{"id":12475,"date":"2024-09-05T18:24:16","date_gmt":"2024-09-05T16:24:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/artinterview.com\/critique\/templon-a-new-york\/"},"modified":"2024-09-19T15:22:39","modified_gmt":"2024-09-19T13:22:39","slug":"templon-a-new-york","status":"publish","type":"critique","link":"https:\/\/artinterview.com\/en\/critique\/templon-a-new-york\/","title":{"rendered":"Templon in New York"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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With two spaces in Paris and another in Brussels, the Templon Gallery expanded again in 2022 by opening in New York’s Chelsea neighborhood. In just two years, the gallery has managed to establish itself in the New York art scene. Mathieu Templon, son of the gallery’s founder, welcomes us to the new spacious American space and talks with enthusiasm and ambition about the gallery\u2019s goals, direction, and challenges in a city that “remains the capital of the art market.” Interview.
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The Templon Gallery expanded to Brussels in 2013 after conquering Paris. What was the goal of your expansion to New York?<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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.
\nThe market here is extremely dynamic, with some of the world’s greatest collectors, and being close to American institutions is also key. It\u2019s fantastic because these institutions are among the most dynamic, supported by collectors, so there are a lot of opportunities for galleries and artists.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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What approach are you defending in New York compared to Paris? Are you representing new or renowned emerging artists?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

For example, in the first year, we had a very strong program with many artists who hadn\u2019t exhibited in New York before, like Omar Ba for the inaugural exhibition. He\u2019s 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.
\nWe 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\u2019t just a historic French or European gallery, but a major international gallery.
\nThe 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\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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The New York gallery has been open for two years now. What are the challenges of establishing oneself in such an international art market? What have the results been?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

It\u2019s already been two years since the gallery opened, and I\u2019m thrilled with the results. Things have happened faster than I anticipated: in two years, we\u2019ve become really recognizable. The Templon Gallery is known in New York; New Yorkers know some of the artists in the program, and I didn\u2019t think we\u2019d progress so quickly in a city with hundreds of galleries. We succeeded in a highly competitive city and quickly found our place.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n