Austrian gallerist Thaddaeus Ropac has established himself as one of the world’s most influential and successful art dealers since opening his first gallery in Salzburg at the age of 23. He has since opened another three spaces, two in Paris and an additional space in Salzburg.Drawing from a stable of artists which includes the likes of Anselm Kiefer, Alex Katz, Robert Longo, and Tom Sachs, the 80-strong Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac team presents approximately 30 extensive solo and group exhibitions each year.Recent shows include a major presentation of new bronze sculptures and paintings by Raqib Shaw, the first show in Salzburg of works by the Chinese-born painter Yan Pei-Ming, and an exhibition of sculptures by renowned British artist Antony Gormley.As he prepares for the launch of a group exhibition titled “Space Age” at his Paris Pantin space on September 27, BLOUIN ARTINFO got in touch with Thaddaeus Ropac and asked him a few questions about art, life, and his experience as a gallerist.Name: Thaddaeus RopacHails From: Paris and SalzburgDirector of: Galerie Thaddaeus RopacGallery’s Specialty: Contemporary ArtArtists Represented: Cory Arcangel, Jules de Balincourt, Ali Banisadr, Miquel Barcelo, Georg Baselitz, Oliver Beer, Lee Bul, Tony Cragg, Richard Deacon, Sylvie Fleury, Gilbert & George, Andrian Ghenie, Antony Gormley, Ilya & Emilia Kabakov, Alex Katz, Anselm Kiefer, Robert Longo, Liza Lou, Jack Pierson, Imran Qureshi, Daniel Richter, James Rosenquist, Tom Sachs, David Salle, Raqib Shaw, Not Vital, Erwin Wurm, Yan Pei-MingWhat exciting shows do you have planned for the remainder of 2015, from August onwards?“Space Age” is the title of a group exhibition that will open on September 27th in our Paris Pantin venue. We have been working on this project for a couple of years. It will be on the various visions of space and how artists have historically dealt with this subject, such as Artschwager and Rauschenberg, we also commissioned works from artists especially for this exhibition such as James Rosenquist, Patrick Neu and David Salle. Also, for the first time in more than 20 years, we will show a famous large installation by Anselm Kiefer titled, Das Grab in den Lüften (A Tomb in the Sky), 1991, which he reworked and will install for the exhibition, including a large lead rocket rising above a pile of broken picture frames.Another highlight of the season will be Adrian Ghenie’s exhibition in our Marais space on 22nd October 2015. We have been working closely with the artist for many months and have been following his work for a long time and are happy to present a first solo exhibition of self-portraits in Paris. Describe the vision of the gallery and how the program is developed?The vision of the gallery has always been committed to Contemporary Art. From very young artists, from all parts of the world, whom we want to present from their beginnings, to artists in their mid-careers, up to towering figures in Contemporary Art. We also focus on artists from the 60s who laid the grounds for many movements that are happening today, like major estates that tie in perfectly with our program such as The Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, Emilio Vedova Foundation, the Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation and the Sturtevant Estate.What have been some of the most significant achievements and landmark moments of the gallery?I would just like to mention one landmark moment which was to open in October 2012 a large-scale space in the North East of Paris, giving artists almost unlimited space to show their ambitious projects, also in terms of weight and size. We were fortunate to be able to find such a special site with a number of early 20th century industrial buildings, covering over 5000 m2 in total. The venue has proved to be more of a success than we could have ever expected, with spectacular exhibitions the artists gave us to an incredible number of visitors and coverage. How has the art market changed since you entered the business?In the 30 years that I have been working in the art world, I have seen it move from the Ivory Tower to the center of life. Art has taken center stage. Today we have a generation of younger people who all want to be involved in Contemporary Art, not only in the US and Europe but also in China or Latin America.What was the last piece of art that thoroughly impressed you and why?I would say it is George Baselitz’s Venice Biennial installation with 8 monumental naked self-portraits. Invited by Okwui Enwezor, he began working on these spectacular paintings, which have a breath-taking honesty, with a brutality that turns into beauty with overwhelming strength. Seeing these works in the studio and then in the Arsenale, impressed me deeply. What has been your most memorable moment as a gallerist?It is very hard to pin down one moment, but it’s always when you feel an artist trusts you 100% and is someone with whom you are able to have an honest and open dialogue.If you weren’t a gallerist, you’d probably be ….I would definitely be working in classical music or opera, probably as a producer.Art is….Life changing.
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