Private Art Spaces Have Flourished in the Last 20 Years, Providing Showcases for Collections but Also Some Ambitious Exhibitions by Devorah Lauter

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THE NEW MEDICIS PRIVATE ART SPACES HAVE FLOURISHED IN THE LAST 20 YEARS, PROVIDING SHOWCASES FOR COLLECTIONS BUT ALSO SOME AMBITIOUS EXHIBITIONS BY DEVORAH LAUTER

The north facade of the Louis Vuitton Foundation at night. © IWAN BAAN / FONDATION LOUIS VUITTON

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The new Milan venue of the Fondazione Prada Architectural project by OMA.

himmering architectural feats of glass and metal hovering over gardens, renovated old factories, Venetian palaces — these are the modern Scathedrals that house so called “single-donor” private art foundations and museums. They continue to pop up across the globe, reshaping the artistic landscape in their wake. Often designed by Pritzker prize-winning architects, many have well-known names in the 52 corporate and fashion industry — the Fondation Louis Vuitton, Fondazione Prada — but others, adopting the names of their founders, are not necessarily associated with a particular brand or enterprise. From The Broad in Los Angeles and the YUZ Foundation in Shanghai to the Saatchi Gallery in London or the Garage in Moscow, such private contemporary art spaces have exploded in the last 20 years, leading observers to compare the phenomena to a level of arts patronage only seen from the American robber barons a century ago, or even the powerful, 15th-century Medici family. “The number of foundations has grown exponentially,” said Peter Deckers, co-founder with Helena Stork of the World Art Foundation, PHOTO: BAS PRINCEN | COURTESY 2015 FONDAZIONE PRADA

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a platform that connects some 400 private “In the spring of 2020 a new art foundations around the globe. “Every year new ones open everywhere in the world, Pinault Collection museum, particularly in Africa, and the Middle East in recent years. We’re seeing them in Tunisia, of the billionaire François Australia, Korea.” He added, “There were Pinault, founder of the luxury always people with big art collections, and they’d get their own wing in a museum. What conglomerate Kering, is has changed is that people have taken their fates into their own hands, and decided not to slated to open in a 16th- go through other museums.” century landmark and former The vast majority of private Contemporary art museums created by living, stock exchange, the domed individual collectors were founded between 2000 and 2010, according to a 2016 Larry’s Bourse de Paris” List study, with the most appearing in South Korea, the US and Germany, followed by China and Italy. And more are on the way. In at the Fondazione Prada in Milan, points out 5555 54 the spring of 2020 a new Pinault Collection that creating compelling exhibitions is not museum, of the billionaire François Pinault, necessarily a question of greater financial founder of the luxury conglomerate Kering, means, or of acquiring new artwork on the is slated to open in a 16th-century landmark market, which she said the Fondazione Prada and former stock exchange, the domed Bourse rarely does. “It’s not a question of money. It’s de Paris, adding a third museum to his two more the inertia, the laziness in presenting existing ones in Venice. things which are not really triggering. And this As their numbers continue to rise, so can be as easily true for the public as it is for does these institutions’ cultural impact, the private,” she said in a telephone interview. leading to questions that range from potential As an example, Welter pointed to the critically competition with public art institutions, to acclaimed show the Fondazione Prada who chooses how art history gets narrated. exhibited in 2018 about art made during “Since their resources and funding do not Italy’s Fascist period, held during Italian rely on public money” and because “museum elections, amid a rise in far-right populism. founders have more financial resources to “A public institution in Italy could have acquire top artworks, there will be more done that exhibition,” said Welter, who interest in their exhibitions,” drawing larger explained that many of the pieces in the visitor numbers, concludes the same Larry’s exhibition came from Italy, which reduces List report. costs. “We didn’t do it because we had Installation view of “Spitzmaus Mummy in a Coffin and other However, Astrid Welter, head of programs enough money. We did it because we wanted Treasures,” Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien detail from PHOTO: JEREMIAS MORANDELL | © KHM-MUSEUMSVERBAND Room 4, exhibition design by Wes Anderson and Juman Malouf with Itai Margula (Margula Architects).

