Art

Art Basel’s New Chief Is All About the Brand

Published

1 year ago

June 12, 2023

As the fair group prepares for its mother-ship Swiss event, its new leader, Noah Horowitz, has a vision of Art Basel as an experience, not just a place to buy art.

The international art trade, like most global luxury businesses, has its dominant brands. One of the largest is the Swiss-based Art Basel, which organizes fairs for modern and contemporary art from hundreds of the world’s top dealers, in Hong Kong, Basel, Paris and Miami Beach, in each year’s four seasons.

The V.I.P. preview of Art Basel’s mother-ship event in Switzerland opens on Tuesday. Dealers traditionally keep their most desirable pieces aside for Basel, whether they are priced in the thousands or the tens of millions. With booths for 284 gallerists from 36 countries in a vast exhibition center with a circular courtyard, plus an adjoining hangar for dealers to offer oversize works, the format feels reassuringly familiar.

But guided by James Murdoch, whose Lupa Systems venture capital firm has been the “anchor” investor in the organizer’s Swiss parent company, MCH, since 2020, and the fairs’ new chief executive, Noah Horowitz, Art Basel is quietly tweaking its business model.

Horowitz was in charge of Art Basel Miami Beach during his time as the fair group’s director of the Americas.Alfonso Duran for The New York Times

“There are some changes and trends that are in place,” said Horowitz, 43, in a recent video interview. “We are also open-minded about how culture is changing,” he added.

“People are ever more driven by experience, and people are ever more driven by brand,” said Horowitz. “They buy at a major auction house, but they also buy from Art Basel galleries because we’re a brand.”

Horowitz’s appointment, announced in October, came as a surprise. He replaces the formidable Marc Spiegler, who oversaw the growth of the fair brand for 15 years and was widely regarded as one of the art world’s most influential figures. Horowitz returned to Art Basel from Sotheby’s, where he had a 13-month spell as the head of gallery and private dealer services; before that, he spent six years as Art Basel’s director of the Americas, in charge of the Miami Beach fair.

“When I left Art Basel two years ago, one of the difficult things was not knowing what impact James and his partners would have as stakeholders,” said Horowitz.

Murdoch, 50, discussing his vision for Art Basel in a rare podcast interview earlier this month, expressed admiration for Formula 1’s “traveling circus” business model of Grands Prix around the world that “convene a broader community.” Though Murdoch said he wasn’t sure how many big fairs the art market could sustain, he added that Art Basel is one of those brands that “are bigger than their business, and are an opportunity for growth.”

At a time when economic headwinds are blowing across the art world and many fear a market correction, consolidation rather than expansion appears to be Art Basel’s priority. In January, MCH group announced that it would no longer be holding its Masterpiece fair in London at the end of June, citing rising costs and a decline in international exhibitors.

In East Asia, a prime growth region for the international art market, MCH has recently made measured investments in boutique events, such as the S.E.A. Focus and Art SG fairs in Singapore, as well Art Week Tokyo. Industry observers viewed these moves as MCH’s hedging against trading conditions deteriorating in Hong Kong, where so many of the West’s leading auction houses and galleries have established branches, and where Art Basel runs a fair. Last year, Art Basel’s main rival, Frieze, owned by the California-based entertainment group Endeavor, opened a branded fair in Seoul.

Art Basel Hong Kong this year drew 86,000 visitors, just 2,000 down from 2019.Peter Parks/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

But, for now, Hong Kong continues to be Asia’s power art market hub. The latest May edition of Art Basel Hong Kong, the first to be held after China’s protracted coronavirus lockdown restrictions were lifted, drew 86,000 visitors, just 2,000 down from the event’s 2019 attendance.

“That week set down a marker for the centrality of Hong Kong in the Asian market,” said Horowitz. As for Art Basel’s other investments in East Asia, these were about “recognizing the size and scale of the Asian market” and “supporting galleries in the ecosystem that sustains them,” he added.

Art Basel’s four own-brand fairs remain his central priority, Horowitz added. There could be no expansion without these events “thriving and remaining best in class,” he said.

