La Biennale - Paris

After a long reflection, Corinne Kevorkian finally decided to join her family’s business in 2006. “I really wanted to be certain that I wanted to be part of the history [of the gallery] that started with my grandfather at the turn of the 20th-century,” she explains. In her first year, she got the gallery to participate in the Biennale des Antiquaires, becoming the first exhibitor to showcase ancient near-Eastern archaeology and Islamic Art, and managed to sell pieces to the Louvre museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Arts, the Musée Guimet, the Musée du Quai Branly, and the Museo d’Arte Orientale de Torino.

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Which is your favorite antique fair and why?

I have been participating in the Biennale [des Antiquaires] since 2006, TEFAF Maastricht since 2013 and am pretty excited to participate in the first TEFAF New York that will take place in October. The Biennale has a kind of magic, partly due to its location in the Grand Palais. Every time I exhibit there, I am dazzled by the beauty of it. And this year should be even more interesting thanks to the new orientation, with a stronger focus on art rather than on luxury. I love Maastricht for the professionalism of the organization and for the quality of its visitors.

What will be the highlights of your booth at the Biennale?

I will have a very rare siren-shaped double “Amlash” vessel dating from the 9th to the 7th century B.C. It’s a small double vase in the form of two hybrid birds or sirens with disc-shaped mask, protruding beak-like nose, and tiered headdress corresponding to the neck of the vessel. There is an additional small bird figurine at their junction and they have a common tail that serves as the vessel’s pouring spout. This type of orange-colored pottery is characteristic of the late 2nd, early 1st millennium production of the province of Gilan, in northwest Iran and more specifically of the Kaluraz region. These elaborate zoomorphic or anthropomorphic vessels were designed for ceremonial purposes. A stylistically-related vessel in the form of a large female figure from the same culture entered the collections of the Louvre museum in 2013. Only a few other examples of bird- or siren-shaped vessels are known and this double type is even more exceptional. I will also have a free-standing alabaster sculpture of a striding man from 2nd to 1st century B.C. The sculpture has many striking features such as a striding posture, quite unusual for freestanding figures of this type, detailed decoration of his garment and anatomy (for example, the rather muscular arms), and expression. All these characteristics point to the work of a great sculptor, probably commissioned by a high-ranking personality of the Sabean or of a neighboring kingdom, of whom it might have been a “portrait.”

I will also have a beautiful calligraphic tile of scrolling blossoms and little white birds with a stylized Kufic inscription in the lower border. This tile was part of a larger frieze of which about twenty other tiles are known, in both private and public collections around the world, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Louvre and the Victoria and Albert Museum. The frieze originally decorated the tomb of the sufi shaykh Abd al-Samad at Natanz, built by the vizier Zayn al-Din Mastari and completed in the spring of 1308. 

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Sarà una delle firme di prestigio presenti alla Biennale des Antiquaires di Parigi (10-18 settembre). E sarà un debutto per Cindy Chao, 41 anni, «artista di gioielli» di Taiwan, che nel 2004 ha fondato la sua The Art Jewel. Ed è davvero di un’artista del gioiello. I suoi pezzi sono piccoli capolavori di oreficeria, con pietre preziose modellate a formare complicati fiori o farfalle. «La mia filosofia è quella di creare gioielli come pezzi d’arte in miniatura, scultura e architettura», ha spiegato al sito Blouinartinfo. Che sono stati subito molto apprezzati: nel 2012 a un’asta di Christie’s a Ginevra il suo primo pezzo venduto all’incanto è stato una spilla a forma di farfalla con zaffiro e diamanti, aggiudicato per quasi 953000 dollari, ben al di sopra della stima di 210-260.000. E l’anno dopo una spilla con rubino sangue di piccione è stata venduta da Sotheby’s per 3,8 milioni. Insomma, in pochi anni si è guadagnata un posto nell’Olimpo dei grandi designer. E a Parigi non solo sarà presente alla fiera allestita al Grand Palais, ma per la prima volta i suoi pezzi saranno visibili in una mostra aperta al pubblico. Se siete dei fans di Chao, potrete ammirare i sui pezzi più iconici e i suoi ultimi lavori, Black Label Masterpiece. Di sicuro sono interessanti: lei non produce più di 36 pezzi all’anno.

