Olivier Belot on Bringing Yvon Lambert to London

Photo by Charles Duprat

Olivier Belot

New London Gallerists on Navigating the Recession

Pilar Corrias

Andy Warhol Douglas Gordon Carlos Amorales On Kawara Terence Koh One Sweet Pajama Party Investors Indulge Appetite for Luxury Live from Italy, It’s Artissima

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Not at all. It’s very exciting.

Can I ask how much it cost?

No. Good try though!

But it must be quite an investment. Will you have a bigger roster to accommodate that?

We’re going to have a few new artists — not lots, but a few, including British artists. [I have] no names yet.

Mainly, however, it’s about addressing the fact that some of our artists have not been shown, or not properly represented, in the U.K. We feel that this space will give them the room to do that, and perhaps do it on a large scale. For example, we are working with the Romanian artist Mircea Cantor, who is about to show at Modern Art Oxford and the Arnofini in Bristol, but has no U.K. representation. It’s great to be able to do something with him here.

How are you addressing your artists who already have London representation?

If artists are happy with the galleries they have in London, then that is fine by us. It’s a team effort, and we have great relationships with many London galleries — there is no way we are going to ask an artist to come and join us, if they are happy where they are. But if an artist feels they are not at home and knock on our door, then of course we will be happy to accept [them].

Tell me about your opening show.

We have been working with Carlos Amorales since 1998 and have had two shows in New York and two in Paris. We recently sold pieces to MoMA and the Hirshchorn. The Tate has a work by him in their collection, but the only time he had a U.K. solo show, it wasn’t in London [Milton Keynes Gallery]. So it’s great for him, and there’s a real buzz about him among collectors and curators. When we opened in New York, we opened with him. We thought it would be nice to replicate that.

The Amorales show is on both floors. In the future, will you have two shows at the same time?

Yes. For the second show, there will be a group show downstairs with Douglas Gordon, On Kawara, Terence Koh, and Andy Warhol. Upstairs will be a solo show from an American artist Shinique Smith, her first in the U.K.