Five Commandments that Explode the Rating of a Contemporary Artist
1. Have a sacred sense of staging
Getting out of anonymity means knowing how to stand out. Very early, some artists show a sense of staging, or of polemic, which detonates. This will never be enough to raise their odds, but the lucky ones will attract the attention of connoisseurs. A valuable career accelerator, for those who do not want to rely on their talent.
In 1988, the then unknown young Damien Hirst tapped into the eye of the great collector Charles Saatchi with an exhibition organized in a London hangar. Bold for the time. But we can also mention the colossal works of Anish Kapoor, the activism of Ai Weiwei, or the sense of provocation of Maurizio Cattelan.
The German Rudolf Stingel made himself known for his attention to his exhibitions, as when he completely covered the walls of the Whitney Museum and the Chicago MCA with aluminum plywood, Inside the Palazzo Grassi by François Pinault in Venice of Persian carpets.
2. Tap into the eye of a reputable collector
Charles Saatchi in London, François Pinault in Paris ... They are a handful throughout the world, rich collectors and businessmen, traveling in Paris and London in October (FIAC, Frieze Art Fair), Art Basel in Switzerland In June, in Hong Kong in March, the Venice Biennale every other year, and so on.
They open the doors of their gallery (Saatchi in London), their museum (Palazzo Grassi de Pinault in Venice), and publishing houses. 'At the heart of this circuit of influence, the great prescribers make rain and fine weather on the market of contemporary art', decrypts Artprice, in a study of 2015.
Myriam and Guy Ullens Schooten Whettnall have become references to the Chinese art scene, notably by buying works by Zeng Fanzhi since the 90's. The most expensive painting, 'The Last Supper', has won more than 15 million In 2013.
3. Entering renowned galleries
With the great collectors, it is the other necessary passage for an artist explodes. The entry into a large gallery dedicates its entrance in the court of the great ones. The most prestigious are in London and New York.
In 2000, Christopher Wool joined Skarstedt, then Gagosian in 2006 in New York, before seeing his ratings explode. The turnover of its auctions increased from 679,000 dollars in 2003 to 98 million in 2015, according to Artprice.
For Chinese contemporary art star Zeng Fanzhi, the role of the galleries Marlborough and Acquavella in New York, Saatchi in London, and Hanart TZ in Hong Kong. The latter opened the Chinese market in 2005, which sulked him until then. Its turnover in auction halls then rises from $ 5 million in 2006 to $ 80 million in 2013.
We can also mention Victoria Miro in London and Michael Werner in New York for the Scottish Peter Doig, whose most expensive table 'Swamped' has sold 20 million euros in 2015.
4. Harvest the (good) honors
The world of art is not short of prizes and rewards. But some seem to be more successful than others, such as the prestigious Turner Prize of London's Tate Britain: Anish Kapoor in 1991, Peter Doig in 1994 (nominated), Damien Hirst in 1995 (already nominated in 1992). It ensures a wide media exposure and an exposure to the Tate to the winners. Sacred launching ramp.
Other distinctions include the Marcel Duchamp Prize in France, the Hugo Boss Prize of the Guggenheim of New York, the Bucksbaum Award of the Whitney Museum, the Gold and Silver Lions of the Venice Biennale, Their influence on the market seems less decisive.
In the Artprice auction list, two artists also had the honor of teaching at the Fine Arts School in Düsseldorf (Rudolf Stingel in 2004, Peter Doig in 2005). The great Paul Klee had this honor before them. With this kind of academic recognition, these artists gained the enviable rank of 'master'.
5. The exhibition of consecration
At this stage, the artist is already confirmed (and expensive). But it can still boost his rating. MoMA, Guggenheim and Whitney Museum in New York, Tate in London, Center Pompidou and MAM in Paris ...
It was after his visit to the MAM of Paris, and in full exhibition at the Guggenheim, that a work of Christopher Wool, 'Apocalypse Now', surpassed for the first time 25 million dollars at the auction.