“The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution,” Film Forum, opens September 2

Stanley Nelson’s essential documentary — which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, later opening the annual Doc Fortnight festival at the Museum of Modern Art — combines talking-head testimony with a deep reservoir of archival footage to retell the scattered history of the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense. A film of this nature can never capture everything, and some people will feel that, even at just under two hours, there are obvious blind spots. But the film “has on its mind something more simple and effective — a process of demystification,” I wrote back in February. “For the Black Panthers, that means displaying the allure the group held through its style and swagger and projected violence, but also, through the experiences of those involved, documenting the undocumented — the community organizing and social programs, including massively successful food drives and neighborhood support centers that offered health services and catered to other needs.”

“Notorious,” Museum of Modern Art, September 1, 5

Alfred Hitchcock’s 1947 film is screening at MoMA as part of its “Ingrid Bergman: A Centennial Celebration” series, marking the 100th anniversary of the actress’s birth. There is a lot of great stuff in the series, and some of it will be mentioned in later columns, but this week you have one of Bergman’s best performances, a collaboration with Alfred Hitchcock and Cary Grant, both equally in top form. In his book of interviews with Hitchcock, French filmmaker and critic Francois Truffaut says “Notorious” is his favorite of the director’s films — “at any rate, it’s the one I prefer in the black-and-white group,” he adds — going on to claim that it’s a “model of scenario construction.” While I don’t necessarily agree — I lean toward the later, color Hitchcock films as my personal favorites — it is interesting, as the two discuss in the book, to witness what is for all intents and purposes one of the first Hitchcock films, as we know the definition today.

“Army of Shadows,” Film Forum, September 1

This is the final day to catch the limited run of French filmmaker Jean-Pierre Melville’s massive “Army of Shadows.” Originally released in 1969, the film only found a larger audience in America in 2006 during its last rerelease, when it attracted a significant amount of attention. When I think of Melville I always think of Hitchcock, and I believe the two are aiming at similar targets — Truffaut describes Hitchcock’s films as “at once a maximum of stylization and a maximum of simplicity,” which is a pretty good description of Melville as well. This one concerns the French Resistance, a notably bold move, considering it was made during the height of the events of May 1968 and was seen as backwards and anti-radical by the young film critics who had all moved decidedly left. But as the opening of the film states, “Army of Shadows” is a deeply personal and upsetting work for Melville. The epigram reads: “Unhappy memories! Yet I welcome you. You are my long-lost youth.”

“Queen of Earth,” IFC Center/Film Society Lincoln Center, ongoing

Alex Ross Perry’s “Queen of Earth” was one of the best films to screen at BAMCinemaFest at the beginning of the summer, and now it’s finally in theaters. Don’t let this one slip past you. Elisabeth Moss gives what is maybe her best performance to date, 180 degrees from her role as Peggy Olson in “Mad Men” or the stoic detective in Jane Campion’s “Top of the Lake.” If you’re curious for more, read the interview I conducted with Ross Perry for the September issue of Modern Painters.

“Medea,” Film Society of Lincoln Center, August 31

Looking for something to see tonight? Head uptown to Lincoln Center and catch Mountain Goats singer John Darnielle, who will be on hand to celebrate the paperback release of his first novel, the National Book Award-nominated “Wolf in White Van” (which everyone should go read, immediately), and screen a print of Pier Paolo Pasolini’s “Medea,” a strange film and an unusual choice. But as he explained in an interview last week, Greek tragedy is “about truths that can’t be understood until they’ve done the harm they came to do, until they’ve sort of acted their truth out. About things that must be lived rather than grasped. A lot of what I write about touches on this idea, of understanding through experience.”

Just two years ago, pop princess Taylor Swift stunned the world at the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) wearing a midnight blue gown by Hervé Léger by Max Azria, replete with finger waves in her hair and an old Hollywood elegance that belied her then-23 years.

For this year’s awards, held August 30, she chose two outfits that were eye-popping in a very different way. First she bared her midriff in a sequined two-piece pant suit by Ashish Gupta, which she paired with equally metallic Christian Louboutin heels and retro glam eyeliner, then she bared her bottom in an alphabet-print jumpsuit that, resembling a baby’s playsuit, indicated her sense of style may have regressed à la Benjamin Button.

Style on the red carpet, a crucial component of virtually every awards show, also appears to have slid down a slope. It is perhaps indicative of contemporary pop culture that garments constructed for aesthetic integrity no longer have a place in an industry where pictures of posteriors in thongs are supposed to sell singles (see “Anaconda” by Nicki Minaj); or at events where Kanye West declares an intended run for the 2020 presidential election, Justin Bieber starts crying, and Miley Cyrus, who hosted the show and performed in it, appears in nearly 10 different costumes, none of them covering more than 20% (some may argue 10%) of her entire body. Here, fashion is constructed to shock and prompt controversy, and definitely not to enhance or conceal.

Indeed, many of the ensembles worn by the evening’s guests are better described as costumes rather than dresses, even if Lady Gaga, who arguably kickstarted this theatrical but lamentable trend, was not in attendance. Cyrus stole the spotlight by appearing as, amongst other things, a chandelier (made by Atelier Versace, no less), while model Amber Rose was similarly skimpy in loops of cascading chains by Jeremy Scott. Jennifer Lopez, still boasting a to-die-for figure, matched her crystal-studded cut-out gown to her shoes and clutch so well that she looked simply like a walking bauble.

Elsewhere, Kim Kardashian chose a most unflattering safari Balmain dress, while her husband Kanye West looked like he couldn’t care less either, accepting his Video Vanguard Award wearing a pair of sweats rolled up at the ankles. Nicki Minaj and Britney Spears both wore nude, body-squishing and navel-baring ensembles by Labourjoisie — but neither managed to impress.

To view the full list of fashion disasters on the 2015 VMA red carpet, click on the slideshow.

Artissima, Italy’s leading contemporary art fair, has announced a list of 206 galleries from 31 countries for the 22^nd edition of the fair which returns in 2015 to The Oval in Turin from November 6-8 with many new initiatives.

According to Artissima, more than 50 curators and museum directors from around the world are contributing to this year’s program, which features talks, major awards, guided tours, a specially conceived VIP Lounge, as well as an unprecedented exhibition of public and private collections.

Curated by Artissima Srl, a company connected with the Fondazione Torino Musei, Artissima 2015 comprises six sections: three traditional exhibition sections (Main, New Entries, and Art Editions) and three curated sections (Present Future, Back to the Future, and Per4m)

The Main section features established galleries dedicated to the promotion of new talent; New Entries brings together international galleries that have been operating for less than five years; and Art Editions which is devoted to galleries and other spaces presenting editioned works, prints, and multiples.

Back to the Future, a section devoted to rediscovering the artistic avant-garde of the 1960s, ‘70s, and ‘80s, this year comprises 25 museum-quality solo shows focused exclusively on the decade 1975–85, curated by Eva Fabbris (coordinator), João Fernandes, Elena Filipovic, and Beatrix Ruf.

The 2015 edition of Present Future, a section devoted to emerging talents selected by a board of young curators from around the world, features solo shows by 20 emerging artists curated by Luigi Fassi (coordinator), Fatima Hellberg, Lara Khaldi, Natalia Sielewicz, Fatos Üstek.

The fair’s Per4m section, a new section devoted to the presentation of innovative performative works that was launched by Artissimia in 2014, this year comprises 12 performances and is curated by Simone Menegoi, Sophie Goltz, Chris Sharp.

In 2015 Artissima is taking the bold more of transforming its VIP lounge into an art installation. Titled “Opium Den,” the project is created and curated by Maurizio Vetrugno who will create a space that is describes as “intimate and sumptuous, immersive and engaging.”

Another highlight of Artissima 2015 will be a solo exhibition by young American artist Rachel Rose, recipient of the illy Present Future Prize 2014, who will present a new video installation at Castello di Rivoli Museo d’Arte Contemporanea.

To see the full list of exhibitors and for more information on the fair visit the Artissima website here.

Creepy music is to horror film what salt is to soup. And horror and science fiction film director John Carpenter, creator of cult classics such as “Halloween” (1978), “The Fog” (1980) and “The Thing” (1982), has almost as many credits for scoring films as he does for directing and writing. Through a four decade long career speckled with many blockbuster hits, Carpenter has come to be known as the ‘Master of Horror’ or the ‘Prince of Darkness’, with his distinct style of filmmaking involving minimalist cinematography and lighting, and synth-heavy soundtracks, which he either composed himself or in collaboration with other musicians.

He once said, “At the beginning, I was doing the music out of necessity, because we had no money. At some point, I realized that the scores became another voice, another way I could further what I was doing as a filmmaker. It became an extension of directing. Composing was a lot of extra work, but I kept going as long as I could stand it. Kind of like directing.” However a talent that emerged out of necessity ended up reinforcing his stamp on the genre. His haunting scores for “Halloween” and “Assault on Precinct 13” (1976) impressed both critics and fans alike at the time and continue to act almost as a beacon for horror and science fiction movies of the Seventies and the Eighties, besides inspiring numerous electronic producers over the years.

At the age of 67, the filmmaker has not yet lost his spirit of enterprise. In February this year, Carpenter released a well-received studio album “Lost Themes” through Sacred Bones Records, in collaboration with his son Cody Carpenter and godson Daniel Davies. In a press release, he noted, “Lost Themes’ was all about having fun… It can be both great and bad to score over images, which is what I’m used to. Here, there were no pressures. No actors asking me what they’re supposed to do. No crew waiting. No cutting room to go to. No release pending.”

But that’s not all. On October 16, Carpenter is also set to release “Lost Themes Remixed”, featuring eight remixed tracks from this album on vinyl. American singer-songwriter and producer Zola Jesus remixes “Night” with producer Dean Hurley, on the lines of her lo-fi Stridulum-era work. Los Angeles minimal techno mastermind Silent Servant reworks “Vortex”. Visionary Australian producer JG Thirlwell, who also goes by the name Foetus, mixes “Abyss” in line with the modern classical scores he’s known for. Los Angeles synth pop outfit ohGr works on the track “Wraith”.

Dominick Fernow of Prurient says about his remix of the track “Purgatory”, “John Carpenter is the master of sustained tension with electronic music. The fine line between stasis and energy is almost impossible to define but Carpenter consistently achieves this paradox with Spartan means. This remix attempts to break the compositional tension of Carpenter’s ‘Purgatory’.”

Multi-instrumentalist and producer Ben Greenberg, who creates an alternate “Vortex” remix, says, “There’s a true minimalism at work in his (Carpenter’s) music, but it’s a means, not an end. It’s simple, but synthetic, so there’s very little going on, but it’s very distinctive and unsettling.”

The director-son team have also let on that they might be working on more music to be released in the future.

Preorder John Carpenter’s “Lost Themes Remixed” via Sacred Bones here.

