Contemporary Art

Dealing Art with Thaddaeus Ropac

By Art Agency, Partners

F rom fetching beer for Joseph Beuys to the implications of Brexit and new borders, the Austrian art dealer Thaddaeus Ropac talks frankly about a range of topics in a conversation with our host Charlotte Burns, including the dangers of becoming too corporate; plans for his own collection; and his expectations for the art market in 2018.

Recorded in London, where Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac recently opened a fifth space (there are four others across Salzburg and Paris), Ropac shares his views on topics including the emerging cultural centers of the Middle East and China; the vibrancy of the Paris art scene; the pervasiveness of art fairs; and the importance of maintaining the trust of his artists.

“In Other Words” is a presentation of AAP and Sotheby’s, produced by Audiation.fm.

"We cannot reduce ourselves to going from art fair to art fair, just trying to sell as much art as possible."

From the Podcast...

"I really believe in this vision of a united Europe. It is very sad to see England leave. It will make our business more complicated because we are going back to a situation where you have borders."

"We want to avoid becoming corporate. This is a big risk in bigger galleries, because artists are very sensitive—and they are the first ones to react to it."

"They would give you the building and say: 'Do an exhibition of one of your artists.' Sometimes they wouldn't even tell you which artist, they would just say: 'Do it.' Basically, they gave you the key to the museum."

LEAD IMAGE: Thaddaeus Ropac in front of his gallery in Pantin, Paris (2012). Photo credit: Peter Rigaud, courtesy Shotview Photographer's Management, Berlin.

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