First founded in Brussels in 1976 and specializing in Flemish painting, the De Jonckheere gallery has participated in each Biennale des Antiquaires over the past 40 years. In 1983, the gallery moved to Paris and over the years it has expanded its expertise to include 18th-century masters of Italian Veduta (landscapes) and modern painters. It opened another gallery in Geneva in 2011, where it also displays its archives and library. George De Jonckheere, who runs the galleries with his brother François, talks to Blouin Artinfo about their plans for this year’s fair:

First founded in Brussels in 1976 and specializing in Flemish painting, De Jonckheere has been participated in the Biennale des Antiquaires for the last 40 years. In 1983, the gallery moved to Paris and over the years it has expanded its expertise to include 18th-century masters of Italian Veduta (landscapes) and modern painters. It opened another gallery in Geneva in 2011, where it also displays its archives and library. Its founder George De Jonckheere, who now runs the gallery with his brother François, talks to Blouin Artinfo about their plans for this year’s fair:

What will be the focus of your presentation at the Biennale?

We’re dedicating an exceptional display to the followers of Hieronymous Bosch. This year marks the 500th anniversary of his death and he’s being honored this year by two spectacular exhibitions, one that was just held in his hometown of ‘s-Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands, and the other is taking place currently at the Prado in Madrid. No signed work by the master has appeared on the market, however a certain number of emulators and followers have revealed subjects resoundingly “Boschien,” which allows us to discover and unpick his rather unusual world.

We’ll also be displaying a selection of works by the old Flemish masters from the 16th and 17th centuries, our area of expertise for nearly 40 years. Finally, we will be displaying some modern work; as has been the case before with the two previous editions of the Biennale, this combination is perfectly representative of the two facets of the activity of the gallery.

What do you think still fascinates people about Bosch paintings?

Undoubtedly, the strange and the fantastic that dominate these purely religious subjects. The cruelty of certain scenes and the audacity of the pictorial vocabulary employed continues to stupefy viewers. We predict that the presentation of these selections during the Biennale will touch art lovers who are conscious of the inaccessibility of Bosch’s works on the market and who will enjoy the fantasies via his first circle.

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"As President of the Syndicat National des Antiquaires and founder of Paris’s renowned tapestry gallery, Galerie Chevalier (17 Quai Voltaire), Dominique Chevalier has an expert eye for the very old and the very beautiful, which he lends this year to the Biennale des Antiquaires (September 10–18) as a leading member of its directorial committee. As such, when it comes to experiencing Paris from a historical point of view, his encyclopedic knowledge of the city’s landscape makes him an ideal guide."

En mai dernier, la Maison Cindy Chao The Art Jewel annonçait sa participation, en septembre, à la 28ème Biennale des Antiquaires qui se tiendra au Grand Palais à Paris. Ce sera un moment particulièrement marquant pour l’artiste-joaillière Cindy Chao dont la Maison de haute joaillerie est la seule originaire d’Asie à avoir été admise par le Syndicat National des Antiquaires cette année. Une Maison qui par ailleurs célèbre, en 2016, son douzième anniversaire. Connue pour ses interprétations complexes et son savoir-faire raffiné, Cindy Chao The Art Jewel a su – en 12 ans – attirer l’attention des collectionneurs du monde entier. En particulier, avec sa ligne la plus prestigieuse et exclusive, « The Black Label Masterpiece », qui dépasse les frontières et les limites du savoir-faire traditionnel. En effet, l’artiste est à la recherche des pierres les plus rares pour exprimer la relation entre la nature et l’art tout en créant des pièces de haute joaillerie d’envergure.

Auparavant, seuls les clients les plus avertis étaient capables de voir et d’apprécier les bijoux de la créatrice dans le showroom privé de la marque. La Biennale dévoilera pour la première fois les pièces de Cindy Chao au grand public; des pièces emblématiques qui ont permis à la Maison de se faire connaitre et d’être reconnue par les plus grands experts depuis plus de 12 ans. De nouvelles pièces « Black Label Masterpieces » seront également dévoilées en exclusivité en septembre au Grand Palais.

