Primitive arts in Kaos
Le Journal des Arts - n ° 220 - September 9, 2005
The young Parisian journey Kaos has quickly become the global meeting place among lovers of primitive art. With a fourth edition even richer.
It took only two years at Kaos-Course Worlds in Paris Saint-Germain-des-Prés, home of the primitive arts, to win. Modeled on that of Bruneaf Brussels (Brussels Non European Art Fair), Kaos is an open event bringing together specialist dealers concentrated in one area (ie, exhibiting in their walls or hosted by other galleries). But while Bruneaf is losing momentum in recent years, Kaos is getting stronger. Created in 2002 from an idea by Rik Gadella (among other founder of Paris Photo), the appointment of Parisian art lovers first hosted the first year 21 galleries around the axis of the Rue de Seine, then 40 participants in 2003. The formula took off in 2004 with 51 exhibitors from around the world and has already reached international fame. This latest edition was also shown the excesses of the success of Kaos: merchants had refused leased spaces on the course to enjoy the commercial success generated by the event. Without dwelling on the subject, "not to do their advertising, its management announced a reinforcement of the signage" Kaos "to foreclose any parasites.
Must
This year, 55 galleries will open the festivities on the evening of Sept. 14, in a friendly atmosphere that gives the event a very special charm appreciated by visitors. 43 European merchants (including 23 French), 10 Americans, 1 Canadian and 1 Australian, along the route. Antonio Casanovas from the gallery Arte Y Ritual (Madrid), in keeping with the event since its inception, explains his choice: "The Paris market has always been a center for tribal art, and Kaos was immediately operated. But with the increased activity of the auction houses in Paris, the imminent opening of the Musée du Quai Branly and a president who is interested in primitive art, Kaos has gained more weight. "A very old hook New Guinea patina" cave, "suggested to just over 300,000 euros, is one of the key pieces of the merchant in Madrid. But it will also confidentially to amateurs several African objects very important, fang, Dogon and Nigeria, "and an ivory Zaire rarer than those we saw in the sale Bela Hein June 6 in Paris" (One of the latest references on record at auction) for amounts of 500,000 to 2 million euros and specially set aside backroom. "All great collectors move to Paris," says even the antiquary. Le Parisien Johann Levy shows a mask Mumuye exceptional, "a single object without equivalent" to about 30 000 euros, and a ceremonial cup Dogon, "probably carved by the same artist that recently sold at Drouot in selling Bela Hein" said the merchant, who requests "a coherent price, much cheaper than Drouot" (sold at record price of 504,000 euros). Flak Gallery (Paris) unveils its treasures of three continents: a collection of Kachina dolls ritual of the Hopi Indians of Arizona, including a rare clown Koshare dating from 1880-1890, to 12,000 euros a collection of art Kanak eighteen shells carved by convicts from New Caledonia in the nineteenth century, around 20 000 euro all, and a beautiful mask punu Gabon, for nearly 30 000. The African Muse Gallery Luc Berthier (Paris) presents a series of thirty masks from the Dan region (Côte d'Ivoire), a copy of "gaegon" kono hunter spirit of the ancient collection of André Lhote. For the gallery Black Ivory (Paris), this will be an important set of terracotta archaeological Nigeria, "which are all legal position on French territory," says his dealer, Reginald Groux. Anthony Meyer, a pillar of Oceanic art in Paris, had rigorously selected fifteen works of Melanesian art, between 2500 and EUR 200 000: masks, sculptures and everyday objects whose criteria are the high aesthetic quality, the seniority and the human figure. A mask from New Guinea to the former collection of Rijksmuseum voor Volkenkunde (National Museum of Ethnology) in Leiden (Netherlands), a Senufo female figure from the former collection of André Fourquet Eskimo and a mask from the Foundation Heye (New York), offered between 20,000 and 250,000 euros, were exposed by the New York teaches tambaran. Canadian Jacques Germain is back for the second time with a selection of some thirty African objects "fresh" and very classical approach, from old American collections (known, published or pedigree) and cash prizes to six figures . "Paris is unquestionably the hub of the arts first. The bar is high and the level progresses from one year to another. Kaos event has become a global player, "said he. Bernard Dulon (Paris) stands out from other exhibitors showing in her gallery's collection of African art Georges Haefeli, he is the expert in connection with the dispersal of parts at Drouot October 10 (SVV Binoche).
New exhibitors handpicked
To ensure the proper level of the event, the new faces of Kaos are validated each year by an informal advisory committee of merchants major Parisian neighborhood, including Alain de Monbrison, considered an authority on African art, or Jacques Barrere for Asian art. Among the new recruits, Laurent Dodier (Avranches, Manche) highlights two masterpieces more than 100,000 euros a mask tatuana New Ireland's famous collection Hooper and a fetish Baule of Ivory Coast base by Inagaki. Alain Lecomte, exposing to the first edition, but absent from the event (although as installed at Saint-Germain-des-Pres), makes a comeback with a rare mask Malinke of Guinea collection of the former New York Leonard Kahan proposed for 28,000 euros. For his first Kaos, French Stephane Jacob (Paris), best known for exposing contemporary Aboriginal painting, makes a leap in time to address the ancient Aboriginal traditional objects such as boomerangs, thrusters, spears and maces, via an important Australian collection. Masks from around the world, "but no specimens Africa, because Africa is too well represented in Paris," are at the heart of the exhibition's New York dealer Joseph Gerena, plus a selection of objects Eskimo the Bronze Age of Southeast Asian steppes and archaic. Linda Pastorino, gallery Singkiang (New York), delivers a set of clips from ethnic and archaeological periods and countries as diverse as ancient Egypt, Nepal seventeenth century or the nineteenth century Africa. Finally, the gallery Geneva Lan Pham enriches the workforce for the Far East with a rare wooden Khmer Buddha from the late seventeenth century, bronzes of the Dong Son civilization (fifth century BC. - second century AD.) Vietnamese ceramics relatively unknown in the West and some Cambodian ceramics.
Away from the crazy prices of auctions, including poor or common objects, all gathered in force at antique Kaos rely on a more regular attendance in the galleries of collectors, "for advancing in knowledge and taste," as points Vanuxem Renaud (Paris).
Malvoisin Armelle
KAOS-TERM REVIEW OF THE WORLDS
- Organization: Rik Gadella - Number of exhibitors: 55 - Specialties: Arts of Africa, the Americas, Asia and Oceania - Location: Rue des Beaux-Arts, rue Guénégaud, rue Jacques-Callot, rue Mazarine Rue de Seine, Rue Visconti, Quai des Grands Augustins, Quai Malaquais
KAOS-TERM REVIEW OF THE WORLDS
Arts of Africa, the Americas, Asia and Oceania, from September 15 to 18, 11h-19h, district of Saint-Germain-des-Pres, 75006 Paris, reception at the gallery The bulk of Fine Arts , 1, rue Jacques-Callot, 75006 Paris, Int. 01 42 72 05 33, over-the-www.par mondes.com
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