5/14/2019 The Venice Biennale, a rating accelerator for artists

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The Venice Biennale, a rating accelerator for artists

A major event in the contemporary art market, the Venice Biennale begins on Saturday 11 May.
This year again, it highlights artists from rarely represented countries.

By Roxana Azimi • Posted on May 11, 2019 at 7:00 am - Updated May 11, 2019 at 12:48 pm

Artist Laure Prouvost at the prestigious Turner Prize she won with her "Wantee"
installation on December 2, 2013. She represents the French Pavilion at the 58th
Venice Biennale. PETER MUHLY / AFP

The Venice Biennale, which runs from May 11 to November 24, is to the world of contemporary art
what the Olympic Games are to sport and the Cannes Film Festival: a high-level competition of
talents from all over the world. world. In total, 90 nations compete this year in the hope of winning a
Golden Lion or, failing that, an "exceptional visibility among the most influential decision makers -
critics, museums, collectors," according to Paris gallery owner Nathalie Obadia, who represents the
artist Laure Prouvost, tenant this year of the French pavilion.

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The impact on the career and in turn on the market is not the same, depending on whether the
invited creators are already recognized or emerging, and that they come from prescribing countries
or from less prominent countries. Not to mention the immediate effect produced by the work on a
public in search of thrills but quick to zapping.

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The Venice Biennale is unlikely to change the life of the septuagenarian Martin Puryear, who
represents the United States, whose largest sculptures reach the million dollars. However, it could
boost the career of Laure Prouvost, born in 1978. The young woman, who makes crazy videos,
tapestries and ceramics while writing soft or aggressive injunctions in white letters on a black
background, is not a stranger.

The effect "seen in Venice"

She has already received in 2013 the prestigious Turner Prize in Derry (Northern Ireland) and
exhibited in important museums and art centers such as the Rochechouart Castle (contemporary art
museum of Haute-Vienne), the Bicocca Hangar in Milan, the Red Brick Art Museum in Beijing, and
the MuHKA of Antwerp, Belgium. "She has regularly sold to French and international collectors, so we
can not say that there has been a sudden interest since his appointment, says Nathalie Obadia. Let's say
that now sales of works at higher prices, between 50 000 and 100 000 euros, are more frequent. New
collectors who were hesitant decided. "

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Although Cathy Wilkes (Great Britain) already enjoys strong institutional recognition, a new runaway
has also been felt. "I am contacted by collectors who I do not know of Eve or Adam. It's amazing this
effect "seen in Venice " , when a whole work is hardly different before or after, " smiles his Brussels
gallerist Xavier Hufkens. The latter does not intend to speculate on the Biennale by completely
changing the prices of his sculptures and installations, which currently range between 50,000 and
200,000 pounds sterling (58,000 and 232,000 euros).

"The Venice Biennale does not create any new interests, but rather
it con irms existing interests," Isabelle Alfonsi, co-director of the
Marcelle Alix gallery

For Isabelle Alfonsi, co-director of the Marcelle Alix gallery, who represents Pauline Boudry and
Renate Lorenz, tenants of the Swiss pavilion, "the Venice Biennale does not create new interests from
scratch, but rather it confirms existing interests". There is no question of unreasonably increasing the
price of this tandem, interested in reading the margins, and whose prices range from 10,000 euros for
wig pieces (murals made of synthetic hair) to 30,000 euros for video installations.

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"When editions of videos run out quickly, we can decide to increase the prices requested for the last
available editions, but we proceed to the increase of the prices of the artists regularly, following a
moderate rhythm which accompanies their visibility and their needs , says Isabelle Alfonsi.
Participation in the Biennale may be an opportunity to do so, because we realize with this news that
prices have remained low for a long time, but it is never in crazy proportions. "

Madagascar's first pavilion

The Biennale benefits especially artists from countries where the projector is less often pointed. Take
the case of Joel Andrianomearisoa, who represents the first pavilion of Madagascar in Venice. For
several years now, the artist has been working on poetic black works, playing on fragile desires and
emotions. "His appointment was a real trigger for collectors, especially with the acquisition of a shot of
seven works by the Zinsou Foundation , " says Eric Dereumaux, director of the RX gallery in Paris.
Prices should also evolve, without necessarily getting carried away. "Today, we need between 5,000 and
25,000 euros, which suggests a lot of room for maneuver," continues Eric Dereumaux.

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This potential also lurks Angelica Mesiti, whose prices start around $ 16,000 (14,290 euros). The
Australian artist has a rich news. Not only does she represent her country in Venice, but she also

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5/14/2019 The Venice Biennale, a rating accelerator for artists

exhibits immersive video installations at the Palais de Tokyo in Paris. "Participating in an artistic
event of such magnitude does not only allow you to be in the spotlight, but to be part of a conversation.
If the fame of Angelica is well established in Australia, Europe, its reputation is still to consolidate, "
recognizes Léa Chauvel-Lévy, co-director of the Allen Gallery, which represents her in Paris. And to
admit that since his appointment, "the articles on it are raining and the price demands are increasing" .

Beware however: if the Biennial has a short-term accelerator effect comparable to Goncourt for the
book or Oscar for the cinema, it is not enough to reinforce the career of an artist. To celebrate the
centenary of this event in 1995, the French artist Christian Boltanski had published a book listing the
thousands of creators who had participated. Barely 10% of them remained in the story.

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And as Isabelle Alfonsi wisely recalls, "there are other achievements in the careers of artists than
international exhibitions, other places to work, sometimes with more time and serenity". The theme on
which Renate Lorenz and Pauline Boudry are working is that of moving backwards, the intuition that
we should perhaps rehabilitate the idea of walking backwards, literally, but also figuratively ...

¶ Venice Biennale, 11 May-24 November, www.labiennale.org

Roxana Azimi

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