“Lost Themes Remixed” Tracklist:
1. Purgatory (Prurient Remix)
2. Night (Zola Jesus & Dean Hurley Remix)
3. Wraith (ohGr Remix)
4. Vortex (Silent Servant Remix)
5. Vortex (Uniform Remix)
6. Fallen (Blanck Mass Remix)
7. Abyss (JG Thirwell Remix)
8. Fallen (Bill Kouligas Remix)

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— Sotheby’s Will Auction Taubman’s $500M Collection: Sotheby’s has beat out Christie’s for the rights to auction the 500-plus piece, $500 million collection of Sotheby’s infamous former chairman A. Alfred Taubman, who passed away in April. It is reportedly the most valuable private collection ever auctioned. “It was very, very close,” said Taubman family spokesman Christopher Tennyson, regarding the venue decision. “Both houses made very strong presentations.” The collection will go up in four sales in November and January — the first on November 4, the same week as Christie’s headlining $100 million Modigliani sale. Featured works include Picasso’s “Femme Assise sur une Chaise,” 1938; de Kooning’s 1976 “Untitled XXI”; and (fittingly) Modigliani’s “Portrait de Paulette Jourdain,” 1919, all estimated at $25-35 million. [NYT, WSJ, WP, BBC, FT, Bloomberg, TAN, NYO]

— PAMM Names New Director Franklin Sirmans: Franklin Sirmans, current LACMA contemporary art curator and department head, will be the new director of the Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM). “He is clearly a rock star in the contemporary art world,” said PAMM trustee Dennis Scholl. Before joining LACMA, Sirmans curated modern and contemporary art at Houston’s Menil Collection Sirmans, and also served as an independent curator at institutions like the Brooklyn Museum and the Bronx Museum of the Arts. Recently, he curated the third Prospect biennial in New Orleans (more coverage here). “It’s really fascinating how Miami has become not only an international center for commerce, but an international center for ideas,” Sirmans said. “In terms of talking about the art of our time, from the 20th and 21st centuries, PAMM is going to be the focal point for that conversation. We have the opportunity to think about certain artists — particularly from Latin America — that other places might not put a premium on.” He officially begins his tenure on October 15. [NYT, LAT]

— British Government’s Art Trove Revealed: A state-owned collection of art, property of none other than the British federal government and its various local government institutions, has been revealed to be worth $5.3 billion — even though most people don’t know what’s in the massive collection. Only 3 percent of the collection is on view at any given time, meaning that items like LS Lowry’s “Lancashire Fair: Good Friday, Daisy Nook” are rarely seen save for when loaned to museums. While the most valuable object in the collection — armor for field and tournament that was owned by Henry VIII and is worth $81.5 million — is on view at the Royal Armories, millions of pieces owned by the government are in storage or only on view in state offices. [BBC]

— Brugnara Probably Won’t Get a New Trial: Art fraudster extraordinaire Luke Brugnara, convicted of two counts of wire fraud, one count of mail fraud, one count of making false declarations to the court, escape, and contempt, is unlikely to get a new trial. Though his new legal team argued in a San Francisco court that the de Kooning paintings central to the trial had no value, and that a new trial should therefore be in order, the judge disagreed — even though the value of the art will affect the length of his sentence. [Courthouse News Service]

— eBay Adds Phillips to Live-Auction Platform: Following in the footsteps of Sotheby’s, Phillips auction house is joining eBay to live-stream its auctions on the Internet sales platform. The first Phillips auction to have an eBay presence will be the “New Now” sale of contemporary art on September 17. Buyers will be able to bid online, as well as on site in NYC. [AMM]

— “Notoriously Opaque” Art Market Faces Greater Scrutiny: At yesterday’s annual Art Business Conference in London, expert Michael Martin, who heads forensic and anti-money laundering services at Deloitte Luxembourg, observed that “art is one of the asset classes that obviously lends itself to money laundering.” European financial regulators are starting to clamp down on the art market to make it more transparent: it came up at the conference that the head of the Swiss Money Laundering Reporting Office called for “real regulation of the art market” in June. [Globe and Mail]

— “If dust is found in those portraits, you’re subject to pay a fine — the thicker the dust is the more you have to pay,” said Je Son-lee, a North Korean defector, offering one of many noteworthy facts about the required and omnipresent portraits of the country’s former leaders Kim Jong-il and Kim Il-sung. [Guardian]

— More from your favorite ongoing Nazi treasure train story: today, the two men who claim to have found the legendary train went on TV to present their evidence, as Polish soldiers arrived to check out the site. [Telegraph]

— John Baldessari and Meredith Monk will be among the recipients of the 2014 National Medals of Arts (see also: Stephen King and Sally Field), to be presented at a White House ceremony September 10. Meanwhile, Philippe Parreno will be honored at the Sculpture Center’s November 4 gala. (“Can I come in a T-shirt, or do I have to get a tie?” he asked, upon learning the reception would be held at the Rainbow Room.) [LAT, ARTnews, NYT]

When the protestors came to the Venice Biennale on August 2, they occupied Tsibi Geva’s Israel pavilion for only an hour.

It was a corrective measure, according to members of Gulf Labor Coalition and G.U.L.F., official participants in the Biennale, who employ headline-grabbing tactics to speak out against the working conditions on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi and elsewhere. “Political art is everywhere we look at this year’s Biennale,” their statement reads. “But Palestine does not appear significantly on anyone’s radar.” 

An overt reference to Palestine, however, hangs inside the Israel pavilion at a point visible from the group’s meeting spot. A long scroll carries the word “GAZZAA,” a play on the words “Gaza” and “gauze,” and a painted keffiyeh, whose intersecting lines resemble a metal, chain-linked fence. Nearby, an actual cage contains a sign that reads, with no small dose of irony: “WONDERLAND.”

Geva, 64, was aplomb amidst the news of the occupation of the national pavilion. “I am happy that they chose to hold a ‘public meeting’ at the heart of my project,” he wrote in an email to ARTINFO, referring to the discussion the protesters initiated about the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement (known as BDS) — which bans the support of Israeli companies and cultural institutions — and the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (known as PACBI). “They are more than welcome.”

In his Venice presentation, Geva has created a house of sorts within the 1952 modernist structure. “But the parts of the house are very broken somehow — it is falling apart,” Geva said of the project. “I take the backyard and bring it to the front. I show all the denied things, the things we don’t want to show to the ‘other.’”

Geva is not a political artist in a punishingly didactic way. He does not respond to whatever event made headlines last week. Nor does he have self-aggrandizing airs of positioning himself as an intercessor on behalf of disenfranchised masses, unlike some self-stylized artists-activists. He is political only in that he stages vigorous formal dialectic — between materials and ideas — across his work.

At Venice, the artist works through these ideas concretely by means of, well, junk. Geva trawled the streets of Yaffo, the Tel Aviv neighborhood where his studio is located, for thrown away items for his installation, which includes ripped clothing, old televisions, bedframes, and tires. The latter cover the expanse of the entire two-story Venice pavilion, creating a modernist-like grid hoisted together with cable ties and makeshift wedges. As a symbol, the tires flicker between representing the possibly of shelter, like a bunker, and objects of protest, famously burned in Palestinian in demonstrations. Approaching the pavilion, the smell of rubber assails the viewer.

Inside the pavilion, one sees a long stretch of a glassed off boidem— the Yiddish word for an attic or crawl space found in a corridor or kitchen, used to store things: broken TVs, ladders, bed springs, a naked light bulb, dinged up pots, a cat litter box. They are things kept around, just in case. “Which is very Jewish behavior. It somehow describes the Jewish anxiety,” Geva said.  

That existential register sounds across the entire pavilion. Though the presentation is assiduously curated by Hadas Maor, the quality of the many architectural elements creates an impermanent, thrown-together atmosphere. Even the paintings in the next room, depicting orgies and domination, are rendered with a flurry of strokes. Geva was not quick to over-explain these figurative works. The birds might be witnesses, he suggested, shrugging and pointing at a raven in an upstairs painting. He was more eager to talk about the inky black lines that feature prominently on each canvas: “My black is very colorful, somehow. I think the whole atmosphere touches on my existential feeling of anxiety, the pressure of living in a place of unstable feeling, temporality, immigration.”

Born on Kibbutz Ein Shemer, Geva said his work at Venice was in part inspired by his architect father, who built some 300 minimalist, post-Bauhaus structures across Israel during his career. He was also the first Jew to design a mosque in Israel, near their kibbutz. That was before the 1967 Six Day War, Geva recalled, when he could still accompany his father to the Arab villages.

But any high modernist ideals Geva has borrowed from his father are made “dirty,” he said, in his variation. “Tsibi is well educated in the principle modernist notions of what art is,” said Maor, the pavilion curator. At Venice, he has reinterpreted the grid of Mondrian or Sol LeWitt with the pattern of the window lattices to evoke a culturally specific context of defense.

The Israel Ministry of Culture and Sport and the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs backs the Venice presentation — which is why the Gulf protestors came in the first place. Cultural workers who receive state funding are bound“to promote the policy interests of the State of Israel via culture and art, including contributing to creating a positive image for Israel” in a signed contract. A “positive image” here, however, seems less a cheery propagandistic statement of affection than one that observes the crippling force of occupation. “It is important that people outside of Israel see that there is resistance,” Geva said. In this particular protest at Venice, the Gulf Labor Coalition’s efforts might have been misplaced.  

They are instantly recognizable from their Wimbledon white and Guardsman blue Le Mans racing stripes, and widely considered the greatest American sports cars ever built. The Shelby Cobra, unlike its close competitor, the Corvette, were modified British cars by American sports racing legend Carroll Shelby, and were produced in very limited numbers — a little over one thousand — over a short period in the 1960s. The Shelby Cobra 289s, for instance, were made only from 1963 to late 1965, while their larger-engine brethren, the Shelby Cobra 427s, were manufactured between 1965 and 1968. Because of their rarity, Shelby cars have been appreciating rapidly on the auction market.

According to experts Blouin Lifestyle spoke to, some have more than doubled in value in less than a decade. “Five years ago, a Shelby Cobra 289 was probably a $400,000 car. These days it’s upwards of $900,000 to $1.2 million, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it went up to $1.5 million in some cases,” says David Gooding, president and founder of Gooding & Company, which sold a 1963 Shelby Cobra 289 Factory Team Car for $2.6 million at Pebble Beach in 2011. “The post-war sports and racing car category has been very hot, and within that subset, the Shelbys have been super strong too.” The Cobra 427— which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year — also trades in the $1.5 million to $2 million range these days, according to Eric Minoff, automobiles specialist at Bonhams, with the rarer racing models fetching much more.

A 1967 Shelby 427 ‘Semi-Competition’ Cobra sold for $2.1 million at RM Sotheby’s 2015 Amelia Island sale in March, while the lone example of a 1966 Cobra 427 Super Snake, initially built for Shelby himself, achieved $5.1 million at Barrett-Jackson Auctions’ 2015 Scottsdale auctions in January. The appeal of Shelby’s cars is directly tied to the charisma of the man who made them. Born January 11, 1923 in Texas, Shelby was a farmer-turned-racecar-driver who raced for the Cad-Allard, Donald Healey, and Maserati teams during the 1950s, setting 16 U.S. and international speed records in the process. His notable Texan drawl and farmer’s attire made him the polar opposite of other drivers, many of whom had the air of rich European playboys. He suffered from health issues throughout his life (starting with heart problems aged 7), but still managed to participate in and win endurance races. He drove an Aston Martin DBR1, together with Englishman Roy Salvadori, to win the famed 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1959, and it was during this race that he noted the performance of AC Motors’ GT car, called the Ace — which three years later would become the basis for the AC Cobra.

“He was an iconic individual in terms of what he represented. He knew what he wanted to do with cars and inspired people to follow him or get into racing themselves,” notes Ian Kelleher, West Coast Managing Director of RM Sotheby’s. “He was this everyday guy who happened to also compete on the world stage with other drivers. In a lot of ways, he had a celebrity aura much like Steve McQueen, but it was based on his very real achievements. He even took on Enzo Ferrari at Le Mans.” Shelby started modifying cars soon after retiring from driving in October 1959 due to health reasons, and obtained a licence to import the AC Cobra, which was essentially an AC Ace with a Ford V8 engine that AC had fitted at Shelby’s request, in place of its standard AC six, Ford Zephyr, or 2-liter Bristol engine. Shelby also modified cars manufactured by Ford to create the Mustang-based Shelby GT350 and Shelby GT500, the muscular looking Daytona Coupe, and the sensuously-curved GT40, which famously swept 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places at Le Mans in 1966, relegating Ferrari to 8th place, and effectively marking the start of the end of the Italian marque’s reign at that race.

