Pizza Bruneaf? BIG or small ...
Dear friends,
I kindly invite you to the opening reception of the exhibition
"BIG man small man - a tribute to male representations in African
Art" at Galerie Geerts in Brussels. It is David Norden’s exhibition at galerie Geerts (rue Lebeau 27) on Tuesday 6 JUNE between 18-21 hours . You can view this exhibition
until June 11, 2006. (on-line exhibition soon)
PIZZA BRUNEAF: BIG or small ?
It is already a few years since the organisation of the Brussels Bruneaf goes against the interest of the dealers in African Art, and this year things are not different. I think I even can say it is the worst one I have ever seen. Everything has been done to chase the big collectors away from Brussels and also to keep most dealers away.
First a few remarks about the catalogue selection:
The Bruneaf organisation tells you that 52 members is the numerous-closus. Why accepting new people on the market like Michel de Mol but refusing people like Kagu (exhibiting this year at gallery De
Backker, rue Lebeau 57) who is supported by a dealer with more than 30 years experience or excluding me when I already have 15 years experience dealing in african art?
Why refuse dealers in genuine artifacts when the new catalogue shows only 42 participating members? In Fairs like the one in San Francisco in February 2006, more than one hundred participated.
It is already two years since I asked to be included again in the Bruneaf catalog. I remember having already participated in the BADNEA in 1995 !
I did not receive any reply to my request for participation this year.
Neither a message whether I had been accepted or not nor any explanation.
I also requested to know what the selection criteria were be to be accepted.
I got no response whatsoever....
What was the excuse to again not admit new members ???
Last year, I introduced you to Laeremans, who was also refused, but since he now has a fixed place in Brussels it seemed impossible to refuse him again.
Secondly the event itself:
I have heard that half of the members voted against a change in the dates to make Bruneaf going on at the same dates as the important events taking place in Paris. This Brussels policy seems very strange to me and it creates confusion since many good dealers have been refused.
Serious dealers with a large client base must react to clients’ requests
and be where the clients ask them to be.
It is a pity that many dealers have taken a space in Paris after the Bruneaf, and so keep the best pieces away from the Brussels market, turning it into some provincial event without the guts to become important and attract the high-end collectors !
Everyone is playing it's own games and doesn't take into account the interests of the Brunaf membership as a whole.
Members of Bruneaf exhibiting in Paris are Didier Claes www.didierclaes.com , Joaquin Pecci
http://joaquinpecci.net , Jo de Buck www.jodebuck.com/ , Laeremans
www.philippelaeremans.com , etc...
IDEAS FOR NEXT YEAR TO THE BRUNEAF TEAM:
Like a nice African Art piece you shouldn't look at every side separately but you should turn around the piece to enjoy it's whole beauty. The members of the organisation should not only represent the interest of a happy few, but include all interested dealers.
Why not overlap dates with the Paris events, and show the best pieces in Brussels to attract American collectors. Why not organise some important exhibition at the same moment around one theme with every dealer including one of his best pieces.
Accept new dealers to become members of the organisation when they accept the rules. Why not remove from the catalogue those dealing in items other than tribal arts, or put them in a different section.... BREAK the NUMEROUS
CLOSUS, open it to all dealers selling mainly genuine pieces.
Everybody agrees that the current approach is the wrong way to proceed for
Bruneaf.
Who will want to pay to be in a Bruneaf book next year when nobody respects the books rules ?
I think it is important that the Bruneaf organisation opens its eyes to the fact that all dealers in genuine African Art have the same interests. We must work together to make a bigger pizza, so that everybody gets a bigger piece. Not a small pizza for a happy few. Let's stay united if we want Belgium to remain important for African Art.
You will find all people in Brussels in two weeks, and in Paris the week after that. It is a collectors’ dream, you will never be able to see as many African Antiques in two weeks in Brussels, and at the auctions the week after in Paris and at the opening of the Branly Museum as ever before.
The hype of the
Verite auction
The two Sotheby's auctions one beeing the
Dintenfass auction Are these 40 very high estimated pieces to be considered as the Dintenfass collection when everyone knows that in fact is a collection with 1500 pieces ? Some of you interested in this nice but small Luba at 150.000€.
The
De Grunne auction at Artcurial
The Christies auction,
so many pieces for sale ...
and the Museum at the Quai Branly will officially open on the June 23, 2006 after the semi private receptions
Join us in Brussels before going to Paris and enjoy the show !
------------------------
All Brussels events :
Bruneaf:
Wednesday 7th June 2006 from 15.00 precisely to 21.00 hrs till 11 June official site:
www.bruneaf.com/frmset.htm
Baaf: http://users.telenet.be/african-shop/baaf.htm opening 9 June 17:00 till 15 June
official site: http://www.baaf.be/
Boaf: http://users.telenet.be/african-shop/boaf.htm opening 8 June 17:00 till 15 June
official site: http://www.boafair.be/
OPENING RECEPTION: Three other exhibitions are giving an opening reception on Tuesday 6 JUNE between 18-21 hours with good quality
pieces:
BIG man small man: is David Norden exhibition a galerie Geerts (rue
Lebeau 27)
a tribute to male representations in African Art.
Kagu: rue Lebeau 57. High end African Art and Japanese furniture.
Roissart et Bronze: Songye . 37 cm photo R. Asselberghs
165 rue Haute B1000 Bruxelles tel +32 478 57 43 31. Antiquités et Arts premiers. New on the market with many genuine pieces around 1000€ .I have seen they have a very fine Songye on show.
(see image on the left)
At Haute Antiques 207 there is a small exhibition
with Africanistic paintings. Rue Coppens 7. B1000 Brussels
----------------------
OBIT: We are sad and deeply sorry having to announce ASA Laboratory Francine Maurer and her husband tragic death.
We will really miss them for all the services they provided all these years to African art collectors and museums.
http://users.telenet.be/african-shop/tl-tests.htm
----------------------
You can find more news at www.african-antiques.com
Hope you enjoyed this edition,
David Norden
