16 4th April 2015 antiquestradegazette.com tefaf review The quick-fire coverage for ten ■ In a world of instant media Left: media loading TEFAF remains a fair to be in the digital age: London Old Master judged by the long game dealer Derek Johns keeps up to date on his stand at TEFAF Anna Brady Maastricht 2015 in a reports year when the use of technology and social media was at its most manifest and frantic. THIS may well be one of the The ever-increasing last reviews published of speed of information TEFAF Maastricht 2015, the dissemination and demands of 24-hour art and antiques fair that ran news are changing the from March 13-22 in the Dutch face of even traditional city’s monolithic MECC. events. Among a flurry of tweets, blogs, instagram posts etc, many reviews were online before the preview day was out, and most by the end of the first public day on March 13. While ATG had played its part in some of this frenetic online activity, hopefully Bodewes Loraine copyright there is still a place for a bit of good old-fashioned ‘slow’ journalism as a stand of neighbour Johnny Van Haeften patterns across an event of this size. obvious as everyone is funnelled through counterpoint. Particularly as, unless you to wish him good luck with a manly hug. However, with exceptions, sales of Old one main entrance onto the ‘Place de are there manning a stand, it’s easy to “We are like lions waiting to pounce,” Master paintings appear to have been la Concorde’, a bottleneck that leaves forget that this is a ten-day-long fair. says the Munich dealer, only half joking. on the slow side this year: it was one of stands on the central ‘Champs Elysees’ Trade continues throughout – and long Both dealers agree that, for their slow-burn sales as Van Haeften observes aisle swamped with numbers quickly afterwards – and issues and opinions take businesses, so much rides on TEFAF. It’s on page 18. Exhibitors of jewellery, dwindling the further out you go. more than a few hours to percolate. the biggest 10 days of their year. works of art and antiques, however, were While some frustrated exhibitors Old Masters have always been central Reports of sales filter through slowly. reporting strong trade. did not want to be named, one who to the event and so eyes instantly look to It’s a considered and knowledgeable There were grumblings about the flow did reference the issue was Andreas them for news of sales. audience of the sort who tend to make of visitors around the fair. Pampoulides of Coll & Cortés. When In the hours before opening on cautious decisions over a few days – and The cost of stand space is uniform asked if he thought there was anything preview day, when only journalists and sometimes weeks or months. throughout the MECC but this seems that could be improved about the fair, he men with vacuum cleaners stalk the In short, preview day is certainly rather unjust considering just how uneven said: “This is a very big question that has empty aisles, dealers pace around their no accurate barometer of the whole footfall is, particularly in upstairs TEFAF been greatly discussed by many exhibitors stands, nervously straightening the odd fair and of course it’s impossible to Paper which undeniably gets far fewer at TEFAF. The biggest discussion I hear of frame. Konrad Bernheimer arrived on the make sweeping statements about sales visitors. On preview day this is particularly involved changing the layout of the fair to allow a better flow of visitors.” There is, I’m told, capacity for more entrances through the areas currently Left: “Do you mind if I wax my blocked off by the press office and toad while I’m talking to you?” restaurant either side of the main asked London art dealer Rupert entrance. Could these facilities be Maas just before the opening of moved upstairs, leaving more space on the TEFAF preview. The toad in the ground floor for the TEFAF Paper question, a massive Meiji wooden exhibitors? okimono of a female toad with Without full knowledge of the her young on her back, was a building, it’s impossible to make an curious but welcome addition informed comment on the practicalities to Maas Gallery’s stand of of a re-jig to spread flow, but an predominantly 19th century improvement would appear to be paintings. Maas bought the possible, if the organisation would agree outsize carving at a UK regional to it. However, the current situation auction after hitting his shin on it probably suits some very well. during the view. Whether anything will change in this Later in the week at TEFAF he respect at TEFAF Maastricht 2016 (from sold it for €12,000 – the buyer March 11-20) remains to be seen, but for apparently refusing an offer of now here’s the post-fair