黑料不打烊

So it鈥檚 really a mixture. Lynda Benglis is an artist who is having an international art retrospective right now but has always been NY-based, and we鈥檙e bringing a historical piece of hers and we鈥檙e very excited about that. The painting by Gada Amer is $225,000, the work by Lynda Benglis is $250,000, and the Louise Bourgeois, you know we actually haven鈥檛 confirmed a price for that yet, or the Mitchell; then we鈥檙e going to have some rare Eggelston photographs, that are $35,000, and some beautiful Joan Mitchel pastels that are $100,000. Where as say, 2 years ago in Miami, we would鈥檝e had things closer to $50,000, you know right after Labor Day in 2008 we would鈥檝e had many more, lesser expensive things.

Lynda Benglis
7 Come 11: DOS
Wire mesh, cotton bunting, plaster, sprayed aluminum and copper 50 x 36 x 8 1/2 inches 127 x 91.4 x 21.6 centimeters

MA: Art Basel is the premier international art show that attracts artists, art enthusiasts, collectors, leading galleries, art publications and more. What is the general expectation for your gallery in participating, and specifically in regards to sales, as it appears the art market has all but recovered from the 2008 global financial crisis with record-breaking results in 2010?

Coric: The fair is one of the best ones in the world and thus attracts collectors we do not usually see in other international art fairs or even at the gallery: many European collectors of course but also collectors from Asia, Russia and the Middle East. It鈥檚 a wonderful venue to promote our artists and give them a greater exposure. Sales are important since the participation in such a fair is quite expensive, but the success of a fair can also be judged by our number of contacts. It is a very important showcase for our artists. The contacts we make during this special week are very important for the promotion of their careers: museum people, curators, journalists, other dealers...

We have no specific expectations in terms of sales. Recent fairs have been successful (Miami Basel, Armory, Brussels). We are more curious to see the reaction of our public and our collectors to the novelties we are bringing. For example, this is the first time we are showing Atul Dodiya and Anju Dodiya, who are two artists from Mumbai. It鈥檚 going to be very interesting to see how our European collectors respond to their work.

Sheffer: You know, I only wish I had a crystal ball. (laughs) I kind of feel like when you bring the best work that you possibly can, you will find buyers. It鈥檚 the manner in which you negotiate, and you conduct business, that really has to change depending on the economic climates. Great work is always great work no matter what the economy is like, no matter what the state of the world is like; I mean, we鈥檙e at a time right now where the Euro is in a freefall, the American economy is all messed up, the environment has some serious problems, we鈥檙e at war all over the Middle East, and yet we鈥檙e getting record prices at auction for some of the greatest works of art of the 20th Century. So, I think we function a little bit in our own world. At the same time, I think if you鈥檙e realistic about doing business, and the level to which you can do it, I think that will make a difference. You can鈥檛 simply bring great works and sit back anymore, it鈥檚 not an economy where it鈥檚 that easy.

We鈥檝e certainly seen new buyers come out of the woodwork from all parts of the globe, and it鈥檚 interesting that for us we have a great deal of interest in our program, particularly from the Middle East; we have always had roots in Asia, but because we don鈥檛 deal with any Asian artists, I think that we don鈥檛 get the drama and the volume of clients that some galleries that show Asian art, do. You know, we do what we do, and our program is fairly cogent. We like to think that one thing has a relationship to another, and that we don鈥檛 just jump on the bandwagon and bring things in when they get popular. So, part of it is that we need to remain true to our form and our program, and if things from other regions relate to what we do, then it鈥檚 of interest. But it鈥檚 not like we just ran out one day and got 鈥渢his, that and the other鈥� in order to satisfy the markets. A dealer said to me the other day, 鈥淵ou guys need to get on board and get yourself a Chinese artist!鈥� and I just can never imagine approaching a business model that way; it鈥檚 more a question of bringing what we do to the other parts of the world, rather than bringing other parts of the world, to us. Because it鈥檚 really all about the art and the artists.

MA: What was your experience at last year's fair and how do you expect this year to be different?

Coric: Last year was excellent. With the change in the Euro/dollars exchange rate, we expect to sell more European artists as we sell in Euros. We also expect to see more American collectors who did not travel as much to Europe the last few years.

Sheffer: I think last year鈥� people were confident, but they wanted to see where things were going. And I think now, we鈥檝e got some traction behind us, we鈥檝e experienced some highs and lows in this new economy, and I think people have a greater sense of what their paper-wealth and their asset-wealth are. I think they also feel they have maintained more of their wealth in the art that they have collected, as opposed to in the paper-stock that they had; but then again, you can鈥檛 think of collecting art entirely as an investment because if you do, you will certainly be disappointed in certain aspects of it. Not to say that art isn鈥檛 worth something; it is, but I guess what I鈥檓 saying, is that people have greater faith in the art that they collected, and its maintained value over time, than they have in some of the stocks they bought. And because of that people feel like they鈥檙e going deeper into the market that way.

MA: What's the most exciting aspect of being in Basel during the fair apart from the participation in Art Basel?

Coric: The shows at the Beyeler foundation are always exceptional.

Sheffer: Probably the museum system, which is quite extraordinary. I mean when you think of the Beyeler and the Kunst Museum Basel, and the Schaulager, you can always count on world-class exhibitions. It鈥檚 pretty amazing, actually.

Images courtesy of Galerie Daniel Templon and Cheim & Read