To ensure that, Horowitz has overseen the introduction of a new management structure for Art Basel’s more than 120 full-time staff. Below Horowitz, Vincenzo de Bellis, a former curator at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, oversees the management of all four fairs, each of which now has its own dedicated director. In May, Maike Cruse, the respected former director of Gallery Weekend Berlin, was appointed to lead the Swiss fair.

Yet beyond the realm of corporate restructuring, and the corporate language that goes with it, Horowitz, like Murdoch in his podcast and Spiegler before them, has a vision of Art Basel as an experience that is more than just an art fair. Art Basel should use “brand activation” to engage other “cultural classes” such as fashion, film, music and design, and with “audiences at the periphery of what we do, potentially to create new realities,” said Horowitz.

But how can Art Basel engage with audiences on the periphery of the art world if it charges 67 Swiss Francs, or about $74, for a standard day ticket — some three times the price of entry to the Museum of Modern Art in New York — and charges ultrawealthy V.I.P.s nothing for its preview days?

Art Basel’s four own-brand fairs were his central priority, Horowitz said. There could be no expansion without these events “thriving and remaining best in class,” he added.Clara Tuma for The New York Times

“We have a duty to deliver clients to our galleries,” Horowitz said, and a responsibility to deliver “the great collectors and institutions of the world to their booth.”

“That’s the business we’re in,” he added.

For all the talk of art fairs becoming zeitgeist-changing cultural happenings, they remain, at the bottom line, high-stakes commercial events. Participating dealers, many of whom operate multiple galleries, pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to exhibit at Art Basel’s traveling circus of fairs. “These dealers are running big businesses,” said Candace Worth, a New York-based art adviser, who, as usual, will be in Basel for the first V.I.P. day of the Swiss fair. “They need to sell a lot of art to keep these businesses afloat.”

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Art

Calvin Lucyshyn: Vancouver Island Art Dealer Faces Fraud Charges After Police Seize Millions in Artwork

Published

3 days ago

September 13, 2024

Harry Miller

In a case that has sent shockwaves through the Vancouver Island art community, a local art dealer has been charged with one count of fraud over $5,000. Calvin Lucyshyn, the former operator of the now-closed Winchester Galleries in Oak Bay, faces the charge after police seized hundreds of artworks, valued in the tens of millions of dollars, from various storage sites in the Greater Victoria area.

Alleged Fraud Scheme

Police allege that Lucyshyn had been taking valuable art from members of the public under the guise of appraising or consigning the pieces for sale, only to cut off all communication with the owners. This investigation began in April 2022, when police received a complaint from an individual who had provided four paintings to Lucyshyn, including three works by renowned British Columbia artist Emily Carr, and had not received any updates on their sale.

Further investigation by the Saanich Police Department revealed that this was not an isolated incident. Detectives found other alleged victims who had similar experiences with Winchester Galleries, leading police to execute search warrants at three separate storage locations across Greater Victoria.

Massive Seizure of Artworks

In what has become one of the largest art fraud investigations in recent Canadian history, authorities seized approximately 1,100 pieces of art, including more than 600 pieces from a storage site in Saanich, over 300 in Langford, and more than 100 in Oak Bay. Some of the more valuable pieces, according to police, were estimated to be worth $85,000 each.

Lucyshyn was arrested on April 21, 2022, but was later released from custody. In May 2024, a fraud charge was formally laid against him.

Artwork Returned, but Some Remain Unclaimed

In a statement released on Monday, the Saanich Police Department confirmed that 1,050 of the seized artworks have been returned to their rightful owners. However, several pieces remain unclaimed, and police continue their efforts to track down the owners of these works.

Court Proceedings Ongoing

The criminal charge against Lucyshyn has not yet been tested in court, and he has publicly stated his intention to defend himself against any pending allegations. His next court appearance is scheduled for September 10, 2024.

Impact on the Local Art Community

The news of Lucyshyn’s alleged fraud has deeply affected Vancouver Island’s art community, particularly collectors, galleries, and artists who may have been impacted by the gallery’s operations. With high-value pieces from artists like Emily Carr involved, the case underscores the vulnerabilities that can exist in art transactions.