A 1965 Ford GT40 Roadster Prototype went for $6.9 million at RM Sotheby’s at Monterey in 2014, while the rarity of a Daytona Coupe — with only six of them ever made between 1964 and 1965 — could drive the price to $18-20 million in today’s market, auctioneers say. “One thing that’s always been appealing about Shelbys, compared to Ferrari or Porsche, is that they are mechanically very simple and very easy to work on. They are reliable cars and not quite so temperamental as [some of the European marques],” observes Gooding. Meanwhile, what separates Shelbys from other American sports cars, is that “they are products of the vision of one man. The other American sports cars were built by corporations where one person’s vision was not so clearly felt,” adds Gooding. Minoff agrees, saying, “There are millions of Mustangs and Corvettes, but the number of Shelbys out there is astronomically lower, only a couple of thousand.” As a result, Shelbys are also extremely well documented — the Shelby American Automobile Club has a registry that lists every single chassis number made — making provenance easy to trace for collectors.

All told, Shelby encapsulates the best parts of American racing and sports cars, being successful on the track and still suitable for everyday driving. Minoff observes, “Shelby did very very well in European sports car racing, which makes those cars very desirable. It has the rarity, the history, and the sex appeal.”

If one thing can be said about Lizzy Mercier Descloux, it’s that she moved quickly. The perpetual multi-hyphenate, who passed away from cancer in 2004, is today almost completely unknown, despite her crossing paths with more than a few legendary names, all orbiting the New York art-underground of the late ’70s and early ’80s. Here’s a sample: Patti Smith provided material for “Desiderata,” Descloux’s

first book of poetry; she was instrumental in the creation of the early France-based punk publication “Rock Magazine,” co-created with her partner Michel Esteban; she counted Richard Hell and Jean-Michel Basquiat as friends and sometimes boyfriends; she acted in experimental films directed by Amos Poe; and she recorded six albums of music over a 10-year period.

It’s the final part of her winding resume that is bringing her back into the public eye. “Press Color,” her debut album, was reissued by Light in the Attic on August 14, the first of five planned releases from the label. Originally released on Ze Records (co-founded by Esteban) in 1979, only two years after Descloux arrived in New York from Paris, “Press Color” is a stunningly hip document of the colliding sounds of downtown New York, where punk was overlapping with funk, disco, and noise to create music that remains uncategorizable. (Some call it “no-wave,” but this sounds nothing like James Chance or DNA.) Her image that adorns the cover shows her looking off-camera, soft features, spikey hair, and a resounding, pouty stare, all combining in an effortless cool. “I once saw French punk singer Lizzy Mercier Descloux douse her cigarette in the drink of a boy who was bothering her,” the critic James Wolcott wrote, confirming the promise of the image.

The album opens with “Fire,” a cover of a song by The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown made better, all forward-leaning pulse like a Giorgio Moroder-produced dance-floor eruption played by Fela Kuti’s Africa ’70 band. Descloux floats on top of the rhythm with swagger and unwavering confidence, her calm singsong occasionally turning to yelps in time with the beat. The song, like the rest of the album, was recorded at Blank Tapes studio, a legendary New York creative hub that saw everybody from Lydia Lunch to Afrika Bambaataa to Chaka Kahn walk through its doors.

The rest of “Press Color” gives us a host of different access points. There is the heavy influence of the Compass Point Sound that emanated out of Jamaica (she recorded her next album, “Mambo Nassau,” at the studio there) while others bear the mark of the slick reggae Serge Gainsbourg was dabbling in around the same time. The end of the album gets weirder, and includes songs from a previous EP she recorded under the name Rosa Yemen as well as a track called “Morning High” that features Patti Smith and Descloux reading Arthur Rimbaud, which would be the goofiest thing on “Press Color” if there weren’t two different instrumental covers of the “Mission Impossible” theme song.

The recording of her follow-up “Mambo Nassau” saw Descloux dive deeper into a more global sound. In 1983, after reportedly tracing Rimbaud’s fatal path from France to Africa, she recorded her album “Zulu Rock” in South Africa, and later recorded “One for the Soul” in Rio in 1985, which features contributions from Chet Baker. A year later, she recorded her final album, “Suspense,” which brought her back in contact with the scene from which she was born through a collaboration with Mark Cunningham of the band Mars. (One more album was recorded almost a decade later, but never released.)

Throughout the 1990s Descloux globe-hopped — she lived in the West Indies for a spell — and eventually wrote a novel, called “Buenaventura,” before transitioning to painting, which she continued after moving back to France around 2000 until her early death four years later. She is typically downplayed, like most women, in the history of underground culture in the New York City of the period. But Descloux is finally being recognized by for her pioneering work expanding Western rock music to incorporate new sounds and new adventures. 

In its September issue, Art+Auction compiled a list of the 25 most collectible midcareer artists working today. This month, ARTINFO will publish one installment from the feature per day. Click here to read Art+Auction editor-in-chief Eric Bryant’s introduction to the list.

Matthew Benedict  |  b. 1968  |  United States

Ever since the 2014 unveiling of a commissioned four-panel mural depicting scenes of Tribeca throughout the years in the back barroom of the trendy Smyth hotel, Benedict has enjoyed new visibility and interest among buyers, says dealer Ted Bonin of New York’s Alexander and Bonin gallery. Some are even requesting studies for the mural, executed in gouache on archival bookbinder’s board, which range in price from $7,000 to $12,000. The Connecticut-born, Brooklyn-based artist, who has attracted a strong collector base in the United States and Europe, works in a variety of media, from sculpture—mostly assemblages of found objects—to drawings, photographs, embroideries, and paintings. “He often uses literature as a starting point, but he ends with an examination of American subculture,” says Bonin, citing the artist’s consideration of the history of masons through a reading of Moby-Dick, which resulted in his gouache-on-panel triptych Moby-Dick at Breakfast, 2009. Benedict’s themes, he adds, tend to develop over time and oscillate between paintings and objects. In 1993 the artist produced a work called Gumshoe. B. 1906, D. 1967, comprising the possessions of a fictional detective. Many of the same props reappeared in a 2000 painting, Durant. Then, in 2012, Benedict revisited these works, creating a wall relief using similar items titled Silent Still Life. Such objects range in price from $15,000 to $30,000. Five years ago, Benedict’s paintings sold for $8,000 to $35,000; today they vary between $15,000 and $50,000, reflecting a slow and steady appreciation. Next spring, Stene Projects in Stockholm will present a solo show of works by the artist, who is co-represented by the Zurich gallery Mai 36. 

The Hope Diamond, perhaps the most famous diamond in the world, had a counterpart in the collection it was nestled in — the Hope Spinel.

Both belonging at one time to powerful London banker Henry Philip Hope, who died in 1839, the 45.52-carat Hope Diamond now resides in the National Museum of Natural History at the Smithsonian, while the 50.13-carat spinel is headlining Bonhams’ Fine Jewelry sale in London on September 24.

Notably, the spinel, the size and color of a small plum, has not been offered for sale for nearly a century.

While it sold for £1,060 — or the equivalent of £80,000 in today’s money — in 1917, Bonhams is expecting it to fetch between £150,000 and £200,000 this year.

But “it could go for a lot more,” says Emily Barber, UK Jewelry Department Director at Bonhams. “You just don’t see pieces of this quality and provenance on the open market very often. It’s very exciting.”

Indeed, the provenance of the stone, in addition to its superb quality, should generate more collector interest than usual.

Hope, who descended from a dynasty of wealthy merchant bankers in Amsterdam, moved to London with his elder brother at the end of the 18th century, and built very valuable art and jewelry collections. Because he never married, he secretly gifted his 700-piece collection — which included this Hope Spinel and the Hope Diamond — to one of his three nephews to avoid death duties.

Instead, the other two nephews fought him bitterly over 10 years for the inheritance, leading the court to order that the Hope Spinel and several other of the most valuable gems be separated from the collection to resolve the issue.

“Eventually it was decided that the younger nephew Alexander Beresford-Hope would inherit the bulk of the collection. But his elder brother, Henry Thomas Hope, would retain eight of the most valuable stones, including the Hope Blue Diamond and the Hope Spinel,” says Barber.

That wasn’t the end of it.

When Henry Thomas died, his widow Anne Adele inherited the jewels. But because their only daughter was married to a profligate and notorious gambler, the 6th Duke of Newcastle, Anne Adele bequeathed them to her second grandson, Henry Francis Pelham-Clinton, on condition that he add the name of "Hope" to his own surnames when he reached the age of legal majority. As Lord Francis Hope, this grandson received his legacy in 1887. However, he had only a life interest in his inheritance, meaning that he could not sell any part of it without court permission.

Unfortunately, Lord Hope too was hope-less gambler, and by the mid 1890s — only nine years after receiving his colossal inheritance — he was declared bankrupt.

With court permission, he privately sold the Hope Diamond to a dealer in 1901. In 1917, whatever remained of the Hope collections was dispersed at Christie’s in the sale of ‘The Hope Heirlooms.’

The Hope spinel, lot 35 in the sale, went to a dealer, who later sold it to Lady Mount Stephen, who was reportedly a close friend of Queen Mary.

“The Mount Stephens were very well connected to the British royal family, and gifted a diamond necklace to Queen Mary that Princess Margaret eventually wore on her wedding day,” says Barber. “When Lady Mount Stephen died in 1933, the spinel went to her niece-by-marriage, Elsie Reford, who along with her husband, amassed one of the most important collections of art in Canada. The spinel was gifted to Elsie Refords’ granddaughter, who was also Lady Mount Stephen’s goddaughter. The current owner is a direct descendant who has always known it as being ‘Aunt Gian’s (Lady Mount Stephen) Hope Spinel’.”

Assessed by Swiss gemology laboratory SSEF, the exceptionally transparent spinel is confirmed to have come from the ancient Kuh-i-Lal mines in Tajikistan, where other very large historical gems in the Crown Jewels were also found.

“The mines are geographically difficult to get to and politically in the 20th century weren’t being used. That makes spinels like these exceptionally rare,” says Barber. “The Hope Spinel is a fabulous story; it’s always exciting to re-discover something that has been lost.”

The art world continues its unprecedented expansion in 2015, with bigger fairs, higher sales, and more exciting talent. But despite the abundance of new ways to show, sell, and discover art, galleries remain at the epicenter of this constantly changing scene. A special summer issue of Modern Painters, which will be published in installments on ARTINFO through next week, surveys the best of them, across six continents and 36 countries. Throughout the issue you’ll also hear from 50 of the most influential gallery owners and directors, discussing their achievements and envies, the artists they have their eye on, and the regional trends affecting this increasingly international market. Below you’ll find the list of the best galleries of Europe in 2015.  

AUSTRIA

CHARIM GALERIE
Vienna
ARTISTS:Ivan Bazak, Dorothee Golz, Maja Bajevic ́, Roberta Lima, Lisl Ponger

CONTACT: charimgalerie.at, charim@charimgalerie.at, +43 1 512 09 15

CHRISTINE KOENIG GALERIE
Vienna
LEADERSHIP: Robby Greif
ARTISTS: Stanley Whitney, Per Dybvig, Juergen Teller, Sislej Xhafa, Nancy Spero

ESTABLISHED: 1989
CONTACT: christinekoeniggalerie.com, office@christinekoeniggalerie.at, +43 1 585 74 74

GALERIE ANDREAS HUBER
Vienna
LEADERSHIP: Andreas Huber
ARTISTS: Michael Part, Rudolf Polanszky, Florian Schmidt, Travess Smalley,RitaSobralCampos
ESTABLISHED: 2005
CONTACT: galerieandreashuber.at, art@galerieandreashuber.at, +43 1 586 02 37

GALERIE ELISABETH & KLAUS THOMAN

Vienna and Innsbruck
LEADERSHIP: Elisabeth and Klaus Thoman
ARTISTS: Siegfried Anzinger, Carmen Brucic, Florin Kompatscher, Tal R, Erwin Wurm
ESTABLISHED: 1977
CONTACT: galeriethoman.com, galerie@galeriethoman.com, +43 1 512 08 40

GALERIE KRINZINGER
Vienna
LEADERSHIP: Ursula Krinzinger
ARTISTS: Andy Coolquitt, Waqas Khan, Linus Riepler, Anja Ronacher, Thomas Zipp

ESTABLISHED: 1971
CONTACT: galerie-krinzinger.at, galeriekrinzinger@chello.at, +43 1 513 30 06

GALERIE MARTIN JANDA
Vienna
LEADERSHIP: Martin Janda
ARTISTS: Svenja Deininger, Nilbar Güres, Július Koller, Roman Ondák, Roman Signer

ESTABLISHED: 1992
CONTACT: martinjanda.at, galerie@martinjanda.at, +43 1 585 73 71

GALERIE MEYER KAINER
Vienna
LEADERSHIP: Christian Meyer and Renate Kainer

ARTISTS: gelatin, Rachel Harrison, Franz West, Amelie von Wulffen, Heimo Zobernig
ESTABLISHED: 1999
CONTACT: meyerkainer.com, contact@meyerkainer.com, +43 1 585 72 77

GALERIE NAECHST ST. STEPHAN ROSEMARIE SCHWARZWAELDER
Vienna
LEADERSHIP: Rosemarie Schwarzwälder
ARTISTS: Polly Apfelbaum, Rainer Ganahl, Lee Ufan, Adrian Schiess

ESTABLISHED: 1954
CONTACT: schwarzwaelder.at, galerie@schwarz waelder.at, +43 1 512 12 66

GALERIE NIKOLAUS RUZICSKA
Salzburg
LEADERSHIP: Nikolaus Ruzicska
ARTISTS: Kerry Tribe, Nick Brandt, Eva Schlegel, Gary Webb, Monica Bonvicini

ESTABLISHED: 2004
CONTACT: ruzicska.com, salsburg@ruzicska.com, +43 662 63 03 60

GEORG KARGL FINE ARTS
Vienna
LEADERSHIP: Georg Kargl
ARTISTS: Paul De Reus, Agnieszka Polska, Liddy Scheffknecht, Erwin Thorn, Ina Weber
ESTABLISHED: 1998
CONTACT: georgkargl.com, office@georgkargl.com, +43 1 585 41 99

KNOLL GALERIE
Vienna
LEADERSHIP: Hans Knoll
ARTISTS: Natalia Nikitin, Ivica Capan, Blue Noses, Akos Birkás, Jan van der Pol

INTERNATIONAL LOCATIONS: Budapest, Hungary
CONTACT: knollgalerie.at, office@knollgalerie.at, +43 1 587 50 52

BELGIUM

ALBERT BARONIAN
Brussels
LEADERSHIP: Albert Baronian
ARTISTS: Lionel Estève, Gilbert & George, Tony Oursler, Wang Du, Gilberto Zorio

ESTABLISHED: 1973
CONTACT: albertbaronian.com, info@albertbaronian.com, +32 2 512 92 95

GALERIE CATHERINE BASTIDE
Brussels
LEADERSHIP: Catherine Bastide
ARTISTS: Sarah Crowner, Jean-Pascal Flavien, Ola Rindal, Janaina Tschäpe, Geert Goiris
ESTABLISHED: 2000
CONTACT: catherinebastide.com, info@catherinebastide.com, +32 2 646 29 71

GUY PIETERS GALLERY
Knokke-Heist
LEADERSHIP: Guy Pieters
ARTISTS: Nicolas Alquin, Tracey Emin, Steinbach, Cheri Samba, Keith Haring

INTERNATIONAL LOCATIONS: Saint Paul de Vence, France

CONTACT: guypietersgallery.com, knokke@guypietersgallery.com, +32 50 62 33 80

JAN MOT
Brussels
LEADERSHIP: Jan Mot
ARTISTS: Tris Vonna-Michell, David Lamelas, Sharon Lockhart, Mario Garcia Torres, Tino Sehgal
ESTABLISHED: 1996
INTERNATIONAL LOCATIONS: Mexico City, Mexico
CONTACT: janmot.com, office@janmot.com, +32 2 514 10 10

MEESEN DE CLERCQ
Brussels
LEADERSHIP: Jan De Clercq and Olivier Meessen

ARTISTS: Ignasi Aballi, Hreinn Fridfinnsson, Jorge Méndez Blake, Claudio Parmiggiani, José María Sicilia
ESTABLISHED: 2008
CONTACT: meessendeclercq.be, info@meessendeclercq.be, +32 2 644 34 54

OFFICE BAROQUE
Brussels
LEADERSHIP: Wim Peeters and Marie Denkens

ARTISTS: Mathew Cerletty, Matthew Brannon, Leigh Ledare, Catharine Ahearn, Tyson Reeder
ESTABLISHED: 2007
CONTACT: officebaroque.com, info@officebaroque.com, +32 484 599 228

TIM VAN LAERE GALLERY
Antwerp
LEADERSHIP: Tim Van Laere
ARTISTS: Adrian Ghenie, Jonathan Meese, Rinus Van de Velde, Kati Heck, Franz West

ESTABLISHED: 1997
CONTACT: timvanlaeregallery.com, info@timvanlaeregallery.com, +32 3 257 14 17

VEDOVI GALLERY
Brussels
LEADERSHIP: Paolo and Willem Vedovi
ARTISTS: Alexander Calder, Lucio Fontana, René Magritte, Andy Warhol, Christopher Wool
ESTABLISHED: 1995

CONTACT: vedovigallery.com, info@galleryvedovi.com, +32 2 513 38 38

XAVIER HUFKENS
Brussels
LEADERSHIP: XavierHufkens
ARTISTS: Louise Bourgeois, Thierry De Cordier, Roni Horn, Thomas Houseago, Sterling Ruby
ESTABLISHED: 1987
CONTACT:www.xavierhufkens.com, info@xavierhufkens.com, +32 2 639 67 30

CZECH REPUBLIC

HUNT KASTNER
Prague
LEADERSHIP: Camille Hunt and Katherine Kastner

ARTISTS: Zbynek Baladrán, Eva Kotátková, Dominik Lang, Basim Magdy, Jaromír Novotny
ESTABLISHED: 2006
CONTACT: huntkastner.com, info@huntkastner.com, +420 2 22 969 887

LEICA GALLERY
Prague
LEADERSHIP: Míla Dubská
ARTISTS: Eva Fuková, Robert Vano, Jan Ságl, Michaela Pospísilová Králová, Tono Stano
ESTABLISHED: 2002
CONTACT: lgp.cz, lgp@lgp.cz, +420 2 22 211 567

DENMARK

DAVID RISLEY GALLERYCopenhagen
LEADERSHIP: David Risley
ARTISTS: Charlie Roberts, Thomas Hylander, Helen Frik, Anna Bjerger, Alex Da Corte
ESTABLISHED: 2003
CONTACT: davidrisleygallery.com, info@davidrisleygallery.com, +45 26 16 36 71

GALLERI BO BJERGGAARD
Copenhagen
LEADERSHIP: Bo Bjerggaard and Morten Korsgaard

ARTISTS: Per Bak Jensen, Brigitte Waldach, John Kørner, Anna Barriball, A. K. Dolven
ESTABLISHED: 1999
CONTACT: bjerggaard.com, bjerggaard@bjerggaard.com, +45 33 93 42 21

GALLERI SUSANNE OTTESEN
Copenhagen
LEADERSHIP: Susanne Ottesen
ARTISTS: Ib Braase, Morten Schelde, Marie Søndergaard Lolk, Troels Wörsel, Kirsten Ortwed
ESTABLISHED: 1983

CONTACT: susanneottesen.dk, galleri@susanneottesen.dk, +45 33 15 52 44

IMO
Copenhagen
LEADERSHIP: Maiken Bent, Torben Ribe, Jan S. Hansen, A. Kassen, and Michael Hertz Siim

ARTISTS: Marie Lund, Torben Ribe, Parker Cheeto, Luke Fowler, Maiken Bent
ESTABLISHED: 2009
CONTACT: imo-projects.com, info@imo-projects.com, +45 33 79 72 72

MARTIN ASBAEK GALLERY
Copenhagen
LEADERSHIP: Martin Asbaek
ARTISTS: Ebbe Stub Wittrup, Lisa Strömbeck, Matt Saunders, Eva Koch, Cornelius Quabeck
ESTABLISHED: 2005

CONTACT: martinasbaek.com, gallery@martinasbaek.com, +45 33 15 40 45

V1 GALLERY
Copenhagen
LEADERSHIP: Jesper Elg
ARTISTS: John Copeland, Rose Eken, Asger Carlsen, Wes Lang, Todd James
ESTABLISHED: 2002
CONTACT: v1gallery.com, mail@v1gallery.com, +45 33 31 03 21

FINLAND

GALERIE ANHAVA
Helsinki
LEADERSHIP: Ilona Anhava
ARTISTS: Antti Laitinen, Anna Tuori, Joseph James, Mari Sunna, Heli Hiltunen

ESTABLISHED: 1991
CONTACT: anhava.com, galerie@anhava.com, +358 9 669 989

FRANCE

AIR DE PARIS
Paris
LEADERSHIP: Florence Bonnefous and Edouard Merino

ARTISTS: Ben Kinmont, Rob Pruitt, Sarah Pucci, Shimabuku, Sturtevant
ESTABLISHED: 1990
CONTACT: airdeparis.com, fan@airdeparis.com, +33 1 44 23 02 77

ALMINE RECH GALLERY
Paris
LEADERSHIP: Almine Rech
ARTISTS: Don Brown,Ayan Farah, Jeff Koons, Peter Peri, Not Vital
ESTABLISHED: 1997
INTERNATIONAL LOCATIONS: Brussels, Belgium; London, U.K.
CONTACT: alminerech.com, contact.paris@alminerech.com, +33 1 45 83 71 90

GALERIE BALICE HERTLING
Paris
LEADERSHIP: DanieleBaliceandAlexander Hertling

ARTISTS: Camille Blatrix, Sam Falls, Julie Beaufils, Alexander May, Luca Frei
ESTABLISHED: 2007
INTERNATIONAL LOCATIONS: New York, U.S.
CONTACT: balicehertling.com, gallery@balicehertling.com, +33 1 40 33 47 26

GALERIE DANIEL TEMPLON
Paris
LEADERSHIP: Daniel Templon
ARTISTS: Yue Minjun, Jules Olitski, Tunga, Eric Fischl, Sudarshan Shetty
ESTABLISHED: 1966
INTERNATIONAL LOCATIONS: Brussels, Belgium
CONTACT: danieltemplon.com, info@danieltemplon.com, +33 1 42 72 14 10

GALERIE CHANTAL CROUSEL
Paris
LEADERSHIP: Chantal Crousel
ARTISTS: Danh Vo, Gabriel Orozco, Mona Hatoum, Wade Guyton, Jean-Luc Moulène
ESTABLISHED: 1980
CONTACT: crousel.com, galerie@crousel.com, +33 1 42 77 38 87

GALERIE FRANK ELBAZ
Paris
LEADERSHIP: Frank Elbaz
ARTISTS: Greg Bogin, Sheila Hicks, Julije Knifer, Mangelos, Kaz Oshiro
ESTABLISHED: 2002
CONTACT: galeriefrankelbaz.com, info@galeriefrankelbaz.com, +33 1 48 87 50 04

GALERIE GEORGES-PHILIPPE & NATHALIE VALLOIS

Paris
LEADERSHIP: Georges-Philippe and Nathalie Vallois
ARTISTS: Gilles Barbier, Richard Jackson, Henrique Oliveira, Alain Jacquet, Jean Tinguely
ESTABLISHED: 1990
CONTACT: galerie-vallois.com, info@galerie-vallois.com, +33 1 46 34 61 07

GALERIE JOCELYN WOLFF
Paris
LEADERSHIP: Jocelyn Wolff
ARTISTS: William Anastasi, Katinka Bock, Miriam Cahn, Prinz Gholam, Christoph Weber
ESTABLISHED: 2003
CONTACT: galeriewolff.com, +33 1 42 03 05 65

GALERIE LAURENT GODIN
Paris
LEADERSHIP: Laurent Godin
ARTISTS: Scoli Acosta, Liz Cohen, Gonzalo Lebrija, Marlène Mocquet, Alan Vega
ESTABLISHED: 2005
CONTACT: laurentgodin.com, info@laurentgodin.com, +33142711066

GALERIE MICHEL REIN
Paris
LEADERSHIP: Michel Rein and Patrick Vanbellinghen

ARTISTS: Abigail DeVille, Jimmie Durham, Didier Faustino, LaToya Ruby Frazier, Raphaël Zarka
ESTABLISHED: 1992
INTERNATIONAL LOCATIONS: Brussels, Belgium
CONTACT: michelrein.com, galerie@michelrein.com, +33142726813

GALERIE MITTERRAND
Paris
LEADERSHIP: Jean-Gabriel Mitterrand
ARTISTS: Les Frères Chapuisat, Edi Hila, Marina Karella, Nam June Paik, Katja Schenker
ESTABLISHED: 1988
CONTACT: galeriemitterrand.com, info@galeriemitterrand.com, +33143261205

GALERIE NATHALIE OBADIA
Paris
LEADERSHIP: Nathalie Obadia
ARTISTS: Barry X Ball, Rosson Crow, Sophie Kuijken, Chloe Piene, Mickalene Thomas
ESTABLISHED: 1993
INTERNATIONAL LOCATIONS: Brussels, Belgium
CONTACT: galerie-obadia.com, noe.marshall@galerie-oba dia.com, +33 1 42 74 67 68

GALERIE PERROTIN
Paris
LEADERSHIP:Emmanuel Perrotin
ARTISTS: Daniel Arsham, Bernard Frize, Seo-Bo Park, Jesús Rafael Soto, Elmgreen & Dragset
ESTABLISHED: 1989
INTERNATIONAL LOCATIONS: New York, U.S.; Hong Kong, China

CONTACT: perrotin.com, info@perrotin.com, +33 1 42 16 79 79

GALERIE THADDAEUS ROPAC
Paris
LEADERSHIP: Thaddaeus Ropac
ARTISTS: Cory Arcangel, Sylvie Fleury, Anselm Kiefer, Liza Lou, Not Vital

ESTABLISHED: 1983
INTERNATIONAL LOCATIONS: Salzburg, Austria
CONTACT: ropac.net, +33142729900

GB AGENCY
Paris
LEADERSHIP: Solène Guillier and Nathalie Boutin

ARTISTS: Robert Breer, Omer Fast, Deimantas Narkevicius, Roman Ondák, Pratchaya Phinthong
ESTABLISHED: 2001
CONTACT: gbagency.fr, gb@gbagency.fr, +33 1 44 78 00 60

IN SITU FABIENNE LECLERC
Paris
LEADERSHIP: Fabienne Leclerc
ARTISTS: Lynne Cohen, Meschac Gaba, Florence Paradeis, Laurent Tixador, Dominique Zinkpè
ESTABLISHED: 2001
CONTACT: insituparis.fr, galerie@insituparis.fr, +33 1 53 79 06 12

JOUSSE ENTREPRISE
Paris
LEADERSHIP: Philippe Jousse and Sophie Vigourous

ARTISTS: Julien Prévieux, Louidgi Beltrame, Tim Eitel, Matthew Darbyshire, Julia Rometti & Victor Costales
ESTABLISHED: 2001
CONTACT: jousse-entreprise.com, art@jousse-entreprise.com, +31 1 53 82 10 18

KAMEL MENNOUR
Paris
LEADERSHIP: Kamel Mennour
ARTISTS: Marie Bovo, Anish Kapoor, Claude Lévêque, Gina Pane, Zineb Sedira

ESTABLISHED: 1999
CONTACT: kamelmennour.com, galerie@kamelmennour.com, +33 1 56 24 03 63

LOEVENBRUCK
Paris
LEADERSHIP: Hervé Loevenbruck
ARTISTS: Virginie Barré, Dewar & Gicquel, Jean Dupuy, Edouard Levé, Werner Reiterer
ESTABLISHED: 2001

CONTACT: loevenbruck.com, contact@loevenbruck.com, +33153108568

MFC-MICHELE DIDIER
Paris
LEADERSHIP: Michèle Didier
ARTISTS: Robert Barry, On Kawara, Christian Marclay, Allan McCollum, Allen Ruppersberg
ESTABLISHED: 1987
INTERNATIONAL LOCATIONS: Brussels, Belgium
CONTACT: micheledidier.com, info@micheledidier.com, +33 1 71 97 49 13

PETER FREEMAN, INC.
Paris
LEADERSHIP: Peter Freeman
ARTISTS: Mel Bochner, Catherine Murphy, Thomas Schütte, Richard Serra, Franz Erhard Walther
ESTABLISHED: 1990
INTERNATIONAL LOCATIONS: New York, U.S.
CONTACT: peterfreemaninc.com, paris@peterfreemaninc.com, +33 1 42 71 74 56

POLKAGALERIE
Paris
LEADERSHIP: Adélie de Ipanéma and Edouard Genestar

ARTISTS: Jacob Aue Sobol, Philippe Guionie, Françoise Huguier, Marc Riboud, Sebastião Salgado
ESTABLISHED: 2007
CONTACT: polkagalerie.com, contact@polkagalerie.com, +33 1 76 21 41 30

TORNABUONI ART
Paris
LEADERSHIP: Francesca Piccolboni
ARTISTS: Lucio Fontana, Enrico Castellani, Paolo Scheggi, Alberto Burri, Alighiero Boetti
ESTABLISHED: 1981

INTERNATIONAL LOCATIONS: Florence and Milan, Italy; London, U.K.

CONTACT: tornabuoniarte.it, info@tornabuoniart.fr, +33 1 53 53 51 51

VALENTIN
Paris
LEADERSHIP: Frédérique and Philippe Valentin
ARTISTS: Jean-Baptiste Bernadet, Stephen Felton, Anne Neukamp, David Renggli, Graham Wilson
ESTABLISHED: 1994
CONTACT: galeriechezvalentin.com, galerie@galeriechezvalentin.com, +33 1 48 87 42 55

XIPPAS GALLERY
Paris
LEADERSHIP: Renos Xippas
ARTISTS: Peter Halley, Robert Irwin, Vik Muniz, Takis, Céleste Boursier-Mougenot
ESTABLISHED: 1990
INTERNATIONAL LOCATIONS: Geneva, Switzerland; Montevideo and Punta del Este, Uruguay

CONTACT: xippas.com, paris@xippas.com, +33 1 40 27 05 55

GERMANY

ALEXANDER LEVY
Berlin
LEADERSHIP: Alex Levy
ARTISTS: Felix Kiessling, Gereon Krebber, Daniel Mohr, Vicky Uslé, Sinta Werner
ESTABLISHED: 2012
CONTACT: alexanderlevy.net, info@alexanderlevy.net, +49 30 25 29 22 21

ALEXANDER OCHS
Berlin
LEADERSHIP: Alexander Ochs
ARTISTS: Sven Drühl, Gregor Gaida, Luzia Simons, Miriam Vlaming, Zhao Zhao

CONTACT: alexanderochs-private.com, ochs@alexanderochs-private.com, +4930 45 08 68 78

ANDREAS GRIMM MUNCHEN
Munich
LEADERSHIP: Andreas Grimm
ARTISTS: Katarina Burin, Mat Collishaw, Paul Kennedy, Stefan Sandner, Felix Schramm

INTERNATIONAL LOCATIONS: New York, U.S.
CONTACT: andreasgrimmgallery.com, info@andreasgrimmgallery, +49 89 38 85 92 40

ARRATIA BEER
Berlin
LEADERSHIP: Euridice Arratia
ARTISTS: Omer Fast, Katerina Sedá, Pablo Rasgado, Matthew Metzger, Javier Téllez
ESTABLISHED: 2006
CONTACT: arratiabeer.com, info@arratiabeer.com, +49 30 23 63 08 05

AUREL SCHEIBLER
Berlin
LEADERSHIP: Aurel Scheibler and Isabell Ertl
ARTISTS: Alice Neel, Oyvind Fahlström, Ernst Wilhelm Nay, David Schutter, Wolfgang Betke
ESTABLISHED: 1991
CONTACT: aurelscheibler.com, office@aurelscheibler.com, +49 30 25 93 86 07

BARBARA WIEN WILMA LUKATSCH

Berlin
LEADERSHIP: Barbara Wien and Wilma Lukatsch
ESTABLISHED: 1988
CONTACT: wienlukatsch.de, info@barbarawien.de, +49 30 28 38 53 52

BQ
Berlin
LEADERSHIP: Jörn Bötnagel and Yvonne Quirmbach

ARTISTS: Dirk Bell, Matti Braun, Owen Gump, Kriwet, Ruth Nemet
CONTACT: bqberlin.de, info@bqberlin.de, +49 30 23 45 73 16

BUCHMANN GALERIE
Berlin
LEADERSHIP: André Buchmann and Elena Buchmann

ARTISTS: Tony Cragg, Wolfgang Laib, Tatsuo Miyajima, Bettina Pousttchi, Fiona Rae
ESTABLISHED: 1995
INTERNATIONAL LOCATIONS: Lugano, Switzerland
CONTACT: buchmanngalerie.com, info@buchmanngalerie.com, +49 30 25 89 99 29

CAPITAIN PETZEL
Berlin
LEADERSHIP: Michael Wiesehöfer
ARTISTS: Karla Black, Laura Owens,Peter Piller, Seth Price, Sam Samore
ESTABLISHED: 2008
CONTACT: capitainpetzel.de, info@capitainpetzel.de, +49 30 24 08 81 30

CARLIER | GEBAUER
Berlin
LEADERSHIP: Ulrich Gebauer and Marie-Blanche Carlier
ARTISTS: Richard Mosse, Julie Mehretu, Aernout Mik, Paul Graham, Michel François

ESTABLISHED: 1991
CONTACT: carliergebauer.com, mail@carliergebauer.com, +493024008630

GALERIE KLUESER
Munich
LEADERSHIP: Bernd Klüser and Julia Klüser
ARTISTS: Joseph Beuys, Tony Cragg, Jan Fabre, Lori Nix, Andy Warhol
ESTABLISHED: 1978
CONTACT: galerieklueser.de, info@galerieklueser.com, +49 89 38 40 810

GALERIE BARBARA THUMM
Berlin
LEADERSHIP: Barbara Thumm
ARTISTS: Jo Baer, Fiona Banner, Fernando Bryce, Teresa Burga, Anna Oppermann
ESTABLISHED: 1997

CONTACT: bthumm.de, info@bthumm.de, +49 30 28 39 03 47

GALERIE BARBARA WEISS
Berlin
LEADERSHIP: Barbara Weiss
ARTISTS: Monika Baer, Harun Farocki, Berta Fischer, Roman Signer, Suse Weber

ESTABLISHED: 1992
CONTACT: galeriebarbaraweiss.de, mail@galeriebarbaraweiss.de, +49302624284

GALERIE BUCHHOLZ
Cologne and Berlin
LEADERSHIP: Daniel Buchholz and Christopher Müller

ARTISTS: Jack Goldstein, Jutta Koether, Henrik Olesen, Dahn Vo, Katharina Wulff
ESTABLISHED: 1986
INTERNATIONAL LOCATIONS: New York, U.S.
CONTACT: galeriebuchholz.de, post@galeriebuchholz.de, +49 221 25 74 946

GALERIE CRONE
Berlin
LEADERSHIP: Markus Peichl
ARTISTS: Norbert Bisky, Joanne Greenbaum, Erez Israeli, Jerszy Seymour, Rosemarie Trockel
ESTABLISHED: 1982

CONTACT: cronegalerie.com, info@galeriecrone.de, +493025924490

GALERIE DANIEL BLAU
Munich
LEADERSHIP: Daniel Blau
ARTISTS: Georg Baselitz, Lucien Freud, Rachel Kneebone, Eugène Leroy, Stephanie Von Reiswitz
ESTABLISHED: 1990
INTERNATIONAL LOCATIONS: London, U.K.
CONTACT: danielblau.com, contact@danielblau.com, +49 89 29 73 42

GALERIE GISELA CAPITAIN
Cologne
LEADERSHIP: Gisela Capitain
ARTISTS: Karla Black, Charline von Heyl, estate of Martin Kippenberger, Zoe Leonard, Christopher Williams
ESTABLISHED: 1986
CONTACT: galeriecapitain.de, info@galeriecapitain.de, +49 221 35 57 010

GALERIE GUIDO W. BAUDACH
Berlin
LEADERSHIP: Guido W. Baudach
ARTISTS: Björn Dahlem, Thilo Heinzmann, Erik van Lieshout, Bjarne Melgaard, Thomas Zipp
ESTABLISHED: 2001

CONTACT: guidowbaudach.com, galerie@guidowbaudach.com, +49 30 31 99 81 01

GALERIE JUDIN
Berlin
LEADERSHIP: Juerg Judin
ARTISTS: Adrian Ghenie, Uwe Wittwer, Philipp Fürhofer, Edouard Baribeaud, Christoph Hänsli
ESTABLISHED: 2008
CONTACT: galeriejudin.com, info@galeriejudin.com, +49 30 39 40 48 40

GALERIE MEHDI CHOUAKRI
Berlin
LEADERSHIP: Mehdi Chouakri
ARTISTS: John M Armleder, N. Dash, Philippe Decrauzat, Martin Disler, Hans-Peter Feldmann
ESTABLISHED: 1996
CONTACT: mehdi-chouakri.com, galerie@mehdi-chouakri.com, +49 30 28 39 11 53

GALERIE NEU
Berlin
LEADERSHIP: Thilo Wermke and Alexander Schröder

ARTISTS: Bernadette Corporation, Ull Hohn, Kitty Kraus, Gedi Sibony, Cerith Wyn Evans
CONTACT: galerieneu.net, mail@galerieneu.com, +49 30 28 57 550

GALERIE RUEDIGER SCHOETTLE
Munich
LEADERSHIP: Rüdiger Schöttle
ARTISTS: Elger Esser, Heinz Frank, Ma Ke, Tim Lee, Kour Pour
ESTABLISHED: 1968
CONTACT: galerie-ruediger-schoettle.de, info@galerie-schoettle.de, +4989333686

GALERIE SUSANNE ZANDER
Cologne and Berlin
LEADERSHIP: Susanne Zander, Nicole Delmes, Monika Koencke, and Lisa Arndt
ARTISTS: Horst Ademeit, Günter K., Miroslav Tichy, Type 42 (Anonymous), Adelhyd van Bender
ESTABLISHED: 1988
CONTACT: galerie-zander.de, info@galerie-zander.de, +49 221 52 16 25

GALERIE THOMAS
Munich
LEADERSHIP: Raimund Thomas
ARTISTS: Wassily Kandinsky, August Macke, Otto Mueller, Emil Nolde, Paul Klee
ESTABLISHED: 1964
CONTACT: galerie-thomas.de, info@galerie-thomas.de, +49 89 29 00 080

GALERIJA GREGOR PODNAR
Berlin
LEADERSHIP: Gregor Podnar
ARTISTS: Ion Grigorescu, Irwin, Julije Knifer, Goran Petercol, Goran Trbuljak

ESTABLISHED: 2003
CONTACT: gregorpodnar.com, berlin@gregorpodnar.com, +49 30 25 93 46 51

HAEUSLER CONTEMPORARY
Munich
LEADERSHIP: Wolfgang and Christa Häusler
ARTISTS: Hamish Fulton, Mary Heilmann, Koka Ramishvili, Alejandra Seeber, James Turrell
ESTABLISHED: 1992

INTERNATIONAL LOCATIONS: Zurich, Switzerland; Lustenau, Austria

CONTACT: haeusler-contemporary.com, muenchen@haeusler-contemporary.com, +49 89 21 09 803

ISABELLA BORTOLOZZI GALERIE

Berlin
LEADERSHIP: Isabella Bortolozzi
ARTISTS: Ed Atkins, Pierre Klossowski, Carol Rama, Nora Schultz, Anthony Symonds
ESTABLISHED: 2004
CONTACT: bortolozzi.com, info@bortolozzi.com, +49 30 26 39 49 85

JABLONKA GALERIE
Cologne
LEADERSHIP: Birgit Müller
ARTISTS: Nobuyoshi Araki, Eric Fischl, Sherrie Levine, Philip Taaffe
ESTABLISHED: 1988
CONTACT: jablonkagalerie.com, info@jablonkagalerie.com, +49 221 24 03 426

JIRI SVESTKA GALLERY
Berlin
LEADERSHIP: Jiri Svestka
ARTISTS: Andrej Dubravsky, Kristof Kintera, Ioana Nemes, Katarina Poliacikova, Jan van der Pol
ESTABLISHED: 1995

CONTACT: jirisvestka.com, gallery@jirisvestka.com, +4915224882419

JOHNEN GALERIE
Berlin
LEADERSHIP: Jörg Johnen
ARTISTS: David Claerbout, Candida Höfer, Anri Sala, Tino Sehgal, Jeff Wall
CONTACT: johnengalerie.de, mail@johnengalerie.de, +49 30 27 58 30 30

KEWENIG
Berlin
LEADERSHIP: Michael and Jule Kewenig
ARTISTS: Christian Boltanski, William Kentridge, Jannis Kounellis, Bertrand Lavier, Sean Scully
ESTABLISHED: 1986
INTERNATIONAL LOCATIONS: Palma de Mallorca, Spain
CONTACT: kewenig.com, gallery@kewenig.com, +49 30 39 88 03 80

KOENIG GALERIE
Berlin
LEADERSHIP: Johann König
ARTISTS: Micol Assaël, Jeppe Hein, Alicja Kwade, Kiki Kogelnik, Amalia Pica
ESTABLISHED: 2002
CONTACT: koeniggalerie.com, info@koeniggalerie.com, +49 30 26 10 30 80

KONRAD FISCHER GALERIE
Düsseldorf and Berlin
LEADERSHIP: Berta Fischer
ARTISTS: Giovanni Anselmo, Sol LeWitt, Bruce Nauman, Maria Nordman, Petra Wunderlich
ESTABLISHED: 1967
CONTACT: konradfischergalerie.de, office@konradfischergalerie.de, +49 211 68 59 08

KRAUPA-TUSKANY ZEIDLER
Berlin
LEADERSHIP: Amadeo Kraupa-Tuskany and Nadine Zeidler

ARTISTS: Andrea Crespo, Daniel Keller, GCC, Katja Novitskova, Sture Johannesson
ESTABLISHED: 2011
CONTACT: aktnz.com, office@aktnz.com, +49 30 68 81 27 10

NEUGERRIEMSCHNEIDER
Berlin
LEADERSHIP: Tim Neuger and Burkhard Riemschneider

ARTISTS: Ai Weiwei, Olafur Eliasson, Isa Genzken, Elizabeth Peyton, Rirkrit Tiravanija
ESTABLISHED: 1994
CONTACT: neugerriemschneider.com, mail@neugerriemschneider.com, +49 30 28 87 72 77

PERES PROJECTS
Berlin
LEADERSHIP: Javier Peres
ARTISTS: Mark Flood, Dorothy Iannone, Alex Israel, David Ostrowski, Brent Wadden

ESTABLISHED: 2002
CONTACT: peresprojects.com, berlin@peresprojects.com, +49 30 27 59 50 770

SIES + HOEKE
Düsseldorf
LEADERSHIP: Nina Höke and Alexander Sies
ARTISTS: Abel Auer, Talia Chetrit, Henning Strassburger, Michael van Ofen, Claudia Wieser
ESTABLISHED: 1999

CONTACT: sieshoeke.com, post@sieshoeke.com, +49 211 301 43 60

TANYA LEIGHTON
Berlin
LEADERSHIP: Tanya Leighton
ARTISTS: Aleksandra Domanovic ́, Oliver Laric, David Diao, Sharon Hayes, Sanya Kantarovsky
ESTABLISHED: 2008 CONTACT: tanyaleighton.com, info@tanyaleighton.com, +49 30 22 16 07 770

HUNGARY

ACB GALLERY
Budapest
LEADERSHIP: Gábor Pados
ARTISTS: Endre Tót, Péter Szalay, Gábor Fülöp, Imre Bak, Katarina Sevic
ESTABLISHED: 2003
CONTACT: acbgaleria.hu, acbinfo@acbgaleria.hu, +36 1 413 7608

CHIMERA-PROJECT
Budapest
LEADERSHIP: Patrick Urwyler
ARTISTS: Géza Perneczky, Adrián Kupcsik, Gábor Koós, Aron Kútvölgyi-Szabó, Stano Masár
ESTABLISHED: 2012
CONTACT: chimera-project.com, patrick@chimera-project.com, +36 30 768 2947

INDA GALERIA
Budapest
LEADERSHIP: Agnes Tallér
ARTISTS: Zsofia Szemzö, Sophie Fáskerti, DianaKeller, Adam Szabo, AKA
ESTABLISHED: 2006
CONTACT: indagaleria.hu, info@indagaleria.hu, +36 1 413 1960

ITALY

BRAND NEW
Milan
LEADERSHIP: Fabrizio Affronti
ARTISTS: Alain Biltereyst, Folkert de Jong, Raffi Kalenderian, Ryan Conrad Sawyer, Johannes Vanderbeek
ESTABLISHED: 2010
CONTACT: brandnew-gallery.com, info@brandnew-gallery.com, +39 02 8905 3083

CARDI GALLERY
Milan
LEADERSHIP: Nicolo Cardi
ARTISTS: Alighiero Boetti, Enrico Castellani, Dan Flavin, Agnes Martin, Cy Twombly
ESTABLISHED: 1972

INTERNATIONAL LOCATIONS: London, U.K.

CONTACT: cardigallery.com, mail@cardigallery.com, +39 02 4547 8189

FRANCESCA MININI
Milan
LEADERSHIP: Francesca Minini
ARTISTS: Matthias Bitzer, Armin Boehm, Flavio Favelli, Giulio Frigo, Mandla Reuter

ESTABLISHED: 2006
CONTACT: francescaminini.it, contact@francescaminini.it, +39 02 2692 4671

GIO MARCONI
Milan
LEADERSHIP: Giò Marconi
ARTISTS: Trisha Baga, LucieStahl, Rosa Barba, Hans Berg, John Bock
ESTABLISHED: 1990
CONTACT: giomarconi.com, info@giomarconi.com, +39 02 2940 4373

LIA RUMMA
Milan and Naples
LEADERSHIP: Lia Rumma
ARTISTS: Anselm Kiefer, William Kentridge, Marina Abramovic ́, Joseph Kosuth, Ettore Spalletti
ESTABLISHED: 1971

CONTACT: liarumma.it, info@liarumma.it, +39 02 2900 0101

MASSIMO DE CARLO
Milan
LEADERSHIP: Massimo De Carlo
ARTISTS: Rudolf Stingel, John Armleder, Nate Lowman, Dan Colen, Andra Ursuta

ESTABLISHED: 1987
INTERNATIONAL LOCATIONS: London, U.K.
CONTACT: massimodecarlo.com, milano@massimodecarlo.com, +39 02 7000 3987

MONITOR
Rome
LEADERSHIP: Paola Capata
ARTISTS: Guido van der Werve, Nathaniel Mellors, Peter Linde Busk, Ian Tweedy, Alexandre Singh
ESTABLISHED: 2003
INTERNATIONAL LOCATIONS: New York, U.S.
CONTACT: monitoronline.org, monitor@monitoronline.org, +39 06 3937 8024

PROMETEOGALLERY
Milan and LuccaLEADERSHIP: Ida Pisani
ARTISTS: Maria José Arjona, Alterazioni Video, Hiwa K, Sandra Vásquez de la Horra, Driant Zeneli
ESTABLISHED: 2005
CONTACT: prometeogallery.com, info@prometeogallery.com, +39 02 2692 4450

THE NETHERLANDS

ANNET GELINK GALLERY
Amsterdam
LEADERSHIP: Floor Wullems
ARTISTS: Yael Bartana, Ryan Gander, Meiro Koizumi, Erik van Lieshout, David Maljkovic
ESTABLISHED: 2000
CONTACT: annetgelink.com, info@annetgelink.com, +31 20 330 2066

ELLEN DE BRUIJNE PROJECTS
Amsterdam
LEADERSHIP: Ellen de Bruijne
ARTISTS: Lara Almarcegui, Pauline Boudry & Renate Lorenz, Dora García, Susan Philipsz, Falke Pisano

ESTABLISHED: 1999

CONTACT: edbprojects.com, info@edbprojects.com, +31 20 530 4994

GALERIE FONS WELTERS
Amsterdam
LEADERSHIP: Laurie Cluitmans
ARTISTS: Olga Balema, Saskia Noor van Imhoff, David Jablonowski, Folkert de Jong, Renzo Martens
ESTABLISHED: 1988
CONTACT: fonswelters.nl, mail@fonswelters.nl, +31 20 423 3046

NORWAY

GALLERI BRANDSTRUP
Oslo
LEADERSHIP: Kim Brandstrup and Marit Gillespie
ARTISTS: Håkon Bleken, Monique Van Genderen, Per Kleiva, Ola Kolehmainen, Inger Sitter
ESTABLISHED: 2000
CONTACT: brandstrup.no, galleri@brandstrup.no, +47 22 54 54 54

GALLERI K
Oslo
LEADERSHIP: Ben Frija
ARTISTS: Thomas Demand, Judith Eisler, Nina Roos, Cindy Sherman, Wolfgang Tillmans
ESTABLISHED: 1977
CONTACT: gallerik.com, gallerik@online.no, +47 22 55 35 88

NOPLACE
Oslo
LEADERSHIP: Jason Havneraas, Kristian Skylstad, Karen Nikgol, Hans Christian Skovholt, Stian W. Gabrielsen, Petter Buhagen
ESTABLISHED: 2011
CONTACT: noplace.no, utopia@noplace.no

STANDARD (OSLO)
Oslo
LEADERSHIP: Eivind Furnesvik
ARTISTS: Tauba Auerbach, Goutam Ghosh, Michaela Meise, Oscar Tuazon, Emily Wardill
ESTABLISHED: 2005

CONTACT: standardoslo.no, info@standardoslo.no, +47 22 60 13 10

POLAND

GALERIA FOKSAL
Warsaw
LEADERSHIP: Katarzyna Krysiak
ARTISTS: Christian Boltanski, Wojciech, Gilewicz, Angelika Markul, Royden Rabinowitch, Katja Shadkovska

ESTABLISHED: 1966
CONTACT: galeriafoksal.pl, foksal@mik.waw.pl, +48 22 827 62 43

PORTUGAL

CRISTINA GUERRA CONTEMPORARY ART
Lisbon
LEADERSHIP: Cristina Guerra
ARTISTS: Lawrence Weiner, Julião Sarmento, Rosângela Rennó, João Louro, Juan Araujo
ESTABLISHED: 2001
CONTACT: cristinaguerra.com, galeria@cristinaguerra.com, +351 21 39 59 559

GALERIA FILOMENA SOARES
Lisbon
LEADERSHIP: Filomena Soares and Manuel Santos

ARTISTS: Helena Almeida, Kiluanji Kia Henda, Herbert Brandl, Dias & Riedweg, João Penalva
ESTABLISHED: 1999
CONTACT: gfilomenasoares.com, gfilomenasoares@mail.telepac.pt, +351 21 86 24 122

GALERIA PEDRO CERA
Lisbon
LEADERSHIP: Pedro Cera
ARTISTS: Adam Pendleton, Gil Heitor Cortesão, Gilberto Zorio, Tobias Rehberger, Vítor Pomar
ESTABLISHED: 1998
CONTACT: pedrocera.com, geral@pedrocera.com, +351 21 81 62 032

VERA CORTES ART AGENCY
Lisbon
LEADERSHIP: Vera Cortês
ARTISTS: André Romão, Joana Bastos, João Queiroz, Max Frey, Nunoda Luz
ESTABLISHED: 2003
CONTACT: veracortes.com, vc@veracortes.com, +351 21 39 50 177

ROMANIA

IVAN GALLERY
Bucharest
LEADERSHIP: Marian Ivan
ARTISTS: Geta Bratescu, Paul Neagu, Stefan Sava, Cristina David, Andreea Ciobîca
ESTABLISHED: 2007
CONTACT: ivangallery.com, info@ivangallery.com, +40 21 41 00 139

SABOT
Cluj
LEADERSHIP: Daria D. Pervain
ARTISTS: Mihut Boscu Kafchin, Stefano Calligaro, Radu Comsa, Nicolás Lamas, Alex Mirutziu
ESTABLISHED: 2009
CONTACT: galeria-sabot.ro, info@galeria-sabot.ro, +40 72 32 24 105

RUSSIA

ARKA GALLERY
Vladivostok
LEADERSHIP: Vera Glazkova
ARTISTS: Elena Nikitina, Mikhail Pavin, Sergey Simakov, Gleb Teleshov, Chronos group

ESTABLISHED: 1995
CONTACT: arkagallery.ru, info@arkagallery.ru, +7 423 241 0526

GALERIE IRAGUI
Moscow
LEADERSHIP: Ekatherina Iragui
ARTISTS: Olga Bozhko, Sergey Anufriev, CélineBerger, Daria Krotova, Pavel Pepperstein
ESTABLISHED: 2008
CONTACT: iragui.com, contact@iragui.com, +7 495 978 3213

GALLERY 21
Moscow
LEADERSHIP: Ksenia Podoynitsyna
ARTISTS: Sergey Lotsmanov, Tayyab Tariq, Natasha Dahnberg, Ivan Egelskii, Natalia Zintsova
ESTABLISHED: 2010

CONTACT: gallery-21.ru, dialog@gallery-21.ru, +7 910 463 0404

MARINA GISICH GALLERY
St. Petersburg
LEADERSHIP: Marina Gisich
ARTISTS: Marina Alexeeva, Sergey Denisov, Ivan Tuzov, Kirill Chelushkin, Gregori Maiofis
ESTABLISHED: 2000
CONTACT: gisich.com, marina.gisich@gmail.com, +7 812 314 4380

PECHERSKY GALLERY
Moscow
LEADERSHIP: Marina Pecherskaya
ARTISTS: Aslan Gaisumov, Roman Sakin, Rachel Lee Hovnanian, Georgy Ostretsov, Valery Koshlyakov
ESTABLISHED: 2010
CONTACT: pecherskygallery.com, info@pecherskygallery.com, + 7 495 280 0772

POP/OFF/ART
Moscow
LEADERSHIP: Sergey Popov
ARTISTS: Marina Kastalskaya, Peter Riss, Natasha Shulte, Julia Ivashkina, Andrey Krasulin

ESTABLISHED: 2004
INTERNATIONAL LOCATIONS: Berlin, Germany
CONTACT: popoffart.com, moscow@popoffart.com, +7 495 775 8706

REGINA GALLERY
Moscow
LEADERSHIP: Vladimir and Regina Ovcharenko

ARTISTS: Semyon Faibisovich, Slava Mogutin, Pavel Pepperstein, Daniel Richter, Rose Wylie
ESTABLISHED: 1990
CONTACT: reginagallery.com, moscow@reginagallery.com, +7 495 228 1330

RUARTS GALLERY
Moscow
LEADERSHIP: Catherine Borissoff
ARTISTS: Sergei Borisov, Vita Buivid, Vladimir Glynin, Alexander Zakharov, Dmitry Tsvetkov
ESTABLISHED: 2004
CONTACT: ruarts.ru, info@ruarts.ru, +7 495 637 4475

TRIUMPH GALLERY
Moscow
LEADERSHIP: Emelyan Zakharov and Dmitry Khankin

ARTISTS: Antonina Baever, Pavel Brat, crocodilePOWER, Ilya Gaponov, Maria Safronova, Gorbunov Andrey
ESTABLISHED: 2006
CONTACT: triumph-gallery.ru, info@triumph-gallery.com, +7 495 162 0893

XL GALLERY
Moscow
LEADERSHIP: Elena Selina
ARTISTS: Oleg Kulik, Alexander Povzner, Anna Jermolaewa, Irina Korina, Aristarkh Chernyshev

ESTABLISHED: 1993

CONTACT: xlgallery.artinfo.ru, xlgallery@gmail.com, +7 495 775 8373

SPAIN

GALERIA HELGA DE ALVEAR

Madrid
LEADERSHIP: Helga de Alvear
ARTISTS: Slater Bradley, Elmgreen & Dragset, Candida Höfer, DJ Simpson, Jane & Louise Wilson

ESTABLISHED: 1995

CONTACT: helgadealvear.com, galeria@helgadealvear.com, +34 91 468 05 06

GALERIA JAVIER LOPEZ

Madrid
LEADERSHIP: Javier López
ARTISTS: Francesco Clemente, Phil Frost, Alex Katz, KAWS, José María Yturralde

ESTABLISHED: 1995
CONTACT: galeriajavierlopez.com, info@galeriajavierlopez.com, +34 91 593 21 84

MAX ESTRELLA
Madrid
LEADERSHIP: Alberto de Juan
ARTISTS: Eugenio Ampudia, Angelica Dass, Markus Linnenbrink, Angel Marcos, Jessica Stockholder
ESTABLISHED: 1994
CONTACT: maxestrella.com, info@maxestrella.com, +34 91 319 55 17

GALERIA PILAR SERRA
Madrid
LEADERSHIP: Pilar Serra
ARTISTS: Lidia Benavides, Mona Kuhn, Eva Lootz, Rainer Splitt, Dario Urzay

ESTABLISHED: 1972

CONTACT: estiarte.com, galeria@pilarserra.com, +34 91 308 15 69

PROJECTESD
Barcelona
LEADERSHIP: Silvia Dauder
ARTISTS: Asier Mendizabal, Dora García, Guillaume Leblon, Hans-Peter Feldmann, Iñaki Bonillas
ESTABLISHED: 2003
CONTACT: projectesd.com, info@projectesd.com, +34 93 488 13 60

SWEDEN

ANDREHN-SCHIPTJENKO
Stockholm
LEADERSHIP: Ciléne Andréhn and Marina Schiptjenko

ARTISTS: Uta Barth, José León Cerrillo, Matts Leiderstam, Xavier Veilhan, Gunnel Wåhlstrand
ESTABLISHED: 1991
CONTACT: andrehn-schiptjenko.com, info@andrehn-schiptjenko.com, +46 8 612 00 75

BELENIUS/NORDENHAKE
Stockholm
LEADERSHIP: Niklas Belenius and Erik Nordenhake

ARTISTS: Miriam Bäckström, Leif Elggren, Alexander Gutke, Ilja Karilampi, Sophie Tottie
ESTABLISHED: 2014
CONTACT: beleniusnordenhake.com, info@beleniusnordenhake.com, +46 73 049 86 80

CHRISTIAN LARSEN
Stockholm
LEADERSHIP: Christian Larsen
ARTISTS: Anders Krisár, Gavin Turk, Don Brown, Robert Mangold, Robert Mapplethorpe

ESTABLISHED: 2007
CONTACT: christianlarsen.se, info@christianlarsen.se, +46 8 30 98 30

ELASTIC GALLERY
Stockholm
LEADERSHIP: Ola Gustafsson
ARTISTS: Catrin Andersson, Maria Hedlund, Camilla Løw, Per Mårtensson, Magnus Thierfelder
ESTABLISHED: 2015
CONTACT: elasticgallery.com, info@elasticgallery.com, +46 40 611 43 19

GALLERI MAGNUS KARLSSON
Stockholm
LEADERSHIP: Magnus Karlsson
ARTISTS: Mamma Andersson, Sara-Vide Ericson, Jens Fänge, Klara Kristalova, Jockum Nordström
ESTABLISHED: 1990
CONTACT: gallerimagnuskarlsson.com, info@gallerimagnuskarlsson.com, +46 8 660 43 53

SWITZERLAND

ANNEMARIE VERNA GALERIE
Zurich
LEADERSHIP: Annemarie Verna and Gianfranco Verna

ARTISTS: Dan Flavin, Sol LeWitt, Agnes Martin, Rita McBride, Richard Tuttle
ESTABLISHED: 1969
CONTACT: annemarie-verna.ch, office@annemarie-verna.ch, +41 44 201 32 35

FREYMOND-GUTH FINE ARTS
Zurich
LEADERSHIP: Jean-Claude Freymond-Guth
ARTISTS: Marc Bauer, Dani Gal, Virginia Overton, Magali Reus, Loredana Sperini

CONTACT: freymondguth.com, office@freymondguth.com, +41 44 240 04 81

GALERIE BRUNO BISCHOFBERGER
Männedorf
LEADERSHIP: Tobias Mueller Ammann
ARTISTS: Andy Warhol, Miquel Barceló, Francesco Clemente, Julian Schnabel, George Condo
ESTABLISHED: 1963
CONTACT: brunobischofberger.com, art@brunobischofberger.com, +41 44 250 77 77

GALERIE EVA PRESENHUBER
Zurich
LEADERSHIP: Eva Presenhuber
ARTISTS: Doug Aitken, Martin Boyce, Joe Bradley, Valentin Carron, Ugo Rondinone

ESTABLISHED: 2003
CONTACT: presenhuber.com, info@presenhuber.com, +41 43 444 70 50

GALERIE GMURZYNSKA
Zurich, St. Moritz, and Zug
LEADERSHIP: Antonina Gmurzynska
ARTISTS: Rotraut, Yves Klein, Louise Nevelson, Wifredo Lam, Jani Leinonen

ESTABLISHED: 1965
CONTACT: gmurzynska.com, galerie@gmurzynska.com, +41 44 226 70 70

GALERIE MARK MUELLER
Zurich
LEADERSHIP: Mark Müller
ARTISTS: Dennis Hollingsworth, Francis Baudevin, Heike Kati Barath, Patrick Rohner, Christine Streuli
ESTABLISHED: 1990
CONTACT: markmueller.ch, mail@markmueller.ch, +41 44 211 81 55

GALERIE MEZZANIN
Geneva
LEADERSHIP: Karin Handlbauer
ARTISTS: Thomas Bayrle, Peter Kogler, Christian Mayer, Stephen Prina, Mandla Reuter
ESTABLISHED: 2002
CONTACT: galeriemezzanin.com, geneva@galeriemezzanin.com, +41 22 328 38 02

MAI 36 GALERIE
Zurich
LEADERSHIP: Victor Gisler
ARTISTS: Stephen Balkenhol, Ernst Caramelle, Rita McBride, Michel Pérez Pollo, Luigi Ghirri
ESTABLISHED: 1987
CONTACT: mai36.com, mail@mai36.com, +41 44 261 68 80

PATRICIA LOW CONTEMPORARY

Gstaad, St. Moritz, and Geneva
LEADERSHIP: Patricia Low
ARTISTS: Gavin Turk, Gabriel Vormstein, Thomas Zipp, Darren Almond, Sylvie Fleury

ESTABLISHED: 2005
CONTACT: patricialow.com, gallery@patricialow.com, +41 33 744 88 04

RAEBERVONSTENGLIN
Zurich
LEADERSHIP: Beat Raeber and Matthias von Stenglin

ARTISTS: Saâdane Afif, Andrew Dadson, Karsten Födinger, Raphael Hefti, Jill Magid
ESTABLISHED: 2010
CONTACT: raebervonstenglin.com, info@raebervonstenglin.com, +41 43 818 21 00

STAMPA
Basel
LEADERSHIP: Gilli and Diego Stampa
ARTISTS: Vito Acconci, Miriam Cahn, Josef Felix Müller, General Idea, Herzog & De Meuron
ESTABLISHED: 1969

CONTACT: stampa-galerie.ch, info@stampa-galerie.ch, +41 61 261 79 10

THOMAS AMMANN FINE ART AG
Zurich
LEADERSHIP: Doris Ammann
ARTISTS: Cy Twombly, Brice Marden, Andy Warhol, Albert Oehlen, the Bruce High Quality Foundation
ESTABLISHED: 1977
CONTACT: ammannfineart.com, da@ammannfineart.com, +41 44 360 51 60

VON BARTHA
Basel
LEADERSHIP: Stefan von Bartha
ARTISTS: Imi Knoebel, Terry Haggerty, Superflex, Florian Slotawa, Bob & Roberta Smith
ESTABLISHED: 1970
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ISTANBUL — Following the bloody breakdown between the Turkish government and Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a few participants in the Istanbul Biennial proposed that artists briefly suspend their work in the citywide exhibition that opens to the public on September 5. On Wednesday, curator Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev, who was copied on the emailed proposal to the artists in “Saltwater: A Theory of Thought Forms,” appeared unruffled by the action.

“I believe there is a very strong agency in those individual gestures and acts. Whether I think that it will have a true impact on what is going on and the Machiavellian deals that are being made behind the scenes is another question,” she said at the press conference held at the Italian High School on Istanbul’s Bogazkesen Street. “I am a skeptic in human affairs.”

It was a diplomatic enough answer to an arts press corps bracing themselves for a follow-up to her fouled Documenta Q&A session in 2012. Christov-Bakargiev then paused, looked up into the shady canopy in the courtyard, and serenely added: “That is why I am interested in the oak trees.”

For the 14th Istanbul Biennial, Christov-Bakargiev has “drafted” (the choice term she insists on rather than “curated” or “selected”) an exhibition that at times feels like an embrace of occult spiritualist revivalism. Or, from the perspective of a journalist on a stopover, a crunchy, come-to-nature overnight camp. (Even the show’s catalogue has the chunky heft of a Gideon Bible, a kind of “Gospel According to CCB.”) It also happens to be a brilliant curatorial conceit, suggesting the retreated position of intellectuals today.

After a few more questions, she welcomed three artists to the stage for a surreal art-world “Kumbaya” moment. Theaster Gates first sang in a rich baritone, then Adrian Villar Rojas strummed his guitar, crooning a love ballad in a falsetto. Meanwhile, Liam Gillick stared at a drum set (he seemed only to be manipulating a synthesizer). Christov-Bakargiev swayed to the weird trio in her seat, wearing a feather-tufted sleeveless cassock like a high priestess.

Like all dutiful initiates, patrons accepted a common mark during the biennial’s opening days: temporary tattoos designed by Lawrence Weiner, reading “ON THE VERGE.” Trips to the Büyükada Island in the Sea of Marmara — the island where Leon Trotsky was exiled for four years prior to going to Mexico via France — felt like pilgrimages. Theaster Gates lead boat trips on the Bosphorous at 6:30 in the morning. Pierre Huyghe built a concrete stage at the bottom of the Marmara sea, off Sivriada, for jellyfish and other sea creatures. Go to the coordinates and you will stare only at the waves. Of the biennial’s 36 locations in and around Istanbul, three are fictional.

Then there is of course the talk of saltwater (the title of the biennial) and its healing powers. As many of the works in the show are in remote and isolated venues across city and sea, one can regress into thinking that the only saltwater that the curator had drawn forth was the sweat on your back. Many works are in hotels (William Kentridge), basements (Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller), abandoned houses (Ed Atkins, Susan Philipsz), or in an Old City Turkish bath (Wael Shawky).

Abstract, stubborn, and hard to access: what might fail a travel bureau is a boon to this biennial. “It occurred to me that the agora of today may not be in the public square, or park, but possibly in the freer retreat of an anonymous house on Buyukada, or in a hotel room, camping or waiting for what is to come, if properly wired and connected to others,” Christov-Bakargiev writes in her catalogue.

Some artists have eschewed physicality altogether: Haig Aivazian’s Holy Trinity Armenian Church
chorus, the symbols and mallets of Andrew Yang’s attic, the clicking of Cevdet Erek’s sound installation in a garage destined for demolition, the disembodied voices spoken in the pitch black room by Irena Haiduk.  

In Francis Alÿs’s film staged at the 1920s tobacco warehouse DEPO, dozens of children with birdcall whistles tweet and sing across the ruins of an old city between Turkey and Armenia. They are calling back the birds to the ghostly plot of land, the film says.

On Friday, outside of the exhibition space, the lanky, gentle-looking artist Alÿs sat pretzel-legged on a sunny ledge. He was found writing and sketching on a postcard: alone, and intent on his work. 

The 14th Istanbul Biennial opens to the public on September 5 and runs through November.

Magician Space in Beijing presents Tang Yongxiang’s second solo show at the gallery from September 3 through October 10. The artist was included in the exhibition “Nocturnal Friendship” this past summer at Lehmann Maupin in Hong Kong, curated by fellow artists Liu Wei and Bowen Li.

On September 12
 a show of works by Hou I-Ting, who often incorporates her body into her photographs and mixed-media artwork, opens at Tina Keng Gallery Projects, a space 
in Taipei dedicated to promoting the work of emerging local artists. The exhibition runs through October 18.

Hanart TZ Gallery in Hong Kong exhibits the work of Yuan Goang-Ming, a
video art pioneer, September 18 through October 17. The Taiwanese artist, who has worked in video since 1986, was featured in the Taiwan Pavilion at the 50th Venice Biennale
in 2003.

September 17 through October 25, Seoul’s Kukje Gallery offers works by Ha Chong-Hyun, who was the subject of a major survey at New York’s Blum & Poe gallery last winter. Born in 1935, he is renowned for his role in Tansaekhwa, a 20th-century mono- chromatic painting movement that came to define contemporary Korean art.

And at Tokyo’s Taka Ishii Gallery, 
a new body of work by Naoto Kawahara, whose highly detailed and hyperrealistic paintings seem ripped from the past, with lighting and technique influenced by artists such as Rembrandt and Balthus, is on view September 26 through October 24.

A version of this article appears in the September 2015 issue of Art+Auction. 

London-based Greek artist Kalliopi Lemos has been announced the winner of the The Borusan Contemporary Art Collection Prize for 2015. The award was created to fund the acquisition of an artwork exhibited at the Moving Image Istanbul art fair for The Borusan Contemporary Art Collection, the 600-strong collection of Turkey’s leading platform for media arts.

Lemos was awarded the Prize for her 16mm B&W with sound work “At the Center of the World” 2015 which is on show at the fair until September 6 at the booth of London gallery Gazelli Art House which represents Lemos.

According to the curatorial statement provided by Gazelli Art House and written by Dr. Marilena Zaroulia, “Lemos’s new piece expands her ongoing exploration of bodies in unnatural positions, diverse scales and the quest for balance and she asks from the visitor to find ‘the centre’, their own compass for this universe.

“‘At the Centre of the World’ opens a space for visitors to reconsider the tension between inside and outside, body and spirit, material and immaterial; ultimately, the work raises questions about the limits and pain of the human body while hinting at all that cannot be fathomed or expressed in the quest for a place ‘at the centre of the world’.”