International Symposium Keys to a passion

This session has examined the significance and missions of contemporary art collections at a time when the multiplication of initiatives is leading to an unprecedented diversification and expansion of the modes of distribution. What are the guiding principles, within various contexts, for the development of collections as narratives of our time? What is the impact of sociological, media, and economic conditions on their composition?

With: Bernard Blistène (Director, Musée national d’art moderne, Centre Pompidou, Paris); Hervé Chandès (General Director, Fondation Cartier, Paris); Chris Dercon (Director, Tate Modern, London); Nancy Spector (Chief Curator, Deputy Director, Solomon R. Guggenheim, New York) and Philippe Vergne (Director, Museum of Contemporary Art, MoCA, Los Angeles). Moderator: Alain Cueff (Art historian, Professor at l’Ecole supérieure nationale des Arts Décoratifs, ENSAD, Paris).

This session has explored the various roles of professionals (art historians, museum curators, art critics, collectors, experts) in the assessment of works in the short, medium and long term. It will open a debate on the instruction and diffusion of aesthetic judgment and taste; current and emerging standards of evaluation; and a work's cultural value and iconicity. With: Hoor Al Qasimi (Director, Sharjah Art Foundation, Sharjah); Tobia Bezzola (Director, Folkwang Museum, Essen); Patricia Falguières (Art Historian, Professor at l'Ecole des hautes études en sciences sociales, EHESS, Paris); Mark Francis (Art Historian and Director, Gagosian gallery, London); Bertrand Lavier (Artist, France); Joachim Pissaro (Art Historian, Director, Hunter College Galleries, New York) and Donna de Salvo (Chief Curator, Deputy Director of Programs, Whitney Museum, New York). Moderator: Jean-Pierre Criqui (Art Historian and Critic ; editor-in-chief of Les Cahiers du Musée national d’art moderne, Centre Pompidou, Paris).

This session was dedicated to the effects of the recently burgeoning art market: multinational galleries, spectacular auctions, and museum collections, as well as the emergence of new art scenes, particularly in the Middle East and Asia. This global expansion is obviously not without consequences in the world of art and prompts us to consider these new factors. With: Judith Benhamou-Huet (Journalist specialised in Art and Art Market, Curator); Francesco Bonami (Curator, Honorary Director, Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo,Torino); Guillaume Cerutti (Deputy Chairman Europe and Chief Executive Officer Sotheby's France, Paris);Jennifer Flay (Artistic Director, Foire internationale d’art contemporain, FIAC, Paris); Philip Tinari (Director, Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, UCCA, Beijing) and Sarah Thornton (Journalist, Writer and Sociologist of culture, San Francisco). Moderator: Harry Bellet (Journalist for Le Monde newspaper, Paris).