Papier 15 as always dedicated its art fair programme towards works exclusively made on paper, to include drawings, prints, collages, photography as well as three-dimensional paper-based objects. The annual fair opened its 8th edition between 24 and 26 April, and over the years, Papier’s reputation has risen to now feature among the top do-not-miss events on Montreal’s contemporary arts calendar. For 2015 Papier relocated to Complexe de Gaspé, which is rapidly developing into a new arts hub, housing four floors of artist studios and six artist run spaces in the hip Mile End district. The fair took over the top three floors of this 11-story building filled in natural light, to accommodate 39 galleries from across Canada. Comparatively to previous years, the somewhat leaner line-up of exhibiters did combine many regulars with first timers such as Diaz Contemporary (Toronto [TO]), Lisa Kehler Art + Projects (Winnipeg), Initial Gallery (Vancouver) and Studio 21 Fine Art (Halifax). The smaller numbers of booths were nonetheless particularly well positioned in an otherwise enormous space, circling the middle of each floor to leave a wide walkway around the window-covered external walls, for visitors to also enjoy a 360 panoramic view of La Belle Ville.
Continue reading “Papier 15 cuts a deal in vast new spaces [Slide Show]”
Review: Playlist – A Collection of Collectors at galerie antoine ertaskiran, Montréal
Playlist, Exhibition view. Courtesy the artists and galerie antoine ertaskiran, Montréal. Photo: Caroline Cloutier
Playlist
galerie antoine ertaskiran, Montréal
14 June – 26 July 2014
Review by Cécilia Bracmort
On June 14th, galerie antoine ertaskiran opened its self-curated summer exhibition, Playlist, featuring five Montreal-based individual and collective artists. The show brings together a varied selection of techniques, styles and even experiences – from mid-career professionals to promising art students – to realize a striking layout of artists-collectors, using processes of collage and assemblage to accurately reflect the title of this show. Creative hybridizations such as Philippe Caron Lefebvre’s Caméléon Echinoidea mix morphologies of plants, animals and humans to produce fascinating creatures, aggressive as they are beautiful. His jelly-like chimeras parade elaborate mechanisms of defense while stylistically merging earthenware crafts, industrial techniques and new age iridescent paint, to duly note Caron Lefebvre’s proficiency as a naturalist. Continue reading “Review: Playlist – A Collection of Collectors at galerie antoine ertaskiran, Montréal”
Risk Management : An interview with Montréal Art Dealer Antoine Ertaskiran [Updated]
Antoine Ertaskiran. Courtesy galerie antoine ertaskiran, Montréal
galerie antoine ertaskiran is quickly rising as one of the newest yet most active contemporary art venues in Montréal. Since its official inauguration in September 2012, Ertaskiran has already accumulated a total of seven exhibitions within its main space, alongside a hat trick of art fairs (Toronto 2012, VOLTA NY 2013 and Montréal’s Papier 13). Acknowledging a deep-rooted experience in the art business, director Antoine Ertaskiran discloses to M-KOS a few of his latest ambitions for this new space in the heart of Griffintown.
MKOS: How did you initially start up this gallery project?
Antoine Ertaskiran [AE]: I had the idea to launch my own gallery two years ago. By then, I had already been in the business for 15 years. My father had a gallery in Paris (Galerie Nikolenko) so I grew up in the business, grew up going to museums and art galleries. I was born here [in Montréal] but my family moved to Paris when I was 8 months old, and we stayed there until I was fifteen. Then after high school, I went to University of Montréal to study Art history and started working with my father even before I finished my degree. We had a family-run gallery on Sherbrooke Street (Galerie Berensen) and for about past six or seven years I was dealing mostly in the secondary market, modern and contemporary international art. Two years ago, I felt the need to change the model of my business, to either move abroad or stay in Montréal and open the gallery. I decided for the latter because I love the city, I love the art scene here and also my family lives here.
Continue reading “Risk Management : An interview with Montréal Art Dealer Antoine Ertaskiran [Updated]”
Boutique art fair shows small is beautiful – VOLTA NY Pt.1
Diminique Blain, In the Oval Office, 2012 at Galerie Antoine Ertaskiran, Montréal. Photo by M-KOS
Volta NY inaugurated this year a new SoHo space to host its self-proclaimed “boutique†format art fair during Armory Week 2013, consisting exclusively of solo artist presentations within an invitation-only program of nearly 100 international galleries. The two floors of contemporary art contained in a somewhat cosy venue offered interesting juxtapositions of galleries and works, sometimes competing for attention, but mostly offering complementary dialogues. Continue reading “Boutique art fair shows small is beautiful – VOLTA NY Pt.1”