BLOUINARTINFO.COM | OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2019 ART+AUCTION 56 A “A strictly binary view of public view public “A of binary strictly WEALTHOF other works, and use skilled skilled use works, and other cooperate by loaning each each bycooperate loaning argue, as the two regularly regularly two the as argue, and private art institutions institutions privateand art professionals who jump jump who professionals from one to the other” to the one from he’s creating “fascinating exhibitions.” Pirelli HangarBicoccainMilan, where shesaid Stork pointedto Vicente Todoli’s workatthe foundations areambitiousand passionate.” ideas, make wonderfulexhibitions. Most “They wanttofindoutnewthings, havegood showcase criticallycompellingexhibitions. she said, whichmotivatesthemfurtherto also alotatstake:theimageofowner,” of peoplecomingin,” shesaid. But “there is freedom notbeingdependentonthenumbers more ofaflexibleoperation.” reactionary, butacloserlookshows thatit’s “We havethis imageoffoundationsasabit curator andartistunderthename Varozza. what theylike,” saidDeckers, whoisalsoa of thought, andcanconcentrateentirelyon Deckers andStork. “They haveartisticliberty advantage ofgreaterfreedom, commented problems?” their programming, inordertoavoidpolitical mainstream mustpublicinstitutionsbein said amorefittingquestionmaybe: “How to pursuethatidea, andtakethatrisk.” Welter is misplaced, many misplaced, is Storkagreed. “Foundations haveagreat Privateartmuseumsdotendtohavethe ART

and theNaturhistorischesMuseum, forthe landmarks, theKunsthistorischesMuseum working with Vienna’s twomajorpublic noted thattheFondazionePrada iscurrently positive, fertilecooperation,” said Welter, who institutions thatmaybethefuture:thisideal, cooperation betweenpublicandprivate year. jointly puttinguptwotothreeexhibitionsper continue todosoforthefollowingeightyears, Milan forits April 2020program, andwould teaming withthepubliclyrun Triennale in announced inSeptemberthatitwouldbe between thetwo, FondationCartierinParis a landmarkexampleofsuchcooperation artist residencies. Inwhathasbeencalled ranging fromgrantsandpublicationsto educational andotherphilanthropicprograms like theirpubliccounterpartsintermsof other. Privateinstitutionsalsooftenfunction professionals whojumpfromonetothe by loaningeachotherworks, anduseskilled many argue, asthetworegularlycooperate and privateartinstitutionsismisplaced, institution.” financing, butwiththefunctionofapublic that thefoundation “is amuseumwithprivate collection, saidPagé, whoisquicktoassert a decisiverole,” inthefoundation’s own Vuitton’s president, Bernard Arnault, “has sponsors,” shesaid. The Fondation Louis for sure. And Inolongerhavetolookfor institutions], meaningitgoesfaster, that’s “Things aremuchlessformal[thaninpublic Musée d’ArtModernedela Ville deParis. foundation in2006afterrunningthepublic has changedsinceshebeganworkingatthe Fondation Louis Vuitton, saidthatthepace “That’s thekindofgroundbreaking Indeed, astrictlybinaryviewofpublic SuzannePagé, artisticdirectoratthe ART+AUCTION OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2019

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PHOTO MICHELE ALBERTO SERENI | COURTESY FONDAZIONE PRADA BLOUINARTINFO.COM |

OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2019 ART+AUCTION Jannis Kounellis, Visual Arts Center Pescheria, Pesaro 2016. Pesaro

