project: “Stansted Airport’s reinvention of
the conventional terminal in the 1990s was emulated worldwide – this breaks with that model for the first
time. It pioneers a new concept for a large-span, single airport enclosure, which will achieve new levels of
efficiency and flexibility – and it will be beautiful. The experience for passengers will be unique. Its design
provides the most flexible enclosure possible to accommodate internal change and an increase in capacity.
Mexico has really seized the initiative in investing in its national airport, understanding its social and eco-
nomic importance and planning for the future. There will be nothing else like it in the world.”
However, far from just a passing trend, sustainability has been practiced and commended for many
years. The American Institute of Architects' Top Ten Green Projects scheme, now in its 17th
year, bes-
tows the title on buildings with an exceptional use of sustainable architecture. Amongst this year's
chosen ten is the Sustainability Treehouse — an interactive and educational facility designed by Seatt-
le-based firm Mithun. Commissioned by Boy Scouts of America, the building sits in the forest of Summit
Bechtel Reserve, in West Virginia, America, and harmonises environmental education with fantastical
adventure. With an 85% reduction on the National Median Energy Use Intensity (EUI) the structure
uses photovoltaic panels, wind turbines, a large cistern and water cleansing systems, the canopy's
natural light permeating the Treehouse on all levels.
Ones to Watch
Who are the next pioneers of sustainable architecture? Frank Murk, Associate Dean of the New York
Institute of Technology, in conversation with AMA, suggests his key innovators for 2015.
An alumnus of Rem Koolhaas and founder of his own firm, FR-EE, Fernando Romero is a Mexican archi-
tect, internationally acclaimed for his work on the Soumaya Museum. A towering 46-metres-high and
covered with 16,000 hexagonal aluminum squares, the amorphorous design dramatically challenged
the a-typical museum space. This year sees him collaborate on the aforementioned sustainable airport
in Mexico City with Foster + Partners. FR-EE has also implemented various initiatives to promote Mexi-
can architecture, including a scholarship award - FR-EE Time. Dedicated to emerging Mexican architects
under 35, the programme gives them the opportunity to travel and research an in-depth topic.
for 2015
MuseumofImageandSound
RiodeJaneiro
Image:DillerScofidio+Renfro

Mithun Sustainability
Treehouse Exhibit
Image: Joe Fletcher

for 2015
Another is Brooks + Scarpa; well-regarded as trailblazers in the sustainable design field, their Colorado Court
project in Santa Monica was the first Multifamily project in America to be LEED certified. The Solar Umbrella
House in California, — a now iconic design for the couple's family residence — was a “contemporary reinvention
of the solar canopy”, which used photovoltaic panels to provide 100% of the home’s energy. The comprehen-
sive design and careful environmental consideration behind the project, earned them their second AIA Top
Green Project award in 2006; just one of the design's many accreditations. This year they were awarded the
Smithsonian Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum Award, and continue their efforts towards sustainability
with The SIX — an affordable housing scheme for veterans in Los Angeles' MacArthur Park. Aiming to be 50%
more energy efficient than the conventionally designed structure, The SIX is projected to be finished next year.
Michael Loverich is a UCLA Masters graduate, who co-founded an experimental ’design farm‘, Bittertang,
with fellow architect Antonio Torres. Seeking to bring a sense of humour into the urban environment, their
work explores “biological matter, animal posturing, and babies all unified together”. Their inventive and
thought-provoking projects include a Captive Bird's Microcosm — a cage built from two interlocking ‘U’
shapes whose interior provides the habitat for the captive bird and exterior attracts wild birds —; Bucky Puff
— an adaptable inflatable structure —; and a house of wax for a designer's pop-up shop in New York. Before
setting up Bittertang, Loverich worked for firms Reiser + Umemoto and Snohetta.
Demonstrated by just these few, the industry is vibrating with dynamic and modern architects, ready to lead
the way in the sustainable revolution. With the rise in commissions, and the rapidity with which projects can
now be completed, thanks to hefty cash influxes and advanced technology; the global demand for architec-
ture — be it for cultural, residential or industrial purposes — shows no sign of slowing. To this end, factoring
in the strain on resources and limitations of space, it is crucial that architects continue to use lasting forms
of sustainable architecture, but implement them throughout the industry — as demonstrated by some of
the examples here. Thankfully, at an impressive rate, the sustainable movement looks to be becoming less
of an alternative, and more of an expectation. 

Interview
Redefining portraiture:
an interview with Ben Quilty
Ben Quilty in his studio
Photo: Andre de Borde
Your “Rorschach“ series forms a large part of the exhibition at Saatchi Gallery — what was your aim
with these?
It seemed like a natural progression from where I was at with my painting, which had become very ges-
tural and fast. For a visual language to be interesting it needs to develop; becoming more nuanced, more
in depth and more intelligent. The “Rorschach“ series started off as an experiment, but as as soon as I did
it, I knew there was a lot of potential in them as a visual language. The act of making literal childhood
Rorschach paintings — what we call a ‘squashie’ in Australia —, is innately child-like, yet there’s also
something very destructive about ruining something you’ve spent a lot of time working on. Especially
when they’re really big, you do expend a lot of energy and materials. You essentially destroy it, but ulti-
mately, to make something more beautiful.
The paintings are literally folded together, which in a sense makes them a monoprint — the original is
still there, just altered. It was only after I started using this simplistic method that I then looked deeper
into the meaning behind Rorschach tests and psychoanalysis; reflecting upon why I was doing this, and
how it would be read. They’ve been critiqued as my exploration of masculine identity; about glorifying
decline and accelerating destruction. To create a visual language, you have to understand how people
will perceive your statement. You have to be armed with the knowledge, in order to move forward.
Ben Quilty is an Australian painter whose gestural, often Abstract, and social-specific pieces have en-
thralled art lovers all over the southern hemisphere. His success at the Prudential Eye Awards — the prize’s
first edition — garnered him his first solo show at London’s Saatchi Gallery and further international ac-
claim. Currently in Paris, staying at Montmartre’s famed artist’s residence — Cité des Arts—, AMA went to
talk to Ben about how he hones his craft, investigates Australian identity and the state of portraiture today.
AMA Newsletter 164 19 7 August 2014

Interview
The original idea behind the ink blot tests was totally abstract: if you saw something in them, you were
showing signs of paranoid or delusional behaviour; which in a way is a very poetic and beautiful pun on
the audience, because you’re not really meant to see anything in them. So with these big landscapes,
and some of the works that are at Saatchi Gallery, they are very literal, and if you walk up close it’s just a
mess, but as you go further back it becomes quite obvious that it’s about something else.
Lucian Freud, whose style you’ve been associated with, was famed for taking a long time to complete
paintings – do you work in the same way?
No, the paintings are really fast. Everything is made in a day. There’s a lot more at stake when you work
that quickly, but often the mistakes — the gestural errors — are the exciting parts, if they can be used
for the benefit of the painting. And as well it’s just my personality; I’m impulsive, I never feel like I’ve got
a lot of time. I guess that’s why I make an effort to reinvent my own practice, because the worst thing
that could happen is that I become bored. Painting is like my church — the most spiritual place for me is
inside my studio so I intuitively protect and care for it. I focus on adapting my message — the dynamics
and theatrics of having an audience is really important for me; particularly coming from Australia, where
the whole art thing is quite contested. We’re so fanatical about being outside and playing sport that
aspects of the art world just aren’t really supported in Australia.Self Portrait Smashed
© Ben Quilty

Interview
What part does your Australian identity play in your work?
It seems like such an obvious thing that any creative person, particularly if they are Australian, would
question their own sense of identity. I have Irish blood; but I live in a country that calls itself an inde-
pendent nation of original people, which is so far from the truth. Most of the white people have Irish
roots, there’s a huge Asian population and we’ve settled on the land of people who have inhabited it for
40,000 years. In terms of human identity, it doesn’t get much more complex than that.
You’re the first Australian artist to host an exhibition at Saatchi Gallery, what does that mean to you?
Saatchi do their best to represent international artists, but yes, it’s a great honour. Prudential Eye Awards
is an amazing thing to be involved in, as it includes all of Asian art: Australian, New Zealand, Chinese,
Japanese, Russian, Korean — a huge swathe of the world that’s very underrepresented here in Europe.
Most of my exhibition history has been in Seoul, Korea, Singapore and Hong Kong. I’m now represented
by Pearl Lam, who has a gallery in Singapore. I think the award, if it’s done in the right way, will only
grow, especially if Saatchi stays involved. Prudential really supports representing Asian artists; the judg-
ing panel is formed of professionals from all over South East Asia, as well as Nigel Hurst, the director of
Saatchi.
In 2012 you were chosen as the official Australian War Artist for Afghanistan – how did this affect
your painting?
It was the first time I didn’t use humour in my work — I think most great art has a sense of humour; with
a full, independent language — but there was nothing funny about my time there. It was dark and I’m
still dealing with those people; making work with them and about them. The Vietnam War ended the
year before I was born, and as a nation, we grew up not knowing anything about those people, not talk-
ing to them about their experiences. They were this silent minority within the community. I’ve become
very interested in those men because, in a way, their reality could be the future of what’s happening to
these men now who are coming back from Afghanistan. Of course it has a lasting effect. It’s so outside
of your comfort zone it’s insane.
View of Ben Quilty's studio
Photo : Mim Stirling

Interview
A lot of your work is autobiographical and has been described to have an element of brutal masculin-
ity – can you tell us about this?
A lot of things that happen to young men in today’s societies go unquestioned, which is bizarre. I really
wanted to understand why men behave the way they do. Some women do the same thing, but my story
is about my own masculinity, and I’m intrigued by that. My work is autobiographical because I’m always
there. As long as you’ve got a mirror, you’ve always got a subject. It's funny; often people suggest that
there’s an inherent vanity in self-portraiture, but anyone who has spent an hour looking at themselves
in a mirror would know that there’s nothing vain about it. You become really, profoundly ugly. And you
start to grasp what humanity is about, by observing yourself that closely. In fact it’s the opposite of van-
ity; you can’t help but start to peel away the layers of pride, of all things that are associated with fashion.
I’m not trying to make ugly paintings about myself, it’s just coming back to a practice — like yoga, like
football — where if you do it enough, you build up a visual language and a conceptual framework in a
very organic way. And by having that subject there – yourself — it means you always have something to
make work about.
Your portraits of family and friends are quite menacing and distorted — why do you present them in
this way?
When I play with portraiture it’s in order to try and understand the psychology and emotions behind a
human being’s face, and in order to do that you have to play with the physicality, but you have to have
people trust you. If someone has a big ego then they’re generally not going to like the portrait that I
make of them; to enjoy them you have to be self-deprecating. My son Joey thinks it’s hilarious, my dad
loves them — it’s an extension of self-portraiture because they are part of who I am. I come from a close
family, where there’s always been a discourse around the dinner table about politics, society and the
environment; and that dialogue is part of a group of people, so my portraits of them are very directly
autobiographical.
Do you do anything to the canvas: cut it, carve into it?
With some of the big works, you can see I cut back a lot. There’s a sense you’re wrestling with the square
— it’s about breaking the rules about what you can do to that surface.
How do you view the stance of portraiture today?
In a sense I feel like portraiture is dying out — there seems to be a lack of inventiveness —, although
some prizes, like the Archibald Prize, show the strength of what’s happening in Australia at the moment.
Using materials to capture a likeness is an inherently human behaviour — it’s part of having a con-
science, looking at ourselves. I think it’s sad that some of the bigger contemporary artists aren’t pushing
the boundaries, because even though the word portraiture isn’t fashionable, it is an act of capturing an
essence of what it means to be human.
My landscapes are often about how the psychology of a place has been altered by humans. They all
have this physical beauty, but the human history is often very dark. Fairy Bower Rorschach (2012) depicts
the site of a very vicious massacre of aboriginals by two white Irishmen in 1834. In fact, the whole of
Australia is covered in these very brutal and sad histories and that’s why I make those big landscapes;
it is equally why I turn the mirror on myself — to look at my own European ancestry and what it means
in relation to the world. Often these arguments are very idealistic but I think it is necessary to look at
those things.
There’s a complex meaning behind anyone looking at themself; anywhere in the world, your history,
your ancestry — it’s the whole point of being alive. The history is an essential part of my practice.
Who do you include among your inspirations?
I saw Ukrainian photographer Boris Mikhaïlov’s show, about 12 years ago at Tate Modern and it had
this brutal honesty that really made me think. He received quite a lot of criticism saying he was taking
advantage of his subjects, because they’re really brazen images of real people in poverty in Ukraine. But
if you look at those photos in the context of the last few months, it’s such a cry for help. He inspired me
to make the work I felt I needed to make; rather than try and follow fashion.
It’s only with time that some are considered great artists — like Mikhaïlov —, where you can see that it
comes from a very heartfelt, powerful and socially important place. I’m driven by painting, but I look less
at other artists now. The world is such a massive, intricate place, with a lot of dark paths, but the experi-
ence of being alive makes me feel lucky to have this experience. Being alive is the biggest inspiration
of all really.

Interview
Investigating Acquavella:
an interviewwith Michael Findlay
Michael Findlay
Michael Findlay is one of the four directors at Acquavella Galleries, one of New York's best known and esta-
blished art galleries. Opened in 1921, the Galleries specialised in Italian Renaissance, before turning towards
Impression, Cubism and Surrealism; and today represent some of the most iconic names in art — Monet, Gia-
cometti, Miró, Braque, and Freud —, to name a few. Transferring his knowledge from Christie's auction house
to the world of dealing, AMA talked to Michael about making this career change, how Acquavella operates and
the Galleries' plans for the future.
You officially retired from Christie’s as Head of Impressionist and Modernist Paintings in 2000. Why did
Acquavella Galleries appeal to you?
It was while I was on a long-haul flight, reading through some material from human resources, that I
discovered you could retire at 55, which I didn’t really forget! I’m not someone that’s planned their
life; things just seem to happen at the right time, or at least this did.
I was with Christie's for about 15 years — it was an experience that broadened my outlook and
brought me in touch with artists and genres that I wouldn’t have necessarily have known anything
about as a dealer. But it is a very demanding, 24/7 kind of life, that doesn’t leave a lot of room for
much else. I was recently remarried, and although the gallery business is busy and exciting, it allows
one to have a reasonable personal life as well — which was what I was looking for.
I’ve known the Acquavella family for a very long time. When I came to New York aged 18, I was aware
of the gallery and knew the father of the current owner. My first job was at Richard Feigen's gallery
which is literally two blocks from where I’m sitting today, so in 50 years I’ve managed to come two
blocks! It’s a small world and I’ve been in it for a long time...
AMA Newsletter 162 19 24 July 2014

Interview
Where are the majority of Acquavella’s collectors buying from?
The majority from America, after that Europe, and then Asia. That’s a general comment, I don’t know
what people’s passports are — they may have homes in several places. Unlike auction houses we
don’t keep track!
Acquavella sells pieces by artists who are regularly present in auction houses – what kind of
relationship do you have with sellers like Christie's and Sotheby's?
The gallery has sold a great many Impressionist and 20th century works in its 90 years of existence
and many of them are bound to — during their lives as second hand paintings — go through auction.
A lot come back around to us as well.
One of the problems about having a media that looks at the obvious, is that they mostly take their
cues from auctions that represent less than half of the art market, it counts for something like 47%
of a global art market at any price level. So, there are great paintings and expensive paintings, and
paintings that aren’t so expensive or great, which are sold every day by galleries like ours.
How does the gallery obtain most of its works?
[laughs] Well, certain things have to remain secret! We still have some living artists, so we get our
works from them — James Rosenquest, Enoc Perez, Wayne Thiebaud, Nigel Boselo — and private
collectors who sell pieces with us, in the same way that auction houses get their works. Sellers they
have a choice of going with an auction house or privately; and I think it's about who you feel comfor-
table with, who you have a good track record with; and it's whether you want to something in public,
or more privately.
In your opinion, what is the gallery's strength?
As a family business with a 90-year history Acquavella incorporates an unrivalled experience and
expertise in the fields of Impressionist and Twentieth Century art and sources great works of art
from long-time private clients in the U.S. and Europe. Moving forward with the third generation into
contemporary art, we can offer our international clients top quality works by Monet and Degas, Pi-
casso and Matisse, Warhol, Lichtenstein and Freud, as well as the living artists we represent. Another
strength has to be our team: in addition to the four members of the Acquavella family; there are four
directors — two European-born, one Japanese and one Chinese —, so our backgrounds are very
diverse.
Acquavella Galleries began specialising in Renaissance painting – how has its taste developed
since then?
Shortly after William Acquavella started working with his father Nicholas, the founder, in the early
1960s, the focus shifted from Old Masters works to Impressionist, post-Impressionist and Modern.
Over thirty years ago the gallery was devoting exhibitions to artists such as Anthony Caro and Robert
Rauschenberg, while more recently we have invited guest curators like Dieter Buchhart, Judith Gold-
man and Vito Schnabel to work with us on high-profile exhibitions — designed just as much for the
general public as for our collecting clients.
In your career, you've worked predominantly with more traditional media — painting and sculp-
ture. How do you feel about performance art and other experimental practices?
Personally I do not believe that what is traditionally conceived as "fine art" should simply mean
painting, drawing and sculpture.
Since the 1960s I have attended and sometimes participated in many performance events by
pioneers of the unconventional, like Ray Johnson. In my book, The Value of Art, I describe a fire event
by John Van Saun that I “produced” in SoHo in 1969.

Interview
Acquavella host four to five exhibitions per year: what are your criteria?
Other than shows by the artists we represent, we seek to innovate either by showing the work of
artists we think deserve attention (Manolo Millares, Zeng Fanzhi, Miguel Barceló, Fausto Melotti) or
by way of exhibitions that illuminate and educate by examining groups of works that have significant
affinities, such as “Robert and Ethel Scull: Portrait of a Collection” and “The Pop Object—The Still life
Tradition in Pop Art”.
Some of these exhibitions are loans from museums and private collections, and many works may not
be for sale.
With the current trend for relocation and expansion among galleries and museums, do you see
Acquavella staying in the same place?
I know of just a handful of galleries today following what one might call the Marlborough Gallery
model of satellites, but this seems to be very much the exception, rather than the rule. For almost 50
years we have had generous space in a high-traffic area, close to major museums and this continues
to serve us well.
Obviously, I can't rule out any kind of future expansion but where we are and how we are seems to
be working, for us.
What are Acquavella's plans going
forward?
Helping serious collectors build
great private collections takes
time and patience. This is our core
business and although our clients'
tastes may develop and change, we
will continue to work hard to find
top quality works for them, whether
they are putting together Impres-
sionist or Minimalist collections.
We also get new clients through
our reputation and friendships with
existing clients, as well as the art
fairs that we participate in — Frieze
Masters, ArtBasel, ArtBasel Miami,
ArtBasel Hong Kong and our do-
mestic Art Dealer’s of America art
fair in New York City.
We want to continue to offer ex-
citing and unusual exhibitions to
the public such as our most recent,
“Jean-Michel Basquiat Drawing -
From the Schorr Family Collection”
— which was a loan exhibition of
extremely high quality works still
owned by the artist’s first private
patrons.

Interview
Supersizing public art:
an interview with Florentijn Hofman
HippopoThames
Florentijn Hofman
In situ at Nine Elms on
the South Bank
credit : Steve Stills
How would describe your artistic mission?
That's a hard one to start with! I think firstly, I want to show people beautiful things; in shape, in
construction, quantity of work, labour intensity; and secondly to let people see things in a fresh
perspective in their own public domain — their world. Within this concept you have people meeting at
the feet of one of my pieces; they are part of the installation, and I like to encourage them to commu-
nicate. Not only about the work itself, but how they are part of the work and why they're intrigued by it.
What role do animals play in your pieces and how do you transform them into public art?
There are only two works that are really inspired by animals — Musk Rat and Partyaardvark. Most
of my others are inspired by objects found at flea markets, ceramics from second hand shops, or
mass-produced toys which are produced in China or Asia. These objects are so present in our col-
lective minds that they bring back many memories for people. They are beautiful in that sense, and
I chose them because of this fact.
Florentjn Hofman has made his name building his colossal creations onto public landscapes all
over the world. His best-known work, Rubber Duck (2007), has traversed the globe — from Auckland
and São Paulo to Osaka; provoking viewers around the world to look at their surroundings in a
different light. Shortly before his latest installation, Hippopothames, was unveiled to the crowds of
London for Totally Thames festival, AMA spoke to the Dutch artist about this new piece, how he uses
memory and size to level the viewer, and the specific 'cocktail' that builds his work.

Interview
I try to capture that essence, while enlarging them and giving them a new skin, so that the beauty
of the object comes out in a totally different way — you might not even recognise it from what you
have seen before. These aesthetics are also what I love about working in a public space; I believe
that this domain has the right to play the role of a museum or gallery. It's a world where people
cross stories, cross lives; and whilst people come together, there are also collisions. This perception
of public space — be it sculpture or painting — should be as connected as possible to a simple
aesthetic, so that it is easy to grasp from the first glance.
There are layers in all of the works. They are made on site-specific locations for a reason; because
of history, or social demographics. I choose where the works go for a reason, but I believe that this
should be the third layer, and not the second or the first. People don't need this cultural baggage.
The guy who works at the gym, or the politician, or the banker, or the policeman; they are able to
level with each other at the same time, and then the art comes in. There are no rules or formula to
describe the way in which we relate to art.
There's a cocktail mix for every new work I make, every one with new ingredients. There's the base,
which is my view on the world, the things I've found out in my studies; and then there's the scale of
the pieces — against their size, everyone is rendered equal. There are no egos in public art, because
everyone is small compared to my work! So you have to readdress your attitude and be playful
again, return to a child's level. And people enjoy communicating this once they've found that the
perspective has changed. I'm not necessarily trying to take people back to childhood; more to stop
people feeling ignorant around art. And to be amazed! I want the piece to align with your daily life,
but also change it.
Colour plays a large part in your work — what kind of dimension does that give your projects?
In the beginning it was very much a practical thing. I find it gives the eye a sense of ease and
quietness for people that work in cities with lots of lights and signs. The work needs a simple aes-
thetic, and within this it creates its own space — which is necessary because you'll end up shouting
within your own work.
Signpost 5
Credit : Ilja Zonneveld

Interview
How big is your construction team and how long on average do the works take to complete?
Right now, we're working in London and Taiwan and each construction team is around seven people.
But then when you factor in port authority and transport, projects naturally augment while they're
unfolding, sometimes including up 20 people or more. Often it can be just one or two people. As for
the length of time, it varies sculpture to sculpture. From a week to three months.
Once you have an idea, can you explain the process from seed to fruition?
The projects quickly turn from a creative moment to a practical one; like I said, it's a cocktail. Within
the research phase we would have already made material investigation, so that brings you directly
to constructors or metal workers, to see if it will be feasible; and if not, the concept changes. But I
have this problem less and less. The budgets are getting bigger; but that is because I've proven my
work; or rather, the work has proven itself!
Can you explain the funding process?
The commissioner is totally responsible for the funding. All my pieces, bar a few projects, have been
commissioned. How they get their funding is not my role; which, as you can imagine, gives me a lot
of breathing space — to not have to deal with the technical issues like paperwork or licencing. I like
the commissioner to be involved for both practical and social reasons. In the past, patrons gave the
money and then handed back all the problems to the artist — I think this is really old fashioned. I
believe they should be really involved and attached to the project. So by creating this responsibility
you end up working together, which is a far healthier way of having a commissioner. He adopts it
and breathes it, as I would.
Stor Gul Kanin/
Big Yellow Rabbit
Credit : Lasse Person

Interview
What role does art education plays in your creations?
A very big one. We get a lot of emails from students who are writing papers on my projects and we
always reply. But education is about using your eye — to have this magic moment where you've
been inspired at the feet of my work. I always say that if I can get close to the greatest artwork that
there is in the world — the four seasons — then I'd be happy. As humans, the changing seasons are
very influential, and if I can highlight but a fraction of this power, then that in a sense, is an educa-
tion. To give people another view of their daily subjects, routines etc. Likewise I want to show the
labour behind my work, as they're very intensive and demand methodical practice. With The Giant of
Vlaardingen, I must have screwed on about 70,000 screws! And that's what I love about repetition,
it really allows you to get inside the skin of a project — you get so involved in the process that it
gives you a freedom. It is also a trick I use to inspire people: so that perhaps they go home with the
feeling that no mountain is too high if you want to reach it.
Courtesy of Studio
Florentijn Hofman

Interview
Can you tell us about your installation for Totally Thames?
Totally Thames asked me to go to a site visit last October to Nine Elms on the Southbank, where they
showed me the foreshore. Every 12 hours the Thames dries up and for four hours you can walk on
the foreshore, which is amazing — to be able to walk on the bottom of a river and have a new pers-
pective of your city. You can find archaeology, toys, bikes, rubbish; I love to search for these found
objects. Totally Thames is about the river, but I didn't want to do a Rubber Duck — not that they
asked for one. If you can imagine having to do a follow up to that and in London as well! This is my
first UK commission, so I was thrilled and honoured but very aware that whatever I made had to be
spot on. But every work has the same pressure and I think an artist has to embrace that uncertainty.
So I came up with a hippo: the work is called Hippopothames.
I saw an illustration of a hippo in one of my daughter's books, just before I left for the site visit, and I
took it with me. I already knew it would be a hippo at that point! It is a beautiful wooden construction;
using long, thin pieces. The problem with the Thames is that I couldn't make a tall sculpture because
of the restriction of the bridges — the lowest is six metres high —, so I had to create an object that
was greater in length than in height. There's a sense that the hippo is swimming; the most important
parts are on the surface of the water. I painted on very brightly coloured eyes and ears — so there's a
toy-ish element to it —, and the rest is natural wood. The piece is 24 metres in length. It launches on 2
September and it will have a two-and-a-half hour journey from east to west, to its home in Nine Elms.
Despite the installation being in water, I've
created an installation that people could par-
ticipate in; there's a staircase so they can walk
down onto the Foreshore and try to touch the
Hippopothames. It will be a bit strange to see
people 'moon-walking' on this space! I really
wanted to encourage people making the most
of this part of the city.
Most of your pieces are temporary: what hap-
pens to them afterwards?
Well with Macaco Gordo (Fat Monkey) in São
Paulo we recycled the flipflops that it was made
out of to the audience and they were really
happy with that. People had fun finding a left
to match the right! Also in Signpost 5, the three
wooden pianos on Schiermonnikoog island, in
the Netherlands, we gave all the wood to the
farmers. To islanders, wood is like gold. So, of
course, I'm very aware of the responsibility that
comes with each installation.
Anything else coming up in the future?
I'm working in Taiwan on a piece called Moon
Rabbit, and together with the audience I will
open it on the night of 7 September, and we
will all lie next to the rabbit and look at the
moon. I'm also working on several commissions
that I can't talk about yet. Also we've just mo-
ved house, and we're in the process of setting
up the new studio. And besides that, I'm also a
father of four children so I'm kept very busy! 
credit : Alexey Snetkov

Interview
The art of editions:
an interview with Alan Cristea
Installation view
Michael Craig-Martin Objects
of our Time, 2012.
Image courtesy Alan Cristea
Gallery, London.
Photo Peter White
Can you present the gallery to us?
For as long as I've been doing this, the core business has been publishing original prints by living
artists. I work with between 30-40 different artists, underwriting all sorts of projects that they want
to do — etchings, lithography, screenprints, computers, LCDs — basically anything that’s in edition
form. Sometimes we showcase an artist's unique work — as I get older I’m more likely to branch out
into other things!
For instance in December we’re presenting the artist Mark Neville, who currently has a show on at the
Imperial War Museum, and previously we did an exhibition called "Conflicted Memory" which concen-
trated on much younger artists working on political themes, and we’re planning a similar show in a
couple of years' time called "Protest". A few years ago I went to see the ceramicist Edmund de Waal
because I liked his work — we did two exhibitions with him and that relationship still continues.
So, whereas the prints and working with living artists are the core business, I do wander off into diffe-
rent territory, without in any way cutting back on the fundamentals. We still publish a huge amount of
editions every year — which is what I wanted to do ever since I was a student, because I liked the idea
of papering the world with original prints.
As the largest publisher of contemporary prints and editions in Europe, the Alan Cristea Gallery in Lon-
don has thrived with the eponymous founder's 40 years of industry expertise. Comprised of two spaces
— 31 and 34 Cork Street — the gallery represents international artists including Howard Hodgkin, David
Hockney, Bridget Riley and Ian Davenport, to name a few. AMA chatted to Alan Cristea to find out more.

Interview
How does working in editions affect your audience?
I attract a much wider audience than galleries normally would do; particularly as our price range tends
to be lower. Certain prints can be over £100,000, but generally we’re selling things from anything
between £500 and £20,000. Equally I never want to be seen as exclusive. We’re not the kind of gallery
where all of the works are reserved for museums — that’s the antithesis of what I do. So, in an elitist
world, I’m rather anti-elitist.
When I first started in the 60s, there was a very different atmosphere — and I know people can
overgeneralise about these things —, it just seemed like there were more opportunities for more
people. In art today, I find there’s a tendency for people to want things that no one else has. But des-
pite that, I’m still here, so something must be working!
How does your acquiring and curation process differ from a conventional gallery?
Well if you think of an art dealer as someone who buys work at one price and sells it at another, I’m not
really in that category. I do deal in wonderful prints from the past 100 years — Matisse, Picasso, Miró —
in order to subsidise our publishing. It’s more a making process because I’m the catalyst for the produc-
tion of new work. If you’re working on artists' projects all the time, that requires an enormous amount
of research, development and funding — because obviously, you’re spending a lot of money upfront
before you know exactly what you’re going to get. People tend to forget, but if you’re making editions of
prints, there can be hundreds of thousands of pounds out at any one time on production costs.
Often, when you have an ongoing dia-
logue with somebody, the ideas – to a
certain extent – come from both sides,
but I wouldn’t want to exaggerate that
because really all the ideas are the ar-
tists’. They might have ideas but they
might not know how to put them into
practice, so I can facilitate that.
What’s coming up for the gallery?
In September we’re hosting a Jim Dine
exhibition, who is an artist I’ve worked
with for the best part of 35 years and
he is one of the greatest print makers
of the last 100 years, who covers just
about every conceivable medium.
There are going to be two exhibitions,
one in each of our galleries. One is his
new series of prints called the "Histo-
ry of Communism, a series of 45 litho-
graphs; and the other gallery will be
more of a historical survey of prints
that he’s made during his lifetime. It's
going to be announced shortly that
he’s going to give a gift of 150-160
prints to The British Museum — which
will coincide with the exhibition that
we’re doing. I’m working closely with
the Museum on that, because slight-
ly embarrassingly Jim has decided to
make the gift on the condition that its
called "A Gift to the British Museum in
Honour of Alan Cristea", which is very
sweet of him, and very flattering.

Interview
After that we’ve got Howard Hodgkin, "Green Thoughts" which will also be displayed across both galle-
ries, and that represents a whole new body of work.
Do you have quite a personal relationship with your artists?
It has to be personal because we are communicating day-in, day-out. There have been a few occa-
sions where I’ve wanted to work with an artist but we didn’t get on. It’s simply not worth working with
someone if something doesn’t feel right.
Can you explain your representation process?
Well it's twofold really. If you take Richard Hamilton for example, I worked with him for almost 40 years.
When he died in September 2011, I was very involved in the preparation of the exhibitions at the Natio-
nal Gallery and Tate and I distribute existing prints in order to bring income to the estate. Worldwide, we
also represent the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation, Naum Gabo, and Tom Wesselmann.
I also had a relationship with Lichtenstein, albeit under a different aegis, because I ran the print side of
Waddington Galleries for over 20 years, and during that time I worked directly with him on a series of
prints. I don’t have any affiliation with his estate, so in that way I’m in exactly the same position as eve-
ryone else, in as much as I buy and sell Lichtenstein prints when I find them at the right price.
With deceased artists that I haven't had a relationship with, I put on exhibitions of their work in what I
hope is a concentrated and intelligent way. But that isn’t the same as having a relationship with a living
Installation view
Michael Craig-Martin Drawings
1967 - 2002, 2011.
Gallery, London.
Photo Peter White

Interview
artist or someone’s estate; it doesn’t have the same degree of responsibility.
Do you take risks when it comes to selecting your artists?
Yes, for instance the exhibition I discussed earlier called "Conflicted Memory" was mostly artists that
nobody had ever heard of. It was commercially indulgent, because I knew I couldn’t possibly make any
money out of it, but it was really enjoyable to do. And occasionally I will see an artist at a student show
and I begin to work them. Our age range is really broad, it spans 20s through to 80s.
What’s your take on the online market?
For us, the Internet is an unbelievably useful tool in the promotion and illustration of our editions.
There are various companies who have tried to sell only online, and being of an older generation I
am skeptical about that, because even though the prices are lower, we’re still talking about works
of art. I’ve this old fashioned idea that people should physically see what they are buying — it’s an
essential part of the process. I suppose it’s slightly more possible with prints than with paintings,
but I find the whole idea quite strange.
How do you view the market for contemporary art?
I find it difficult to generalise about this, but judging by my recent experiences, every time we do an art
fair in America it seems that the market is very buoyant. But it can be very deceptive: it's always the soa-
ringly high prices or the disastrously low ones that grab the headlines, and I think in terms of pricing, the
art world is far less extreme than it would appear to be. And obviously, every time we do a new edition
of works, I have to set the prices. Granted, it's always nice when some of those prices are bettered when
the work comes back on the secondary market but my real interest is in the art and its promotion on be-
half of the gallery. I never think of the art as a commodity, it’s a creative act. That sounds a bit pompous
but it’s pompously true!
You attended Art Basel this year – what did you get out of the experience?
It was bloody awful! It’s been a year of extremes, as one or two of the art fairs we’ve done have been
really successful, Art Basel just wasn’t. Chiefly because they moved the whole of the editions section to
a new area of the fair, and the space was more restricted, which was very frustrating because a lot of the
artists I’m working with are doing large-scale prints. So it was galling for me because even though there
was the physical space to hang them, there weren't the sightlines from which to view them. I first did
Art Basel in 1973, and I’ve been every year since. Lots of people pretend that they’ve done extremely
well, we didn’t. Every dealer goes to a fair hoping that they're going to sell a lot of work, but often it’s not
necessarily the branded fairs at which one does best, although they do bring kudos.
Any plans for expansion?
While I've always wanted the space to meet the requirements of the artists, I’ve never wanted to open
up internationally because the moment you do that, the ethos and philosophy of the gallery become
lost. And also I never wanted to run a big business — I wanted to run a business where I knew everybody
and where there was a good feeling, where I hope that people enjoy coming to work. I want to make the
gallery really personal; I don’t really want to empire-build, I just want to do the job as well as I can, and
I want it to be containable. Small and efficient. 
Installation view,
Howard Hodgkin Acquainted
with the Night, 2012.
Gallery, London.
Photo Peter White

The new heights of photography:
drones for better or worse
Top stories
page 5
Museums
page 7
Galleries
page 11
Artists
page 14
Interview
Betweencreationanddestruction
withAmélieChabannes
page 16
Data
Sophie Calle
page 21
Auctions
page 26
Interview
A pan-African focused fair :
Silvia Pillon, curator of FNB
Joburg Art Fair
page 27
Fairs & festivals
page 30
Interview
The international art conference:
an interview with the founders
of ARTFI
page 32
From the once humble occupation of a photographer and their camera, pho-
tography today is reaching much greater heights. Drone photography, where
artists use drones installed with cameras to capture an expansive view of the
ground below, is currently dominating the art scene. From aerial views of Mar-
tha Stewart’s 3,000-square-metre estate, to live videos of fireworks and the
plummeting Niagara Falls, the use of drones in both videography and photo-
graphy is fast becoming its own genre. However, the equipment used for this
kind of photography makes us consider the original purpose of the drone as
an instrument of warfare. Equally it makes us re-evaluate the role of the pho-
tographer — how it is changed, extended or even compromised. Capturing
images up to 150 metres in the air, the relationship between photographer
and subject is undoubtedly altered — an unaware participant. While the mar-
ket is teeming with enthusiasts, the rise of drone photography highlights an
unsettling relationship between the symbol of the drone and how media is
used to document surveillance. To what extent does drone art cross the boun-
dary between photography and an invasion of privacy?
Drone Shadow 003, Brighton,
2013 by Jamie Bridle
Photo Credit: Roberta Mataityte
/ Lighthouse
AMA NEWSLETTER
16621 August 2014

Drones and the FAA
Drone photography has developed largely due to its wider availability. Today on Amazon.co.uk you
can buy a ready-to-use camera drone from as little as £24.99, with higher-end models reaching £785;
namely the DJ Phantom 2 model, the same that was used to film the fireworks on West Palm Beach.
The relative ease with which they can be set up is prompting more and more amateurs to try out the
technology for themselves. Classed as an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) by the Federal Aviation Ad-
ministration (FAA), the legalities regarding the use of drones for photography remains murky. According
to current guidelines, they can be used for personal intent but are prohibited commercially, although
what exactly constitutes the term 'commercial' is up for debate. For instance, several American real
estate agents are currently under investigation by the authorities for using the drones to enhance
the sales of their properties. Their increased use at weddings is also causing controversy. Democratic
congressman Sean Patrick Maloney, who sits on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Aviation
Subcommittee, recently came under scrutiny by the opposition for using a drone to film his June wed-
ding; in a possible violation of the FAA's ruling. As reported by The New York Times, Huma Abedin, an
aide to Hilary Clinton, was heard to say; "That thing is going to kill somebody."
However, until the FAA can negotiate more stringent laws on the use of drones for commercial profit,
the boundary between private and public continues to be blurred.
Blue Sky Days
Tomas van Houtryve

An evolving breed
In spite of legislation for and against the genre, drone photography continues to prosper, with the first
international award — Dronestagr.am Photo Contest — launched this year. With 15,000 entries sub-
mitted, it seems the market is ripe with young drone photographers. When asked about the evolution
of this genre, Dronestagr.am founder Éric Dupin explained to AMA, that it, "represents an intermediary
layer. It is a new photographic language and a new way of discovering [..] landscapes that we know, or
that we thought we knew. No other device is able to take such pictures." The winning entry was a view
of Bali Barat National Park in Indonesia, with a spectacularly timed eagle, scouring the ground below;
proving that drones really do offer a bird's eye view of the world. Éric Dupin plans another prize for
2015, aiming to promote the growth of drone art for photographers of all levels. Subjects are global
and diverse, from husband-and-wife team Terry and Belinda Kilby who have compiled images of their
hometown in the book Drone Art: Baltimore; to Rus Turner's sweeping views of the English countryside.
Instruments of warfare
While the artwork is indeed impressive and opens a view to unimaginable sites, other photographers
are choosing to follow a different path, investigating what the device represents in our political cli-
mate. Various projects have been carried out using the accessibility of drones to document their effect
in areas of conflict.
The use of drones dates back to the First World War, where pilotless aircrafts would be installed with
a bomb, set to a preprogrammed trajectory and deployed upon reaching their target. In more recent
times, the use of drones in the Palestinian and Israeli conflict, and beyond, has seen an upsurge in the
number of anti-drone protests, increasingly invading the art world in a very raw and confrontational
way; either using photography to depict a sense of surveillance, or directly confronting the issues sur-
rounding the use of drones in warfare.
Writer and artist Jamie Bridle launched Dronestagram in 2012. Differing from Dronestagr.am, Drones-
tagram is an Instagram account that takes images from Google Maps Satellite, including Palestine, Ye-
men and Somalia, thereby documenting areas targeted by drones. In another project, "Drone Shadows",
he drew life-size silhouettes of drones on the ground in London and Istanbul. Speaking to AMA, Jamie
Bridle explained that the project, “draw[s] associations between the civilian, 'social' uses of technology
and the military, often covert, uses of technology, to explore the ways in which technology drives poli-
tical and social processes. Whilst often awe-inspiring, the increased pervasiveness of aerial photogra-
phy and digital mapping also serves to normalise a militarised top-down view of the world, allowing us
to become accustomised to seeing it from the gods-eye view of the military planner, obscuring political
realities on the ground." Through both projects Bridle aims to highlight the military use of drones to
send a message on today's Big Brother state, rather than through photographic art.
A surveillance state
Photojournalist Tomas van Houtryve aims to bridge the two concepts: his series Blue Sky Days — re-
cently on the cover of The Sunday Telegraph Seven Magazine — offers a drone’s-eye-view of the United
States and features pictures of children playing, weddings, mass yoga lessons in parks; all oblivious to
his presence. In conversation with AMA, we asked him how the drone alters his role as a photographer:
"You get new perspectives, but there’s a cost […], in that you put a lot more distance in between you
and your subject. Normally subjects can tell when you’re photographing them […], but with the drone
you can sneak up on people or places, unexpectedly, hop over fences, behind factory walls, and all of
a sudden you have the upper hand on controlling what is seen."
About AMA
Art Media Agency (AMA) is a news agency
specialised in the art market. If you would
like to send us press releases, please do so
at dropbox@artmediaagency.com.
The agency produces more than one hun-
dred fifty articles per week, all purely textu-
al focusing on art news and current events.
AMA covers all international markets.
Licences
AMA propose operating licences that allow
one to receive thorough and up-to-date
news on the art market, but also to reuse
the provided content.
If you are interested, please to not hesitate
to contact us at info@artmediaagency.com
to find out more about our licences and
content.
Advertising
To advertise in AMA’s Professional Newslet-
ter, please contact our advertising agency:
Art Régie by email info@artregie.com or
telephone at +33 (0) 1 75 43 67 20.
For partnership requests, please write to
info@artmediaagency.com.

