My meeting with Bertrand was not coincidental. I knew about him in brief and his purpose of visiting India, especially Kolkata, but the meeting was definitely something I would remember lifelong. In just a single meeting, I found that the most intriguing part of his personality would remain unexplored if I don’t attempt to scribble the very impersonal moment we have shared in our day-long journey in and around the city, Kolkata meeting young artists down their niche. In a single go, if you have to describe Bertrand, then he is a true art lover who has real sense to appreciate art that makes a statement. Bertrand is not interested in classical terminologies but gets fascinated with original feel and creative concepts of a contemporary mind. He is an art connoisseur, art collector, and curator and above all owns two galleries in Europe. Espace Cultural Ample is a renowned gallery in Barcelona and it is owned by Bertrand Cheuvreux. Bertrand was born in 1953 and brought up in France during his childhood. But he has almost moved around the globe at different stages of his life. He was in the United States for twelve years and in London for a couple of years. He was interested in art from an early age and gradually inclined his interest towards art of the Asian continent mainly China, India and Korea. Coming to India in search of young talents is a part of his latest agenda of promoting Indian art in Europe and my meeting with him in Kolkata was specifically regarding this matter to state in precise.
I asked Bertrand a few things about him and his likings, tastes and ways of looking at art and judging its worth. Bertrand was very straight and prudent in sharing his ideas and feelings. A few excerpts…
SM: How did you get interested in art and how long have you been associated with this field?
BC: I have been involved with art first a collector since the 1970s. At that time I was staying in the United States. When I came back to France about after twelve years I continued with my passion and slowly built up a taste for Asian art. In the meantime I made a few trips to China and I decided to devote myself to emerging countries contemporary art sometime around half a decade ago, starting with Chinese art which fascinates me, and now with India and Korea.
SM: What is your perception about Modern Art as a whole?
BC: Modern art is a term which is used widely to include many different things.
I make a distinction between modern art (art from the 20th century of artists no longer alive), contemporary decorative art, and contemporary art with a big C and A.
The role of Contemporary Art is to be a mover of the society and the whole world, to address the actual problems and dilemmas in any given society, to take a critical, acidic, humoristic look at the society and the world concerns, without making a judgment, as politicians and philosophers do but to make us alive and provoke in ourselves questions and evolutions.
SM: How do you look into art of South-east Asia?
BC: As I said before, much of South East Asian contemporary art appears to me turned into decorative art, which is not bad by all means, but is not the focus of my interest.
I’m looking for what represents the artists who have a real message and viewpoint to present and share.
Maybe I can be a catalyst …
I’m looking for technique, originality, strength, message, concept …
To me a good art work is one with which you can wake up everyday and share a new trip, a new history, a new consciousness for years. In art, I’m not looking at a mirror of what I am or what my eyes can see, I’m expecting to feel alive, conscious, and realistic. I want to feel alive, hopeful in tomorrow and in humanity with all due consciousness.
SM: What made you take interest in Indian art?
BC: I love the culture of India, especially religious, social and intellectual.
I think artists of this country have a lot to express, but they have to go beyond prejudices, and be accepted. It will take a lot of courage on their part and I believe that they will attain it.
SM: What made you incline towards Chinese art?
BC: I was not that much interested in traditional Chinese art. I was actually in search of contemporary art and artists in China. What my research suggests is that even around twelve years ago the Chinese contemporary art didn’t exist. But over the time in all these twelve years, Chinese artists have achieved a fresh phase through the assimilation of the techniques, in their message, vision, humor and depth, what we in Europe had already achieved in generations.
SM: What difference do you find in traditional and modern Chinese art?
BC: You always find in the most avant-garde Chinese art a little of their history.
It’s what that makes their originality, strength, humor so strong.
SM: What has been your experience over these years in dealing with Chinese art? Give a brief account.
BC: It’s been very rewarding! We have around 20-30 regular artists, young as well as prominent and recognized, many of whom became friends. I probably met over 5 years around 400 artists in China to get to that selection. It’s hard work because sometimes the artists don’t understand your viewpoint, and sometimes we don’t agree on conditions. Often, the artists don’t understand that my investment actually goes towards the promotion of their works, and not towards the purchase of their works. I’m a gallery owner and not a dealer, and my policy is to have a catalogue for each exhibit and give it a press preview. The artist’s contribution is to give his work on consignment for a 6 month period. And if this process works then a show is arranged. For Chinese artists, I have organized very successful shows in Europe in all these years.
SM: What is your perception about the modern Indian art and what is your search into this arena when you are now in India in search of young artists?
BC: I would answer the same as before what I have told about my interest in Indian art. Contemporary artists have to express the depth of their soul, and not imitate something from Europe or just carry on with the lineage of their traditional art. They must attempt to come up with a new vision and their own version of concepts and forms giving a fresh edge at the level of perception.
SM: What are you exactly looking for in art right now being practised in India?
BC: It’s not for me to say. I’ll react to what I see. I’m not known to the artist as well as I am not confronted to their daily life. So my experience is going to be unbiased and purely on my basis of what I am looking for and not just nodding my head praising just because he/she is a renowned artist in this country.
SM: How have you been promoting Chinese art over these years?
BC: I make 5-6 exhibitions each year, in each of our 3 spaces, which means 15 to 18 exhibits, each with catalogues. Sometimes the feedback is discouraging, but the reward comes down the road. We also have thematic projects, like Genders, Cartoon generation, Love ball …
SM: Do you plan to do the same for Indian artists?
BC: Yes, as long as the artists I choose trust my way of working. Art development is a long term process and cannot be carried out without the artist’s trust and participation.
SM: What are the steps you are looking forward to promote Indian art in Europe?
BC: First a group exhibition of young Indian painters (age between 25 and 40) this year in October has been decided for which we’ll make the final selection by March (artists can send information by e-mail at bcheuvreux @espace-ample.com or info@espace-ample.com), and then a series of regular individual shows will be arranged as I said we have about 8000 square feet which we divide in 3 spaces. We’ll offer the selected artists to participate as well as thematic projects accordingly.
SM: In your visit to India right now have you found something interesting that you would like to take back to your country and think of promoting?
BC: I found interesting things certainly which I am going to promote. It’s a long term process however and I need more time to build a project which makes sense and which is coherent. My objective is to select between 10 and 20 artists during the first part of this year. Mainly I have been in Kolkata and Delhi this time. In Kolkata few young artists are really putting in their souls and I have liked their works but Delhi is much more energetic in this regard and I have felt the pulse in them and also found what I really want in the capital city of India.
SM: Give us a brief account of anything very memorable in your lifetime since you have been associated with art.
BC: To speak with some clients and see the real affective relationship they have developed with the artwork they purchase. The relations I developed with some of the artists, who became despite cultural difference friends, part of my family.
SM: Any message for the Indian painters mostly the contemporary ones.
BC: Be audacious, free, carry your message, be acid, humoristic, conceptual, whatever, but not neutral. Take risks! (I do!!!) It took Picasso many years of hard, frustrating work before being recognized. Get out of the classic terminology, abstract, realist, surrealist; tracking…, it’s only made to constrain you. We’ll listen and you will be celebrated throughout the globe for your originality. I know it’s more easily said than done because Europe is probably much more open at this point in time. |
