8 THE ART NEWSPAPER WEDNESDAY 12 OCTOBER 2011 Market analysis Going back in time: the next big thing Modern and contemporary art fairs are encouraging crossover collecting with a renewed focus on older art

LONDON. While the contempo- rary art season kicks off with Frieze this week, the buzz in the market is about the past. Next month sees the launch of Paris Tableau (4-8 November), a new art fair dedicated to Old Masters; next year, the European Fine Art Fair (Tefaf, Maastricht, 16-25 March 2012) celebrates its 25th anniversary; and next October, there will be two Frieze fairs when the contemporary event is joined by the antiques-to-modern Frieze Masters (11-14 October 2012). What these fairs share is not just a taste for older art, but a renewed push towards encour- aging crossover collecting. It’s a pattern echoed elsewhere in the art world. © Communauté du pays d’Aix-en-Provence, Musée Granet In last week, Pilar Private collection © The estate of Francis Bacon Ordovas launched her gallery Clockwise from far left: “We Are with a show dedicated to All Flesh”, the 2009 exhibition Francis Bacon and Rembrandt at Colnaghi, paired Berlinde De (until 16 December), while in Bruyckere with Luca Giordano; New York, Sperone Westwater self-portraits by Francis Bacon is planning a sculpture show for and Rembrandt are on view at January 2012 that spans the Pilar Ordovas’s new gallery; the fourth century BC to “last Dreesmanns, crossover week”, its co-owner Gian Enzo collectors, with a Tony Cragg Sperone says. Museums are they bought from Frieze also experimenting: the recent “Twombly and Poussin: more unusual... but we did have Arcadian Painters” exhibition at one contemporary collector London’s Dulwich Picture who saw the [older] still-lifes in Gallery was a prime example. the gallery and liked them. He To mix is not new, even in said that compared to some of the commercial world. Tefaf’s his other works, they were