lowdown from double that amount as it was a few exhibitors – all garnered with pen loaded into their car (right). and paper away from the MECC’s air- conditioned hum. n tefaf.com Antiques Trade Gazette 17 days of slower burning MAKING A DEBUT Despite its vast size and variety, there are still some holes within the specialisms on offer at TEFAF. Until this year there was no dealer devoted to the Russian Avant-Garde. London dealer James Butterwick had been on the TEFAF waiting list for years so jumped at the chance to exhibit in TEFAF Paper when finally invited into the club. This was something of a step into the unknown for James, whose European client base was previously non-existent, having concentrated A CLASH OF THE TITANS on Russia for the past 20 years. This year TEFAF clashed with the Modern He exhibited for four years at and Contemporary art fair giant Art Basel the Moscow World Fine Art Fair Hong Kong for the first time. (now postponed) and – by way of Some exhibitors were exhibiting at comparison – describes coming both, among them Rossi & Rossi, who to Maastricht as “like entering deal in Indian, Himalayan and South-East the garden of earthly delights. Asian Art from antique to Contemporary Everything is so brilliantly organised and have bases in both London and and there are so few timewasters”. Above: Portrait of the Artist’s Daughter (1928) by Alexander Bogomazov (1880-1930), 8½ Hong Kong. The sanctions and continuing x 9½in (22 x 24cm), sold at TEFAF by James Butterwick for a five-figure sum. “TEFAF is the most important art fair fraught relationship with Russia over in the world, particularly for classical the Ukraine crisis, combined with the Cubo-Futurist Alexander Bogomazov friends showing their support, and works of art. Art Basel HK is the most collapse of the rouble, means that, (1880-1930), an artist who, while he counted only a couple of Russian important fair in Asia for Contemporary according to James, “the Russian well-known in the Ukraine and journalists at the event this year, art,” said Fabio Rossi of the decision. market is all but dead”. Russia, remains fairly obscure in with some notable names missing. “We deal in both areas so we had to Having come to the fair with Europe. It was a gamble that paid Two of the Bogomazov drawings exhibit at both fairs and it has proved the the aim of starting a European off, as James sold seven of the eight went to Dutch couples, including right decision as we have met new clients address book – he previously had drawings on offer, including four this signed and dated portrait of at both venues. One is more ‘old school’, just one non-Russian client – he to the Kröller-Müller Museum in his daughter, Yaroslavna, above, the other is ‘younger’. A few clients were was delighted by his TEFAF debut. Otterlo, who admitted they had not a study for a painting in the Ivakin able to come to both.” “Fantastic – if Arsenal had won the previously heard of the artist but Collection in Kiev. He admitted it was a little logistically Champions League I couldn’t have were struck by his work. The pencil on paper from 1928 challenging, but manageable. At TEFAF been happier,” he said. As he expected, James found melds a Cubo-Futurist approach they showed mainly classical works, plus This Gooner chose to show 12 Russian visitors especially thin on the with unusual sensitivity. It sold for a some from two Tibetan Contemporary works on paper by the Ukrainian ground. Those he did see were good five-figure sum. artists they represent, Tenzing Rigdol and Tsherin Sherpa. In Hong Kong they concentrated on the work of one artist, Leang Seckon from Cambodia, and sold over 15 paintings. TEFAF BY NUMBERS Of TEFAF, Fabio said:“I feel we have now established our presence at the n Over 75,000 visitors from 65 countries. fair and are building up relationships with visiting collectors and curators. In n A record 400 private jets landed at Maastricht-Aachen airport. our field, sculpture seems to be more appreciated than painting though we had n 262 museum respresentatives attended from institutions across enquires for the latter too.” the globe – another record. Is there anything he thinks could be changed to improve the fair? “Minor n 24,000 roses, 58,500 tulips, 22,500 spring flowers and 31,000 tweaks are always needed for every branches of blossom were used to decorate the MECC. event. I think it would be good to be able to attract a younger audience who might n Over 10,000 guests attended the private view on March 12, not yet be familiar with TEFAF and also consuming 13,600 glasses of champagne and more than 150,000 increase the number of Asian visitors.” canapés made by 80 chefs and served by 400 waiting staff.