For many art collectors, the investigation has raised concerns about the potential for fraud in the art world, particularly when it comes to dealing with private galleries and dealers. The seizure of such a vast collection of artworks has also led to questions about the management and oversight of valuable art pieces, as well as the importance of transparency and trust in the industry.

As the case continues to unfold in court, it will likely serve as a cautionary tale for collectors and galleries alike, highlighting the need for due diligence in the sale and appraisal of high-value artworks.

While much of the seized artwork has been returned, the full scale of the alleged fraud is still being unraveled. Lucyshyn’s upcoming court appearances will be closely watched, not only by the legal community but also by the wider art world, as it navigates the fallout from one of Canada’s most significant art fraud cases in recent memory.

Art collectors and individuals who believe they may have been affected by this case are encouraged to contact the Saanich Police Department to inquire about any unclaimed pieces. Additionally, the case serves as a reminder for anyone involved in high-value art transactions to work with reputable dealers and to keep thorough documentation of all transactions.

As with any investment, whether in art or other ventures, it is crucial to be cautious and informed. Art fraud can devastate personal collections and finances, but by taking steps to verify authenticity, provenance, and the reputation of dealers, collectors can help safeguard their valuable pieces.

Art

Ukrainian sells art in Essex while stuck in a warzone – BBC.com

Published

2 weeks ago

September 2, 2024

Harry Miller

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Ukrainian sells art in Essex while stuck in a warzone BBC.com

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Art

Somerset House Fire: Courtauld Gallery Reopens, Rest of Landmark Closed

Published

4 weeks ago

August 18, 2024

Harry Miller

The Courtauld Gallery at Somerset House has reopened its doors to the public after a fire swept through the historic building in central London. While the gallery has resumed operations, the rest of the iconic site remains closed “until further notice.”

On Saturday, approximately 125 firefighters were called to the scene to battle the blaze, which sent smoke billowing across the city. Fortunately, the fire occurred in a part of the building not housing valuable artworks, and no injuries were reported. Authorities are still investigating the cause of the fire.

Despite the disruption, art lovers queued outside the gallery before it reopened at 10:00 BST on Sunday. One visitor expressed his relief, saying, “I was sad to see the fire, but I’m relieved the art is safe.”

The Clark family, visiting London from Washington state, USA, had a unique perspective on the incident. While sightseeing on the London Eye, they watched as firefighters tackled the flames. Paul Clark, accompanied by his wife Jiorgia and their four children, shared their concern for the safety of the artwork inside Somerset House. “It was sad to see,” Mr. Clark told the BBC. As a fan of Vincent Van Gogh, he was particularly relieved to learn that the painter’s famous Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear had not been affected by the fire.

Blaze in the West Wing

The fire broke out around midday on Saturday in the west wing of Somerset House, a section of the building primarily used for offices and storage. Jonathan Reekie, director of Somerset House Trust, assured the public that “no valuable artefacts or artworks” were located in that part of the building. By Sunday, fire engines were still stationed outside as investigations into the fire’s origin continued.

About Somerset House

Located on the Strand in central London, Somerset House is a prominent arts venue with a rich history dating back to the Georgian era. Built on the site of a former Tudor palace, the complex is known for its iconic courtyard and is home to the Courtauld Gallery. The gallery houses a prestigious collection from the Samuel Courtauld Trust, showcasing masterpieces from the Middle Ages to the 20th century. Among the notable works are pieces by impressionist legends such as Edouard Manet, Claude Monet, Paul Cézanne, and Vincent Van Gogh.

Somerset House regularly hosts cultural exhibitions and public events, including its popular winter ice skating sessions in the courtyard. However, for now, the venue remains partially closed as authorities ensure the safety of the site following the fire.

Art lovers and the Somerset House community can take solace in knowing that the invaluable collection remains unharmed, and the Courtauld Gallery continues to welcome visitors, offering a reprieve amid the disruption.

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