Annecy
Drone-cs
An eery sense of surveillance exudes from his black and white photographs; he chooses settings re-
miniscent of the targets pinpointed by drones in Palestine and Israel. As explained by van Houtryve:
"there’s dual tracks of how we’re seeing one with an artistic or ethical or journalistic conscience behind
the camera and then there’s a whole, wide and expanding genre where images are just used to track
and target and record, and for aerial photography, the drone is the symbol that takes it out of the hands
of the photographer and puts the camera to darker and less artistic uses."
Likewise, other artists use the concept of the drone to portray their thoughts on the war on terror. Ins-
pired by French street photographer JR, #NotABugSplat is a collective project, made in collaboration
with the Foundation for Fundamental Rights (FFR). Installing a giant portrait of a child's face in the
Khyber Pukhtoonkhwa region of Pakistan, where drone attacks are frequent, the project takes its name
from the military slang 'bug splat' — a term used by drone operators to denote kills. Although name-
less, according to the FFR, the child featured lost both her parents and two siblings in a drone attack.
Created with help from local communities, the aim of #NotABugSplat is to "create empathy and intros-
pection amongst drone operators, and will create dialogue amongst policy makers, eventually leading
to decisions that will save innocent lives."
While the ascent of the drone and its technology looks like it is here to stay as a photographic medium,
it is hard to detach oneself from the story which inspired Tomas van Houtryve's Blue Sky Days, calling
into question our justification of the practice as an artistic genre. In October 2012, a 67-year-old wo-
man was struck down by a drone while picking okra in her garden in north-eastern Pakistan. During
an investigation into the incident the following year, the woman's grandson, Zubair Rehman, told US
officials: "I no longer love blue skies [..]. In fact, I now prefer grey skies. The drones do not fly when the
skies are grey." 

Interview
The social gallery gathering:
an interview with Sabina Andron of I Know What I Like
Courtesy of I Know What I LikeHow did the company begin?
It was originally conceived as a book club, something João did with his friends, where they'd read
art books and then get together and talk about them. It grew from there really; they got more
members and started art debates. They would get together once a month and every member would
have to present a small talk about their favourite artist. I lived in Manchester before I moved to Lon-
don and that was how I got involved in the group. That's where things started growing and changing.
Can you present the concept to us?
I would say we are art facilitators, which is a term I like because it encompasses many of the things
that we do. I'm very interested in the educational side, because I think that people should be ex-
posed to art in all its different environments; that's why we do visits to galleries, street art walks and
studio visits. Allowing people to express their opinions is a large part of the group's mission, which is
why it's called I Know What I Like. I want to get people to be able to say just that; to have an argument
for it. Often people tend to shy away from expressing their opinions about art and in fear of thinking
they'll say something clumsy, they don't say anything. So I wanted to get people over that.
I Know What I Like is an organisation which offers free social events for art lovers. Hosting gallery
tours, art walks and artists' talks across the London art scene, it aims to open up a discussion about
art on a social level. Founded by João Correia, an art consultant based in São Paulo; the organisa-
tion is run from London by Sabina Andron, a PhD researcher at the Bartlett School of Architecture,
University College London. I Know What I Like has just reached 200 events, and in October they
plan their first Group Show — 3 to 9 October 2014 — featuring artists from their membership. AMA
spoke to Sabina to talk about the organisation's beginnings and its alternative gallery experience.

Interview
Then there's also the side which allows people to present their art, so that's really where the term
‘art facilitator’ comes in, because we want to facilitate art access from all sides. Our aim is to help
the artists in our group have a platform on which to show their work, and make it visible.
WhichaspectsofIKnowWhatILikemakeitdifferentfromatraditionalmuseum/gallerytourorworkshop?
First of all, I would say our range of facilities is something that makes us stand out, because we do
tend to go to very different galleries. We're interested in the West End galleries but then we also go
to smaller galleries in the East. We do street art and graffiti walks, which I think is my personal input
as I'm doing a PhD on that subject, so that feeds into the activity of the group. It is also the fact that
we encourage people to talk; I want the members to talk more than I do, or more than a gallery tour
guide would. The format is more that of a seminar, and therefore the atmosphere is quite casual and
engaging, as opposed to going to a gallery and being talked at.
What kind of topics are up for discussion?
This depends a lot on the kind of show we're visiting; I normally ask the gallery if they want to give us a
brief introduction of the exhibition. I select these exhibitions with a variety of topics in mind, and their
relevance in terms of exposing the group to different styles of art, so I'm quite particular about what I
present to the group. If the gallery owner is willing, then we will start with them giving us a presentation;
and if not, I will do some research in advance and explain to the group what it is that we're seeing, and
then we'll try and make sense of it together! One of the fun things we do is try to guess how much the
art is worth before they see the price list. We often reach very different conclusions!
Are your members quite varied in terms of their art knowledge?
Some of them are bankers, professionally non-creative types; and then we will have artists or desi-
gners, so it's interesting to see the dialogue that is generated out of this mix. There are different things
that attract people to the group; some join because they're interested in having a social after-work ac-
tivity, and they want it to be something completely different from their daily routine; and then others
see it more as networking and are interested in meeting other artists and forming connections. So I
trying to consider each of these categories and make it worth everyone's time!
Sabina Andron
Photo: Sonia Sanchez