roots were in two distinct Photo: Mike Bruce much cheaper.” markets, Old Master paintings Indeed, one of the attractions and medieval sculptures; the putting). Organisers say that says Olga, “the 17th-century co-owner of New York In fact, one of the criticisms of older art in today’s shaky fair began to reach out to there are already many collec- artists we collect very much contemporary gallery Sperone of collecting across time is a economic climate is its safer modern art collectors in 1993. tors of both. reflected contemporary life in Westwater, says that older loss of concentration. But, says investment profile. “The Old London’s Masterpiece and One of the most thoughtful their time, just as the contempo- works have “been a passion Victoria Siddall, the director of Master market has always been Pavilion of Art & Design fairs, crossover collections belongs to rary artists we collect do from the beginning; I would Frieze Masters, there is no a stable one, with long-term which range across periods, are the Brussels-based couple Olga today”. They describe Picasso visit flea markets in search of reason why “a collection collectors who aren’t speculat- popular with exhibitors and and Pieter Dreesmann, regular as “at the crossroads. He is an antiques on the weekends away [shouldn’t be] focused on any ing,” Canesso says. The risks visitors alike. But the increasing buyers at Frieze. Pieter, an enormous influence on artists from school”. He has filled his number of themes other than the are fewer, he adds: “You can trend to contextualise contem- economist and the founder of today, he was influential in his home in Sent, in eastern period that the work was made. get a decent [Jean-Louis- porary art—which until recently the Art Document Company day and he looked back: at Switzerland, with works from Issues can be revisited anew by Ernest] Meissonier or Jean-Paul seemed to exist in its own database in The Hague, is the African tribal masks in different periods and of different generations of artists Laurence for €20,000 to bubble—is new. son of Anton Dreesmann, whose particular, as well as to Old different styles; it was de- and one result can illuminate €30,000—you just have to not The organisers of the Paris respected collection included Masters such as [Diego] scribed by the Wall Street another.” She, like others in the care about fashion.” The three fair are using to impressionist and modern art, Velázquez,” says Olga. Journal as a “one-man muse- industry, speaks highly of the works that Koons is lending to demonstrate that a love of Old Masters, Chinese export um”. Here, for example, on one Twombly and Poussin show. Canesso’s art fair cost the artist contemporary does not porcelain, Dutch pictures and A question of time side of a doorway hangs a 1934 To date, one of the issues for a total of $5.6m. Twelve of his preclude a taste for older art. portrait miniatures. Such a abstract by Otto Freundlich, galleries and art fairs—now own works have sold for more The artist is lending three of grounding encouraged Pieter to Many of the contemporary while on the other side is a arguably tastemakers as much at auction since 2001. his historical French works to collect older works while artists they collect (such as 16th-century portrait by as museums—has been a lack the fair (by Nicolas Poussin, remaining open-minded to other Anselm Kiefer, Tony Cragg and Jacopino del Conte. “Art of all of in- knowledge. “A Seeking supply 1594-1665, Jean-Honoré tastes. His wife, a media and Yayoi Kasuma) think about time ages is concerned with the commercial gallery needs to Fragonard, 1732-1806, and communications adviser, was a or refer back to it. At a previous human condition,” he says. have the means of at least two Koons, though, is an extreme Gustave Courbet, 1819-77). contemporary art fan: now their edition of Frieze, they bought a Jack Kirkland, a director of fields of expertise to have an case: since the death of Lucian tastes have come together. They Hiroyuki Masuyama light box his family’s construction group, exhibition of high quality,” says Freud earlier this year, he is Old versus new describe their collection as that is a conceptual interpreta- began his collection with a Blanca Bernheimer of once again the most expensive having four “axes”: 17th- tion of Turner (1775-1851). piece of contemporary work Bernheimer Fine Art living artist at auction. And, “It’s a pity to think about works century Dutch Old Masters (the “The skill involved in the by the American conceptual Photography, part of the Old says Ordovas, it is not as easy from different eras competing first purchase, by Pieter in 1998, older works helps to emphasise sculptor Tom Friedman, but Master gallery. Bernheimer’s to collect the greatest Old with each other,” says the Old was a 1630 painting by the conceptual aspects of the now enjoys collecting from sister gallery, Colnaghi, has Master works any more, thanks Master specialist Maurizio Balthasar van der Ast); contemporary works, different eras. “In my living been one of the few to organise to a well documented lack of Canesso, president of Paris kunstkammers of and vice versa,” says room, for instance, there are more unexpected juxtaposi- supply at the top end. But she Tableau. “There hasn’t always objects from Olga. “This helps works from 1000BC to 2008. tions, gaining expertise by says it can still make economic been such a distinction. In the antiquities to me appreciate Antiquities and hard-edged linking up with contemporary sense with works from the 18th and 19th centuries, an artist today; Picasso both.” Her painting seem to interact galleries. In 2009, it collaborat- “near past”. Slotover makes a would do commissioned work works on paper husband particularly well,” he says. ed with Hauser & Wirth (C11) similar point. “There are still for a client, while also advising and sculptures; confesses to His collection has an emphasis to present “We Are All Flesh”, a some rediscoveries to be made on what Old Masters to buy.” and contempo- being “more on inter-war European photog- show that paired a sculpture by in the modern world. You can Canesso, like many others, rary art. old school” raphy, 20th-century American Berlinde de Bruyckere with the buy a hot LA artist for highlights the continuing Although and says he is modernism, Latin American dramatic paintings that inspired $300,000, [so] why shouldn’t influence of works from the past they say that more critical contemporary and modern it, by the Baroque Neopolitan someone whose work has on living artists, something that their choice of of contempo- British art. The creation of artist Luca Giordano (1634- survived for 40 years have a was perhaps overlooked during works is “led by rary work. Frieze Masters and other 1705). This month, the market?” He highlights the the headier days of the contem- emotion”, there Neverthe less, he crossover fairs, he says, Kunstmuseum Bern is present- British artist , porary market boom. “Lots of are themes across was instrumental “recognises that the divide that ing an exhibition that shows De whose market has been revived artists want to talk about art their collection, in choosing their used to exist between older and Bruyckere’s work alongside by The Approach gallery (D15) history,” says , particularly between first contemporary modern and contemporary art is that of the German Renaissance and a recent show at London’s the co-director of Frieze. His the Dutch and contem- work together, Tracey now more porous”. artist Lucas Cranach (21 . But fair is banking on the fact that porary works. For example, Emin’s neon Meet Me in “It’s a hodge-podge,” he also October-12 February 2012). buyers need to be quick(ish). its loyal contemporary buyers Heaven I Will Wait for You, says of his collection, “but Bernheimer says that “a “In 50 to 100 years’ time, will cross over to a second tent Jeff Koons’s Fragonard painting, 2004, which they bought at people who visit are kind to say number of our Old Master supply will dwindle there too,” in Regent’s Park (although the Young Girl Holding Two Puppies, Frieze in 2004. that it hangs together. I’m not collectors moved to photogra- says Ordovas. 15-minute walk could be off- around 1770 Gian Enzo Sperone, the quite sure why.” phy. The other way round is Melanie Gerlis 20-23 APPLICATIONS AND INFORMATION ONLINE AT EXPOSITIONCHICAGO.COM DEADLINE 14 NOVEMBER 2011 exposition SEPT 2012 THE INTERNATIONAL EXPOSITION OF CONTEMPORARY MODERN ART•DESIGN•CULTURE

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