Taiwanese jewelry designer Cindy Chao established Cindy Chao — the Art Jewel in 2004, focusing primarily on one-of-a-kind, hand-made pieces that have a strong 3-D sculptural dimension. She quickly attracted the attention of an in-the-know clientele who appreciate her 360-degree approach to gemstone setting, as well as her attention to craftsmanship. In 2012, at Christie’s Geneva, her first piece went up at auction, a sapphire and diamond Transcendence butterfly brooch that made $952,870, well above the $210,000 to $260,000 estimate. In October 2013  a large natural pigeon’s-blood ruby and diamond ring she  designed sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong for $3.84 million, and in 2015, a butterfly-shaped brooch she designed with actress Sarah Jessica Parker to raise money for the New York City Ballet sold for $1.21 million at Sotheby’s in Hong Kong.

This year, the designer is participating for the first time in the Biennale des Antiquaires, only the second Asian jeweler to make the cut (Wallace Chan being the first). We talk to the elegant jewelry designer about her work and her planned showcase at the Biennale:

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How many pieces are you planning on bringing to the Biennale?

Since it is our first public exhibition I feel it is important to highlight our signature pieces from the past years, some within our existing collections and some loaned back from our clients, as well as brand new 2016 Black Label Masterpieces so that everyone who visits can experience the evolution of the brand. 

What can you tell us about some of the new pieces that you will be presenting?

I would like to keep some mystery until the Biennale, but what I can say is that there will be a necklace around a winter theme — a recurring and ever-evolving theme from my Four Seasons collection. In portraying frosty winter foliage, I choose the path of refinement and lifelike realism for my creation. The Winter Leaves necklace comprises more than 240 carats of diamonds set in titanium which is a fifth of the weight of gold. It is a very modern material used to reduce weight, but technically very hard to craft due to it being one of the strongest metals in the world. Resting lightly on the neckline, the curves, undulations, and layering arrangement of the winter leaves on the necklace highlights their perfect shapes, and natural, organic appeal that are important hallmarks of my work.

Can you talk about the design of your stand?

I aim to create an environment and setting that provides a new, sensual way for appreciating jewelry pieces. I am working with Grimanesa Amoros, a lighting artist and a wonderful friend, to create the interior design. Grimanesa and I worked together to conceive a new and unique sensation when viewing jewelry pieces, a cosmos where the nature-like, curvaceous space embraces the light and the jewelry, and in turn the light brought forth the life-force embedded within each gemstone of each art jewel.

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Le conseil d’administration du Syndicat national des Antiquaires vient d’annoncer « la décision de la galerie Kraemer de ne pas participer à la Biennale des Antiquaires qui se tiendra au Grand Palais du 10 au 18 septembre prochains  ». Il souligne également que celle-ci « affirme n’avoir jamais acquis ou cédé un objet dont elle aurait douté de l’authenticité, et bénéficie de la présomption d’innocence ». En sera t’il de même pour la galerie Aaron qui est encore sur les listes de cette Biennale et dont l’expert en mobilier XVIIIe, Bill Pallot, a lui aussi été auditionné, mis en garde à vue et placé en détention provisoire ?

Article paru dans Le Quotidien de l'Art le 24 juin 2016

Article paru dans la Gazette Drouot le 17 juin 2016, dans la rubrique Art News 

Article paru dans le magazine chinois 21 st Century Business Hearld suite à la visite de Dominique Chevalier et Jean-François Compain à Beijing, Shanghai et Hong Kong afin promouvoir la Biennale des Antiquaires.

由法国国立古董商工会（SNA，Syndicat National des Antiquaires）主办的第廿八届巴黎古董双年展（Biennale des Antiquaires）将于2016年9月10日至18日在巴黎大皇宫隆重举行，预展将于9月9日举行。

5月上海的雨季，并没有阻滞Dominique Chevalier中国之旅的行程。刚刚确定了今年9月将要参加巴黎古董双年展的参展商数量，这位才上任一年半的巴黎古董双年展主席兼法国国立古董商工会

　圖：設計師將精心打造巴黎大皇宮，突顯出每間畫廊的獨特性 主辦方供圖

　　【大公報訊】記者林巧茹報道：由法國國立古董商工會（SNA，Syndicat National des Antiquaires）主辦的第二十八屆巴黎古董雙年展（Biennale des Antiquaires），將於九月十至十八日在巴黎大皇宮（Grand Palais）舉行，並於九月九日預展。

　　九月巴黎舉行

　　負責策劃該雙年展的法國國立古董商工會董事會成員Dominique CHEVALIER和巴黎古董雙年展總監Jean-Daniel COMPAIN早前于香港兩依藏博物館，向媒體簡介了展會的最新詳情。

BFM Business : Daniel Templon était l'invité de l'émission Goûts de luxe Paris mardi 5 juillet. Il évoque sa  participation en Septembre à la Biennale des Antiquaires à partir de 14 minutes et 55 secondes.

La Maison Cindy Chao The Art Jewel participera à la 28ème Biennale des Antiquaires qui se déroulera du 10 au 18 septembre au Grand Palais à Paris. Ce sera un moment particulièrement marquant pour l’artiste-joaillière Cindy Chao. Sa maison de Haute Joaillerie éponyme est la seule originaire d’Asie à avoir été acceptée par le Syndicat National des Antiquaires cette année.

2016 marque le 12ème anniversaire depuis la fondation de Cindy Chao The Art Jewel, ce qui en fait un moment particulièrement important pour la Maison. En 12 ans, Cindy Chao The Art Jewel, connue pour ses interprétations complexes ainsi que son savoir-faire raffiné animant ses créations, a su attirer l’attention des collectionneurs du monde entier. En particulier, la ligne la plus prestigieuse et exclusive – The Black Label Masterpiece – qui dépasse les frontières et les limites du savoir-faire traditionnel. L’artiste est à la recherche des pierres les plus rares pour exprimer la relation entre la nature et l’art tout en créant des pièces de Haute Joaillerie d’envergure.

Auparavant, seuls les clients les plus avertis étaient capable de voir et d’apprécier les bijoux de la créatrice dans le showroom privé de la marque. Cette Biennale dévoilera pour la première fois les pièces de Cindy Chao au grand public.

Cindy Chao The Art Jewel  présentera une sélection de pièces emblématiques qui à permis à la Maison de se faire connaitre et d’être reconnue par les plus grands experts depuis plus de 12 ans. De nouvelles pièces « Black Label Masterpieces » seront dévoilées en exclusivité en septembre au Grand Palais.

藝訊：巴黎古董雙年展聚焦中國市場 來港舉辦首個亞洲發佈會

Вы знаете, что это наша последняя биеннале. Формат меняется. После этого она будет проходить как ежегодное событие. Как она станет называться? Мы еще над этим работаем, вы узнаете об этом в день ее закрытия",— начал встречу с журналистами глава Национального синдиката антикваров (SNA) Доминик Шевалье.

Name: Gisèle Croës

Presides over: Gisèle Croës Arts d'extrême orient

Speciality: Archaic Chinese bronzes and objects of art

As a child Gisèle Croës used to collect anything and everything; from stamps to old clothes and even eyeglasses cases. She liked nothing more than gathering items that could form a collection, to the point that her parents used to call her a “junk dealer.”

Growing up, western art was always appreciated in her family, but while spending three years in China, between 1962 and 1965, she discovered a passion for oriental art and opened a small gallery in Brussels in the early 1970s, with no idea she was really embarking on a lifelong career.

“Coming from a background where my family had never done business, I had to learn on the spot,” she recalls, adding “nobody was really there to give me advice. I am a completely self-taught but I have spent a lot of my life studying!”

Ahead of the Biennale des Antiquaires in September, Blouin Artinfo talked to Croës about her profession and her plans for the prestigious Parisian fair:

You’ve participated in the Biennale for 36 years. What have been the most memorable moments?

Probably when I first met t Jacques Chirac and his wife in the 80's. He was then still the Mayor of Paris and President to be. I was impressed by their knowledge of antiques and their curiosity. I also had the chance to visit the Hotel de Ville, as well as the Élysée (Palace).

What will be the highlights of your booth this year?

I will have a very beautiful Nao bell dating from the late Shang dynasty (1600 1050 BC). Bells of this type are among China's earliest percussion instruments, and in southern China, these large bronze bells had more importance than bronze vessels in the eyes of the local aristocracy. I will also have a masterpiece of Buddhist sculpture, an incredibly expressive wooden figure of Guanyin dating back to the 12th-13th century, and a beautiful ensemble of turquoise inlaid gold ornaments from the Tubo Kingdom dating back to the 8th century. These official rank insignia illustrate the highly sophisticated craftsmanship of the time. There is a rare pair of imperial champlevé enamel garden seats from the Qianlong period (1735 1796) that has an interesting provenance: They were reputedly in the collection of Marcel Proust, the well-known author of "A la recherché du temps perdu." I will also offer a collection of bronze weapons, including a bronze dagger and a bronze axe from the Shang dynasty.

What is your preference in Chinese antiques?

I’m particularly interested in early Chinese art starting with early bronzes, especially ritual bronzes which is the essence of Chinese culture. I have always been interested in their mystical quality, the beauty, and the sense of power they convey.

What is your biggest challenge as a gallerist nowadays?

Finding incomparable objects.

What makes an object exceptional?

First, the quality of the masters behind the work of art, the beauty and the power that emanate from it, and of course its authenticity.

What has been your most amazing find?

A very tall bronze Guardian that is more than two-meters high. I found it in the garden of a client. It was incredibly beautiful and was bought by a Chinese collector who put it in a Buddhist temple near Beijing.

Do you get to keep any of the pieces for yourself?

I have a beautiful Haniwa horse which I bought in 1978 and which is in my living room. I will never sell it. If you weren’t a gallerist, you’d probably be ….

Thirty-five works drawn from the collection of the State Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg are due to go on show at the 28th edition of the Biennale des Antiquaires this autumn at Paris’s Grand Palais (10-18 September). The special, non-selling exhibition will include objects such as vases, clocks and candelabra in porcelain, silver and bronze dating from the 18th century. A portrait of Louis XV made by the Sèvres porcelain factory in 1761 is among the works.

The move marks the first year the historic jewellery, art and antiques fair—which launched in 1962 as a biennial event—is held annually. Last summer, members of the Syndicat National des Antiquaires (SNA), the French association of antiques dealers that runs the fair, voted to make the Biennale a yearly event.

A total of 121 galleries from 13 countries will participate in the Biennale this September, with 78 dealers from France and 14 galleries from the UK. Another exhibition will include furniture and textiles drawn from Le Mobilier National, France’s national furniture collection, based in Paris.

Henri Loyrette, the former president of the Louvre, will be at the helm as fair chairman. The Old Master Fair, Paris Tableau, was folded into the Biennale des Antiquaires last autumn.

La prochaine Biennale des Antiquaires, qui se tiendra au Grand Palais à Paris du 10 au 18 septembre réunira au moins 121 exposants donc quatre maisons de haute joaillerie. 

Lire l'article : http://www.biennale-paris.com/media/1042/capital-ceo.pdf

由法国国立古董商工会主办的第28届巴黎古董双年展（北京）发布会及招待酒会于5月24日举行，展会主办方代表法国国立古董商工会主席Dominique Chevalier和第28届巴黎古董双年展总监Jean-Daniel Compain参加了发布会。在发布会上两位代表向来自珠宝设计业、画廊、收藏家、媒体等多方嘉宾介绍了本届巴黎古董双年展的情况，公布了展会筹备的最新动态。

本报记者孙伶5月上海的雨季，并没有阻滞DominiqueChevalier中国之旅的行程。刚刚确定了今年9月将要参加巴黎古董双年展的参展商数量，这位才上任一年半的巴黎古董双年展主席兼法国国立古董商工会主席就马不停蹄地奔向亚洲，旨在让更多的中