Courtesy of I Know What I Like

Interview
How do you choose which galleries or artists to focus on?
It depends on several things: firstly on the time I have, as documenting and putting everything
online does take quite a bit of time. I have a few favourite galleries that I keep an eye on; we don't
do big galleries like Tate or Saatchi, because I think its important to keep the group experience and
when you go to a big gallery people have their own rhythms and they get lost! So we tend to stick to
smaller ones. We also attend a few opening nights, but not too many because it's more about socia-
lising and there's not much art involved! When I am really interested in an exhibition I'll schedule a
visit by myself and have a thorough look. I try to balance north and south of the river; and look at up
and coming art. These are the priorities but I don't have fixed rules. We'll post reviews of the events
online — my members are quite frank if they don't like what they see!
What is your capacity for each event?
There are occasions where I limit the amount; sometimes the galleries ask us to do that, or if it's a
private event. But in principal I try to leave it open. For each event we get an average of 8-10 people,
with a maximum of 30; which gets a little difficult as I like to get to know each of them, and put them
in contact with each other if there's something that they have a particular interest in.
October marks your first Group Show — can you tell us about that?
The Group Show has been in the pipeline for a while now; there were so many artists in the group whose
work I started learning about, and I wanted to do something for them; seeing so many shows, so many
galleries, it gave us a pretty good insight into where and how we could do this. It's the first time I have
organised something like this, in terms of curation, but I'm really happy with how it has turned out. I put
out an open call to ask for artists to send examples and a description of their work; I got quite a few
entries, which was great. I've decided to host the event in a gallery in Old Street called Curious Duke; a
space run by Eleni Duke, who I met through repeated group visits, decided that she wanted to support
the project. The group show will be with 15 artists that I chose from the submissions, featuring 2D work
— paintings, collages, photography, mixed media, but no sculpture. There's no theme to the show; I did
that purposely because I want the work to be eclectic and to respond to different interests. It's a good
mix, and I think we're finally ready! It's opening on 2 October and will run until 9 October.
Will this art be available to buy?
Yes it will. It's in the range of affordable art, so prices so far are between £70 and £3,500. Most of them
are originals, we have a few limited edition prints, but I was keen to not do a print show. I do plan to
have some events while the exhibition is happening; some of the artists will be around, either for the
opening night or over the course of the week. I can't specify exactly right now, we're still finalising.
GivenyourPhDandthegenreofartthatyouworkwith,howdoyouviewtheLondonurbanartscenetoday?
In terms of street art and graffiti which is made on the street, I think its been evolving in quite a particular
way, in that there are an increasing number of commissions and murals that get put up, which makes eve-
rything bigger, more attractive in a way, and it gives the artist plenty of time to create the work. People can
watch the process, photograph them; everything is done in broad daylight. So it's quite different from the
subversive, illegal aspect we're used to. But in terms of artistic value, I think we need to be challenged a lot
more by street artists and because of this, I think the whole street art genre bubble is about to burst, be-
cause it has to innovate. I don't think it is coming to an end as a cultural phenomenon — people will keep
painting on the street — but in terms of artistic value, I don't think it will last for much longer as an aesthe-
tic movement. Especially when it comes off the street, onto a canvas and into a museum. There are a lot of
people, mostly old-school graffiti writers, who are dissatisfied with this evolution. It's a complicated topic!
I Know What I Like is helping to organise a three-day conference in December called Graffiti Ses-
sions, which will address these issues. It's a collaboration between UCL, Central Saint Martins, Glo-
bal Street Art and the Southbank Centre and will bring together artists, academics, photographers
and amateurs around one table and try to figure some of these questions out!
What are I Know What I Like's plans for the future?
I want to start focusing on exhibiting artists more than I have been, starting with the group show in Octo-
ber, which I hope will be the first of many. The events side will keep going as they are, because this is really
popular, and I'm interested in the social aspect. I'm doing my PhD alongside, so there's a lot to juggle, but
hopefully once I finish I will be able to invest in this full time and take it far. 

Interview
The Value of Art:
an interview with Michael Findlay
Michael FindlayYour book is about the commercial value of art but also installs an understanding of its social
worth — was this your intention?
Well, I think that one of the revealing things to me now is how people get a different sense of it. I just
spent a week as a dealer at Art Basel and people would come up to me and tell me they'd read my
book. Each person might say something different, depending on their personal focus: "It’s all about
how you price paintings"; "it’s about art world gossip"; or "how people show off by buying art." I sup-
pose it includes all of these! I think that the reason it initially got published was because it led off
with a discussion about money, because when it comes to art, money seems to be the easiest subject
to write about and unfortunately it is also the easiest subject for people to absorb.
Michael Findlay’s curriculum vitae is as high calibre as the works of art he has sold over the decades.
Starting out at the Richard Feigen Gallery in New York aged 18, his keen eye and love of art has
seen him meet some of the industry’s greatest names, and work at institutions including Christie’s
and Acquavella Galleries, where he is currently a Director. His book The Value of Art displays his
knowledgeable and enigmatic view on the art world, and gives insight into the nature of collecting,
and art's social value. In an interview with AMA, Michael speaks about "blockbuster" exhibitions,
the art market and art for art’s sake.


Interview
The Value of Art:
This is one of the problems I have with the culture that we live in: in the book I try to balance the
pendulum with discussions of intrinsic value and social value. Firstly, a lot of collectors and let’s say
'civilians' — who go to look at art in museums, but who would never buy it —, are not obsessed with
the commercial value and investment potential. I think that — and I respectfully exclude you — the
media in our culture emphasises the commercial value of art, almost to the exclusion of everything
else. This limits a public discussion to that level, educating young people who might enter the world
of collecting with the notion that it’s only about that — which I think is a very sad thing.
I began the book with a reference to a great collector and client of mine, Emily Tremaine, who was
very forthright about the fact that she was influenced by three things: the investment potential,
social promise, but also art for art’s sake. Enjoying it, looking at it, living with it. I wanted to put the
discussion back into that perspective.
So to what extent do you think that "art for art's sake" has been diminished by the art world today?
I don’t think it’s completely diminished. I think that there’s this highly publicised layer of million-dol-
lar, celebrity and gossip headlines that disguise the fact that probably 95% or more of the entire art
market worldwide consists of people who are spending relatively modest sums of money. But that
is not discussed because in our tabloid world it is much more interesting to talk about very high-
profile collectors, dealers and auction houses, duelling for a work by a promising young artist or an
established one, for several million dollars. I mean it’s very sexy! [laughs] But it’s really not the art
business; it’s a tiny, tiny slither of it, but it’s not representative. We exist in a monetised culture,
and money seems to be the barometer by which quality is described.
You mention that “the art world fell in line behind the language of commerce”: when do you identify
this slide into commercialism taking place?
It’s difficult to say — it could actually be a PhD thesis! — but probably in the 1980s to 90s. I think
certainly by the turn of the century we were well into "art as money" in the world of
communication. Peter Schjeldahl from The New Yorker is one of the last literary reviewers who
still goes to exhibitions, reports how he feels and what he sees in generally understandable
language. We certainly have good art journals, magazines and online media that discuss
exhibitions, but it all tends to be fairly incestuous. I also think the media fosters an idea that there
is something of a secretive in-wor-ld with a we-know-what-it-means language, which creates
false intimidation. Both dealers and auction houses should go out of their way to be down to
earth and welcoming to people, whether they’re going to be buyers or not.
Often, this elitism stops people taking an active interest in art – what do you suggest to counteract this?
If you asked someone: “What kind of music do you like?” they’d say this or that, without necessarily
knowing anything technical about music, because they’re not musicians. I don’t believe art is any
different. I don't think you have to know a lot about it, you just have to stand in front of it! It may
sound awfully ordinary, to clear your mind and say: "Do I think this is wonderful, terrible, boring..?"
or whatever, but it's about forgetting what anyone has said it is or isn't worth and just making up
your own mind.
The art that hangs on 50 or 100 years after its production has survived this process: art that perhaps
wasn't well-marketed, exhibited, or bought for a lot of money at the time. It may have gone up in va-
lue, but it’s not kept because it was worth a lot of money when it was made. A lot of what is expensive
today may not survive historically. It’s almost impossible at the time that an artist is working to make
an educated guess at how deep their historical footprint is going to be. Look at how deep van Gogh’s
historical footprint is now and how very, very light it was at the time.
You talk about museums over-commercialising art; how do you see the current trend of "super-
exhibitions" progressing? Are they here to stay?
That’s a really good question. The fact that museums compete on the basis of traffic is a very sad
thing. It’s this idea that you’ve got to shuffle along on a moving platform, three feet away from the
walls with your ears plugged into an audio guide telling you which paintings are more important than
others. This seems to be the way that museums with blockbuster shows are organising it.


Interview
The Value of Art:
The idea of going to a museum without a specific agenda, other than to find something that might
inspire awe and wonder is lost today. And yet, for a long time this is what people did. They didn’t
just go because there was a Picasso show — they wandered around until something caught their eye.
That’s how people develop a taste for art.
I think the only thing, sadly, that may stop this blockbuster culture lasting is some kind of economic upset.
Museums seem to be taken over by a corporate and marketing mentality; they know that donors would like to
see a return, and if they can say there were 50,000 more visitors this year, that’s a good return on investment.
If, on the other hand, a director says: "Thanks to your donation we had exactly the same amount of visitors
this year, but 50% of them stayed longer looking at paintings"; that is a success that cannot be measured.
You can measure the number of people who bought a meal in the cafeteria or a book in the gift
shop, but you can’t ascertain how much they liked it. Especially as many of them are doing it
camera-in-hand, collecting an experience, rather than having an experience. Maybe I’m just too old,
maybe this is just the way a new generation is absorbing the world, communicating instantly and
the art will follow! Perhaps you don’t need more than five seconds. I definitely do, but that’s
because I can’t multitask when it comes to culture.
It’s a scientific fact that when you look at a painting, what you think you’re seeing immediately is
actually coming from your brain, so you have to spend more time processing it and eliminating all
the baggage that you’re bringing to it.
If you’re standing in front of a work of art which has authority, power, sincerity and feeling, it shouldn’t
be about decoding it or describing it in terms of dates. It wasn’t created for academic discussion or a
financial cheque, I hope. Over my lifetime I've spoken to enough artists to have an inkling of why they
do it, and what they expect — I think that the viewer has to come halfway to them for the work to exist.
You describe fortuitous collectors such
as Emily Tremaine, whose words take the
foreword in your book: what is your best
tip for novice collectors?
Emily benefited from the fact that the
world was smaller and there weren’t many
collectors buying the cutting edge at the
time. Today, fewer collectors will visit galle-
ries just to say "What’s new?" and that’s way
that people build great collections. The way
it seems to be done more and more, is that
the wannabe collector hires a consultant who
then works on a shopping list. They may be
looking for Picassos and Mirós or Koons and
Hirsts, but they’re not particularly open to
stumbling across people who aren’t on the
list and saying "Who did that? I kind of like it."
I’m not knocking consultants or advisors at
all, but it is undeniable that by going to gal-
leries you develop a good chemistry with
people that work there. If you see something
that you can afford to buy, you shouldn't be
afraid to ask basic questions such as "How
do I know it’s real?" or "How did you come
up with that price?" Often people don’t ask
those questions, because they fear that
they'll seem ignorant, when actually I think
it’s a very smart thing to do.


