Four weeks after we published our first interview with Thierry Bigaignon, we explore the business side of his activity. We will talk about the marketplace and the opportunities presented to him as a gallery owner. The countdown is on, and the first exhibition opens on June 30. We accompany Thierry Bigaignon with weekly interviews over the course of eight weeks leading up to the gallery’s opening in June.
How do you see your job as a gallery owner?
I have a lot to learn and little wisdom to impart! However, I believe that this job is above all about meeting people and sharing. It’s about getting to know the artists, understanding their vision, defending singular points of view with conviction, and transmitting to clients the emotions you yourself felt when you first discovered a given work of art. In order to do that, from the very start, you must establish, and then maintain, a relationship of trust with artists and collectors alike. You must be able to develop a satisfactory three-way relationship in which each party (the artist, the collector, and the gallery owner) has something to contribute. Then, I think that one mustn’t forget that a gallery is also a business. So you must make informed choices, actively seek out customers, understand their needs, satisfy them, and build customer loyalty.
Do you expect you will attend art fairs?
Nowadays, art fairs are key. Some say there are too many, but I’m not so sure. In any case, if you want to make your mark in a globalized market, it is essential that you go out and meet collectors where you can find them. That said, since a gallery must generally operate for several years before being invited to an art fair, I must arm myself with patience. But I will do my best to be proactive! Then, there’s also the internet, and there, galleries only just skimmed the surface. The internet opens a whole new range of promotion and distribution opportunities and a real possibility of growth.
How do you assess the market situation?
I pay close attention to the marketplace, but I don’t think that the truth is in numbers. I don’t believe that market studies are as relevant in the domain of art. Besides, it was never my belief that one should give people what they expect. On the contrary, I am convinced that being an entrepreneur means precisely formulating a new vision, following one’s instincts, and putting all of one’s energy into demonstrating to others the validity of one’s approach, even if it means being wrong. And I think this is even more true in the art market. So, as far as I’m concerned, whether the market is in recession or booming doesn’t change the fact that there are artists who do amazing work and that this work is worth seeing.
What are your goals with regard to this first exhibition?
I find it very exciting to be able to exhibit Ralph Gibson’s work seventeen years after his retrospective at the MEP (Maison Européenne de la Photographie), and show a series entirely in color. He is an exceptional artist, and his return to Paris, especially with never-before-seen photographs, is a major event. So I think his admirers will flock to the exhibition, while budding collectors are up for interesting discoveries. Having said that, my main goal at the moment is to keep the costs down so that I can plan for the long term. As in many professions of this kind, the hardest thing is to last; and since I’m only beginning, you can just imagine the long road ahead! But at D-30, I’m full of confidence!
EXHIBITION
Vertical Horizon
Ralph Gibson
From June 10th to August 27th, 2016
Galerie Thierry Bigaignon
Hotel de Retz – Bâtiment A
9 rue Charlot
75003 Paris
France
http://www.thierrybigaignon.com
http://www.ralphgibson.com
