Templon in New York

The first objective was, above all, for the artists because many were not represented in New York. We were looking for galleries to exhibit them, and then I thought, rather than finding New York galleries for some of our most sought-after artists, why not open a gallery ourselves? This move came at a time when we needed to continue our development, particularly in the United States, because New York remains the capital of the art market, far ahead of other major cities in the world.
The market here is extremely dynamic, with some of the world’s greatest collectors, and being close to American institutions is also key. It’s fantastic because these institutions are among the most dynamic, supported by collectors, so there are a lot of opportunities for galleries and artists.

For example, in the first year, we had a very strong program with many artists who hadn’t exhibited in New York before, like Omar Ba for the inaugural exhibition. He’s a Senegalese painter whom I brought to our Brussels gallery a few years ago, so I felt it was fitting to open this space with an exhibition by Omar. He later exhibited in a museum in Baltimore, which is at the forefront of political and social issues, having sold part of its contemporary art collection to acquire works by African-American artists.
We also had two major American artists: Michael Ray Charles, one of the most important African-American artists with a unique history, as he decided not to show his paintings to the public for the last twenty years, only unveiling them now; and Jim Dine, a contemporary artist from the pop art movement, a great American master. This first season helped make us known, showing the strength of the gallery’s artists, proving that it wasn’t just a historic French or European gallery, but a major international gallery.
The idea is that most of the artists exhibited in one of our galleries are also meant to be shown in the others, even if some are already represented in the U.S. and therefore can’t be shown in our galleries, like Gregory Crewdson, who is represented by Gagosian, or Kehinde Wiley by Sean Kelly, and a few others who can be counted on one hand. Other artists could be shown here in the future.

It’s already been two years since the gallery opened, and I’m thrilled with the results. Things have happened faster than I anticipated: in two years, we’ve become really recognizable. The Templon Gallery is known in New York; New Yorkers know some of the artists in the program, and I didn’t think we’d progress so quickly in a city with hundreds of galleries. We succeeded in a highly competitive city and quickly found our place.

Cosmography is an artistic exploration of how humanity attempts to understand and map the universe. This exhibition brings together artists who blend science, mythology, and spirituality to represent the mysteries of the universe. Through works that combine technology and symbolism, artists like Mariko Mori, Laurent Grasso, and Iván Navarro highlight our quest to grasp infinity. The exhibited works question our relationship with the universe, between the visible and the invisible, the cosmic and the microscopic, while emphasizing the human intervention in this universal mapping. It will be on view from June 27 to August 1, 2024.