Interview
The Value of Art:
People like me should be able to answer those questions. If somebody asks: "Who used to own
this?", that’s an okay question but it doesn’t really have anything to do with the piece itself. If I said
"von Ribbentrop" or "David Rockefeller", is it going to make any difference to the work of art?
Some critics have highlighted your views on commercialism as being controversial to your
position in the art world – what do you think about this?
I’m in denial on that issue because it’s a projection of what people think I should think, rather
than what I’ve always thought. If people look back to the art world I was born into, they wouldn’t be
surprised at all. I’ve moved with the times, but I also have a bird’s eye view, so whilst I’m very
positive and admiring of the art business, I have no qualms with being proud of the fact that I’ve made
a good living, buying and selling works of art. It’s a commercial activity, but I don’t make money by
implying that it’s going to be worth more tomorrow than it is today. That’s not part of our job.
I don’t think it’s a contradiction at all to say that my judging works of art by their commercial value is against my
50-odd years as an art dealer. If I want you to buy one of my artists, first of all you’ve got to like them. I should
be able to justify the value of something, but I’m not going to sell you something and make you swear that
you’re never going to put it up for auction, which is what I think is what some dealers do. I would hope that I’d
be the person you brought it back to for resale, but also that it would be something you would not be buying
as a financial chip. Art should be something that you can afford, that you like and that you expect to keep.
Using your genie fable from The Value of Art: if you could have one piece that you could not
sell for profit, show or discuss with anyone, what would you pick?
Oh, what a rotten question to ask me! Can I take the Rothko Chapel at The Menil Collection in Houston?
I first saw it when it was empty, just before the dedication in 1971 and it was the most profound
experience of my life involving a work of art. Well over thirty years later and full of people, it still had the
same effect. Perhaps that is too selfish a choice. If it had to be just one work it would have to be
Rembrandt’s Self-Portrait at the Age of 63 at The National Gallery in London. It started to mesmerise me
when I got close to that age and now — quite a bit beyond — the work still speaks volumes to me. Plus he
seems like the sort of chap I would get along with, even if we were just fishing silently side by side. It is a
soul’s mirror for me. 
Douglas Cooper Dinner Party
At the Château de Castille,
c. 1965
From left to right: Zette Leiris;
unknown; Lauretta Hope-
Nicholson; John Richardson;
Douglas Cooper; Pablo
Picasso; Francine Weisweiller;
Jean Cocteau; Michael Leiris;
unknown woman; Jean Hugo
Unknown photographer


Interview
Turning Food into Art:
an interview with Charlotte Omnès
Texture Pepper balsamic
© Charlotte Omnès
With 20 years of experience in the culinary industry, Charlotte Omnès has become the go-to name in food
styling. Working with industry giants — Starbucks, Kraft, Häagen Dazs to name a few — it's Charlotte's artistic
pieces in the series Textures and Cut in Half that are garnering attention from the art world. Art Media Agency
spoke to Charlotte, to talk to her about her journey, inspirations, and her culinary and creative palette.
Tell us how you came to be in the food styling profession? Did you have any formal training?
There isn’t really any formal training in food styling, a few classes here and there – I fell into it, as most people
do. I think the one requirement is that you have to be a very visual person.
I began in the culinary school direction and worked in restaurants, on a cruise ship, and in catering — the
typical things that one might do. Then in my twenties I lucked out in finding a job doing recipe and restaurant
development which gave me a really broad look at the culinary field. I had this job for about six and a half
years and I realised that food styling was probably the best fit for me.
I’ve always been very creative, even beyond food; I like costuming and for me, there’s no happier place than in
a museum. From the beginning it was important for me to make a statement — to use food in a creative way
beyond the business side of things.

Interview
Which factors propelled you to do things differently with food?
It was the obvious changeability of food that appealed to me: you can take something and turn it into so-
mething that people will enjoy. The thing that’s so interesting about using food as a medium is it only has a
moment – it melts, it changes colour, and then it’s gone. To be able to create that moment and capture it is
what I love to do.
When I started out, I was working with a lot of photographers who were beginning their career as I was,
and I took the opportunity to ask people to take pictures of things that I’d created. Sometimes people
didn’t really understand what I was trying to do, but then others just got it. This really allowed me to go
off the grid in terms of food styling.
I get the chance to work with people who are open to creativity, and I think that energy is translated into the
excitement that’s in our photographs.
Is there a fine line between what transcends food into art and do you see yourself straddling that?
I think people really enjoy it as a medium when it’s approached from an artistic aspect because everyone eats!
My objective is to offer people another way of looking at the foods they know and can relate to. It is not to
force a certain reaction but offer up an object that will leave some sort of impression. The reaction is left to the
viewer as a response to their personal experience with the food and the image. This is why the same image
can produce reactions from delight to disgust depending on the viewer and that viewer's relationship to the
food. How I manipulate the medium is where my experience in advertising and artistic sensibilities come into
play. By using foods that everyone can relate to, I'm using an artistic medium that is sure to get a reaction. © Charlotte Omnès

Interview
In Textures (2012), your series of paintings made with food, what did you hope to achieve in your work
and what inspired you?
It stemmed from a Robert Ryman exhibition I went to see at the DIA:Beacon Museum in New York. His work,
along with other artists in the Minimalism and Abstract movements, really resonated with me. They weren’t
trying to conceive something in particular in their paintings, the focus was purely on the experience of the
medium. All of my work is about my relationship with the medium of food — how I can control it or let it do
what its going to do; to capture the beauty and find that moment where you can say, "Yes, now its perfect.
Take the picture!"
So that’s really what spurred the whole series. I took the idea to Beth Galton, a photographer I work with a lot,
who thought it was a really good idea, and unbeknownst to me had been to see the exhibition around the
same time. I really enjoy working with Beth because we speak the same creative language.
So for Textures we started to look at other work that we could take a cue from, for instance Rothko. Really what
I wanted to do was to take food, create a canvas it could react on and use ingredients that made sense as a
combination. I didn't set out to create a deeper meaning to it; people were attracted to them because they
think its an interesting idea and they can relate to it. So for instance the mustard and ketchup paintings, it was
first meant to make you wonder what it was before you realised that it really is just sauces. And that’s the thing
that’s so fun, because I can show them my work and it will hopefully change their perspective.
Were the ingredients paired together in terms of colour combinations or was it more focused on
the taste palette?
A bit of both! The ones we did which look like Rothko, there’s the bowl of the ingredients used in the same
shot to distinguish that we were using food. The whole experience was to just take food, use it as paint and see
what happens. I bought all these colourful ingredients, started puréeing them to create the ‘paint’ and paired
them together to make the best colour and flavour combinations.
textures beet cabbage onion
© Charlotte Omnès

Art Media Agency Articles & Interviews

Art Media Agency Articles & Interviews

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (8)

Viewers also liked

Viewers also liked (16)

Similar to Art Media Agency Articles & Interviews

Similar to Art Media Agency Articles & Interviews (20)

Art Media Agency Articles & Interviews