57 58 Palaces,” 2004-2015. “The Seven Heavenly Anself Kiefer,

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PHOTO AGOSTINO OSIO | COURTESY PIRELLI HANGARBICOCCA BLOUINARTINFO.COM Larry’s Listreport. stepped intofillthevoid, according tothe avant-garde Chineseart, soprivate collectors few publicinstitutionswere willing toexhibit Jochen Zeitz. Meanwhile, inChina, foryears the city’s V&A Waterfront andthecollector thanks toapublic/privatepartnershipbetween dedicated to African art, andopenedin2017 the firstContemporaryartmuseumin Africa The ZeitzMOCAA inCape Town became Istanbul bythecollectorsSevdaandCanElgiz. of itskindin Turkey, foundedin2001 she saidofthenon-profit. Milan whowoulddothat, noteveninItaly,” there werenoContemporaryartmuseumsin was nobodyelse, nogalleriesandwarehouses, something forwhichtherewasnospace, there Miuccia PradaandPatrizioBertelli “did Welter. Intheearly1990s, thefounders something ofsuperculturalrelevance,” said own museums. a keyfactorpushingcollectorstoopentheir Contemporary artintheirregionshasbeen cultural legacy, thelackofpublicspacesfor for thearts, anddesiretoleavebehinda particularly inthe1990s. more democratizedthankstonewtechnology, investment, justascollectingalsobecame art becamemorewidelyseenasapotential between the1970sand1990s, aperiodwhen that openedafter2000begantheircollections List surveyfoundthatmostprivatemuseums the artmarket. The previouslynotedLarry’s vary byregion, butarelinkedtoevolutionsin Contemporary artmuseumsaremultiple, and until January13, 2020. Anderson andJumanMalouf, andshowing and Other Treasures,” conceivedby Wes exhibition, “Spitzmaus MummyinaCoffin Likewise, theElgizMuseumwasfirst “Our foundation wasstimulatedby Inaddition, alongwiththeirpassion The reasonsfortheboominprivate |

OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2019 ART+AUCTION you. It’s notmadefortheartworld.” foundation’s artexhibitions: “It ismadefor only madeforthepeoplein artworld.” Contemporary artis,” shesaid. “As ifthisis should knowmoreinordertounderstandwhat people feeltheyunderstandit. years ago, Welter saidsheisnotsuremore what wasonceamoreexclusivesetonly40 spreading itsreach, attractinginterestbeyond million visitorsayear. in anaverageofaround1.4millionto1.5 and theSaatchiGallery, forinstance, clock successful ones. The FondationLouis Vuitton generally positive, atleastforthemost project whichtheyfoundwasmeaningful.” stemmed outoftwopeoplemakingacultural I thinkthatinourcaseitwassomething set uptotallyindependently,” said Welter. “So this question, buttheFondazionePradawas “Now weareawarethatpeopleasking were createdwiththatstrategyinmind. to benefitthebrand’s aura, notallartspaces fashion housesandContemporaryartserves in the art market” art the in linkedare to evolutions but by vary and region, aremuseums multiple, art Contemporary private in boom the for reasons “The Inthemeantime, Welter tellsvisitorstothe “The generalpublicstillthinksthatthey Yet whileContemporaryartappears tobe Eitherway, publicresponsehasbeen While theassociationbetweenmajor 59 60 “Portrait of Hena Rigotti,” 1924, Rigotti,” Hena of “Portrait Courtesy Fondazione Prada. exhibition view of “Post Zang Fondazione Prada, Milan “The Architect,” 1922-23, Politics: Italy 1918-1943,“ “Target shooting,” 1919, “Double portrait,” 1924, “Silvana Cenni,” 1922, Gualino,” 1923−1924, Gualino,” Tumb Tuuum. Art Life Life Art Tuuum. Tumb “Portrait of Renato February 18, 2018- Felice Casorati, Felice Casorati, Felice Casorati, Felice Casorati Felice Casorati June 25, 2018, 25, June A Mario Sironi, WEALTHOF (L-R):

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OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2019 Installation view of “Spitzmaus Mummy in a Coffin aCoffin in Mummy “Spitzmaus of view Installation and other Treasures,” Kunsthistorisches Museum exhibition design by Wes Anderson and Juman Malouf with Itai Margula (Margula Architects). Egyptian and Near-Eastern Collection, Wien Coffin of a Spitzmaus (Shrew), Spitzmaus of a Coffin Wien painted wood, 21.9 wood, x11.6painted x11.4 cm., Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien, ART+AUCTION view of “Post Zang Zang “Post of view “Dinamismo di un Tumb Tuuum. Art Art Tuuum. Tumb Life Politics: Italia 1913, exhibition “Brocca Baker,” Tullio d’Albisola Prada, Milano. 2018- June 25, 25, June 2018- February 18,February Fondazione foot-baller,” 1918-1943,” Boccioni, Umberto 2018, 1929, (L-R): Right: