Each month in The Hammer, art industry veteran Simon de Pury lifts the curtain on his life as the ultimate art world insider, his brushes with fame and his invaluable insight into the inner workings of the art market.
Summer is the only time when the relentless pace of the international art calendar seems to slow down slightly. In September, the traveling circus of the art market will hit the road again with the second edition of Frieze in Seoul followed by Frieze London and Paris+ by Art Basel in October and the big auction weeks in New York in November. All these events of course require a lot of preparation, which take place during the months of July and August.
With the pandemic and its restrictions thankfully now seem largely behind us, we must adapt to the worrying situation of constant disruption caused by weather disasters, raging war, ever-increasing polarization and a less than reassuring economic climate. There are some dark clouds on the horizon that raise the question of their impact on the art market. A partial readjustment of the art market is taking place, even if overall it shows remarkable depth and resilience. I am an incurable optimist by nature and prefer to remain so by design. Whether you are optimistic or pessimistic, you are always right in the end, you just have to wait long enough.
Summer is of course the time when the children have their longest holidays and when many of their parents also take time off. The cultural offer becomes a determining factor in the choice of travel destinations. Being based in Monaco since before the Covid, I had the chance to see the Principality, advantageously located between the Côte d’Azur and Italy, become a cultural hub.
Installation view. Claude Monet, Villas in Bordighera (1884). Photo courtesy of Musée d’Orsay, Dist. RMN-Grand Palais/Patrice Schmidt
This has clearly manifested itself in recent days. The Grimaldi Forum opened “Monet in Full Light», a spectacular exhibition of a hundred works by Claude Monet, many of which were unknown. A major emphasis is placed on the paintings made by the artist on the Riviera around Monaco ranging from Bordighera to Antibes. The exhibition, brilliantly curated by Marianne Mathieu, contains numerous loans from private collections as well as public collections around the world with examples from all of Monet’s periods. It ends with an apotheosis of late works of water lilies. Even for viewers who are very familiar with the work of the great Impressionist master, this exhibition is an absolute must. It will last until September 3.
While architecturally the exterior of the Grimaldi Forum is definitely not one of my favorite buildings, the interior provides curators with a blank canvas from which to create stunning installations. Under the direction of Sylvie Biancheri, the Grimaldi Forum continues to produce one blockbuster after another such as Francis Bacon, Salvador Dali, Alberto Giacometti, Jean Pigozzi Collection of African Art to name but a few.
Just opposite the Villa Sauber is a very interesting exhibition dedicated to the work of contemporary artist Mauro Restiffe after he stayed in the house that Jean Cocteau decorated and lived in Saint-Jean Cap-Ferrat between 1950 and 1962. The few paintings and drawings by Cocteau demonstrate once again that Cocteau, best known as a writer, is an outstanding visual artist. At Villa Paloma there is “George Condo – Humanoids», a beautifully presented exhibition of strong works by Condo. Villa Sauber and Villa Paloma are part of the New National Museum of Monaco, under the direction of Princess Caroline of Hanover and masterfully directed by Björn Dahlström.
Exhibition view “George Condo – Humanoids” New National Museum of Monaco – Villa Paloma. Condominium George, Constellations II (2022). Private collection. Photo: NMNM/Andrea Rossetti, 2023 © 2023 George Condo / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Sotheby’s presents an exhibition-sale of a private collection of works by Marc Chagall. Louise Grether, head of Sothebys Monaco, is also president of Monaco Art Week, which took place from July 4 to 9. It brings together the activities of the main Monegasque cultural players, including Moretti, Artcurial, Sotheby’s, Christie’s, G & M Design, Hauser & Wirth and Opera Gallery. Before directing Sotheby’s in Monaco, Louise Grether directed Artcurial Monaco for several years. Before that, she worked for Kroll, the leading international investigative services company, which is certainly an unusual career path to enter the art world. This fact adds a touch of mystery to its natural elegance. The magnificent gardens of the Casino, designed at the end of the 19th century by the famous horticulturist Edouard André, are filled each summer with sculptures from the 20th and 21st centuries which are part of Artcurial’s annual summer sale in Monaco.
Hauser & Wirth currently have an exhibition dedicated to John Chamberlain and G&M Design have a wonderful exhibition of photographs by David Bailey, some of which have never been exhibited before, as well as some of his paintings. To coincide with all the above artmonte-carlo, the art fair run by Thomas Hug, has held its seventh edition. Its level of quality was the highest so far. The limited number of participating galleries makes it a particularly attractive contemporary art fair. I hope the level of transactions that have taken place will encourage all participants to return and encourage other great galleries to join.
Safia El Malqui and Thomas Hug asked me to DJ the opening night of artmonte-carlo at the legendary Sass Café in Monaco. I absolutely loved doing it in this room which is always crowded and has a sizzling energy. I was once again reminded of the similarities between auctioning and DJing. Either way, I get horribly tense and nervous beforehand. The nagging question that I ask myself neurotically: “And if no one wants to bid?” is replaced by “What if nobody dances?”. Both require the ability to improvise and being able to adapt to your audience’s wavelength. Both activities can be ecstatic if you see it working. On the third day of the fair, I was asked to moderate a panel discussion between Francesco Bonami, the uber-conservative Italian aka the super witty Bonamist @thebonamist on Instagram and Fabrizio Moretti, the owner of Moretti and Ward Moretti, the distinguished galleries in Monaco and London that showcase art from the 13th century to the present day. It was a very lively debate between two great connoisseurs generous both by their great sense of humor and by their in-depth knowledge.
Fabrizio Moretti in front of a work by Pier Francesco di Jacopo Foschi at the artmonte-carlo opening. Photo by Simon de Pury.
Just by describing some of the artistic activities taking place this summer in Monaco, I realize to what extent the Principality has become a cultural destination. This is without counting the operas, ballets, jazz and other events that enrich its cultural life.
Europeans are known to want to fully check out in July and or August. Perhaps this is precisely why I decided against all odds to hold the second stage of the PURY CREATE Primary Market Auction! Architecture & Design of the 21st century on July 26 and FIRE! Contemporary Glass & Ceramics on August 22. All the works have been presented by the artists themselves and the galleries that represent them. I rely on vacationing collectors who are bored of lying on the beaches too much and use their iPhones, iPads or PCs to go to de-pury.com and actively participate in the exciting auctions that my avatar will drive.
Following pop music at least as much as art, I always try to spot at the beginning of the summer the song that will become the hit of the summer. To end this article on a good note, I would like to provide the link to my favorite hit of the summer by Mungo Jerry. In summer. I loved it the second I first heard it in the summer of 1970 and I still love it all these years later!
Simon de Pury is the former President and Chief Auctioneer of Phillips de Pury & Company, former European President and Chief Auctioneer of Sotheby’s and former Curator of the Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection. Today he is an auctioneer, curator, private dealer, artistic advisor, photographer and DJ. Instagram: @simondepury
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