ST-ART 2023
The exhibition
Interview between Christophe Caillaud-Joos and Arthur Le Roux
Arthur Le Roux: For the 2022 edition, ST-ART moved to the Strasbourg Expo Park, created by Kengo Kuma, what was the impact of this new setting for the fair?
Christophe Caillaud-Joos: It had an impact not just for us, but especially for the gallery owners, who really appreciated it. This gesture by Kengo Kuma really brings another dimension, we do not enter a simple hall but into 25,000 m2 of vision carried by the architect, with materials such as wood, and truly eco-responsible thinking. The gallery owners immediately felt very comfortable presenting works related to contemporary art, since it is one of the most beautiful exhibition centers in Europe, so the two got together extremely well.
Previously, the fair was held at the old Exhibition Center, which was more “classic”. This new park represented 120 million euros of investment, which is colossal, but represents the best we do in terms of design. Kengo Kuma is one of the architects who has received the most awards in the world, particularly for his eco-responsible vision. The park was positioned according to the path of the sun during the day, bringing light and warmth within it.
A.L.R. : Was the second innovation from previous editions, the focus on cinema and photography, successful last year and is it planned again for this 2023 edition?
C.C.J. : We have chosen not to withdraw this focus this year. This time, we decided to rework our Strasbourg, local and Alsatian DNA. The ST-ART fair is one of the oldest in France; in recent years, we have been able to somewhat water down our identity. We are a special fair, and we do not want to be a carbon copy of other regional fairs, which are similar. We don't want to be in this framework. We want to reiterate this year that we are well established in the local context, with around fifteen Strasbourg galleries returning, compared to 3 last year.
We are also keen to develop local partnerships, in particular with the Society of Friends of the Arts and Museums of Strasbourg (SAAMS). This year, they will propose as a theme for the competition La Belle Strasbourgeoise, a work by Nicolas de Largillierre which entered the collections of the Strasbourg Museum of Fine Arts in 1963. They will also offer a retrospective dedicated to the winners of the Théophile Schuler Prize, which will bring together the works awards of around twenty artists over the last thirty years and a cycle of conferences and round tables on the career development of artists and the challenges of the art market
A.L.R. : For this 2023 edition, beyond the Strasbourg DNA, what will be the axis developed, and through what highlights and galleries?
C.C.J. : We made a drastic choice on the galleries. Either we take everyone, or we move things up. All our 60 galleries have a specificity and correspond to our values. We seek to develop a good experience for our visitors, in particular by creating contemporary art tours in the city, which is a new contribution for the fair. There is therefore no focus on a particular gallery. We ask them in particular to find young talents for us. The works range from €500 to €500,000, therefore allowing a first access to contemporary art, up to very experienced collectors who will find leading works at the international level.
Arthur Le Roux: For the 2022 edition, ST-ART moved to the Strasbourg Expo Park, created by Kengo Kuma, what was the impact of this new setting for the fair?
Christophe Caillaud-Joos: It had an impact not just for us, but especially for the gallery owners, who really appreciated it. This gesture by Kengo Kuma really brings another dimension, we do not enter a simple hall but into 25,000 m2 of vision carried by the architect, with materials such as wood, and truly eco-responsible thinking. The gallery owners immediately felt very comfortable presenting works related to contemporary art, since it is one of the most beautiful exhibition centers in Europe, so the two got together extremely well.
Previously, the fair was held at the old Exhibition Center, which was more “classic”. This new park represented 120 million euros of investment, which is colossal, but represents the best we do in terms of design. Kengo Kuma is one of the architects who has received the most awards in the world, particularly for his eco-responsible vision. The park was positioned according to the path of the sun during the day, bringing light and warmth within it.
A.L.R. : Was the second innovation from previous editions, the focus on cinema and photography, successful last year and is it planned again for this 2023 edition?
C.C.J. : We have chosen not to withdraw this focus this year. This time, we decided to rework our Strasbourg, local and Alsatian DNA. The ST-ART fair is one of the oldest in France; in recent years, we have been able to somewhat water down our identity. We are a special fair, and we do not want to be a carbon copy of other regional fairs, which are similar. We don't want to be in this framework. We want to reiterate this year that we are well established in the local context, with around fifteen Strasbourg galleries returning, compared to 3 last year.
We are also keen to develop local partnerships, in particular with the Society of Friends of the Arts and Museums of Strasbourg (SAAMS). This year, they will propose as a theme for the competition La Belle Strasbourgeoise, a work by Nicolas de Largillierre which entered the collections of the Strasbourg Museum of Fine Arts in 1963. They will also offer a retrospective dedicated to the winners of the Théophile Schuler Prize, which will bring together the works awards of around twenty artists over the last thirty years and a cycle of conferences and round tables on the career development of artists and the challenges of the art market
A.L.R. : For this 2023 edition, beyond the Strasbourg DNA, what will be the axis developed, and through what highlights and galleries?
C.C.J. : We made a drastic choice on the galleries. Either we take everyone, or we move things up. All our 60 galleries have a specificity and correspond to our values. We seek to develop a good experience for our visitors, in particular by creating contemporary art tours in the city, which is a new contribution for the fair. There is therefore no focus on a particular gallery. We ask them in particular to find young talents for us. The works range from €500 to €500,000, therefore allowing a first access to contemporary art, up to very experienced collectors who will find leading works at the international level.
When
24/11/2023 - 26/11/2023