With 16 galleries spread over three different continents, Galeries Bartoux has come a long way since its inception in 1993. Specialising in contemporary art, Galeries Bartoux prides itself in constantly being at the forefront of the art world.
Art Republik sat down with co-founder Robert Bartoux to discuss the spirit of Galeries Bartoux, and the art it represents.
Itâs been 24 years since you opened your first gallery in Honfleur. How has your experience been as a gallerist?
It has been very enlightening. Each day, we learn something different, and weâre always meeting new people, collectors and artists.
How about here in Southeast Asia? Has it been different operating here in comparison to in Europe, or in the U.S.?
There has been some adaptation, of course, but the essence is always the same. Itâs interesting, because when I began to develop my company outside of France â for example, in New York or in Singapore â I was surprised to discover the exact same spirit as we have in France. Art is an international language, and although sometimes we may not understand each othersâ language or lifestyle, we can always find a meeting point in a piece of art.
So is there a certain kind of art you feature in your gallery?
We have a style here in Galeries Bartoux: modern art, pop art, street art. The spirit of Galeries Bartoux is not to be an antique gallery. It is to be a gallery of the time, and so we want to always feature artists of the time. Youâll notice we donât have a lot of Chinese artists here. About 90% of the art here is done by European artists, and you will find that I am not alone in this.
In Asia, there is a lot of very beautiful Chinese art that I admire, and it sells well. But while art is international, we do still have a certain style. We are not in this business only for money, and I do not want to be different for the sake of being different. My wish to support the art that I believe in, and it is because of this that I present this generation of street artists.
So what differentiates Asian art from European art?
The culture in Asia is very different from Europe. Itâs slowly beginning to open up to more different styles of art, but in countries like China, it is still difficult. There isnât a lot of street art there, because doing street art in China can be bad for you.
While weâre on the topic of street art â the upcoming issue of Art Republik is centred around the theme âChampionsâ, particularly the idea of rebels with a cause. What do you think sets street artists apart from commercial artists?
Street artists are very interesting because they have different motives from commercial artists. They work with no authorisations and sometimes, they get in trouble with the police. But because of that, they learn to work fast. And when you have to work fast and want to make things good, you end up developing excellent technique. The first of these was Banksy, and now thereâs an entire generation of artists with incredible talent. Artists like Noe Two, Mr Brainwash; itâs the next big movement after pop art with Andy Warhol, 45 years ago, and itâs a big business.
Speaking of business, could you tell us a bit about how you go about your day-to-day business? Do you visit your galleries often?
In the past I would visit the galleries every month, but now I visit every two months. I also do spend a lot of time with my artists. My week is very full, but I love it. My father was in the business as well â not as a gallerist, but he made beautiful art books that were incredible. I started to work in this business when I was 18, and I always say that I was born into business, and I will die in this business.
Do you have any plans for the future of Galeries Bartoux?
Yes, we have a lot of projects. Weâve had success in the Asian market so far with our Singapore gallery, so weâll be opening one in Hong Kong. Weâre also looking at Dubai, in the Middle East. And weâll be looking to expand within Europe, because thereâs a big market there â perhaps Venice. After that, weâll see.
ilyda chua
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