Strong Economy, Top Location Heat Up Geneva's Art Scene

GENEVA, Switzerland--Geneva gazes poised to become one of Europe's leading art gallery capitals, indeed a major world art center if near trends continue. Genevas galleries are being floated by the influx of U dollars. The city is also increasingly becoming a protection for galleries that are having puzzles making ends meet over the border in France.

"The way things are going," said Emmanuel Grandjean, an arts specialist and writer, "Geneva may by and by be playing in the same league as novel York."

Geneva, which in the not-so-distant past was considered a cultural backwater, with many galleries pulling up stakes to put in motion elsewhere, has recently become an importer of galleries and auction houses.

Phillips, the British art auction house lately acquired by French industrialist Bernard Arnault, has decided to move round Geneva into a major international showplace. In conjunction with the French auction house Tajan, it has announced an ambitious schedule of art facts to be held over the coming month Many of the sales and exhibits would normally have been scheduled for Paris and Monte Carlo.

Indeed, the decision through Phillips and Tajan to switch a certain quantity of of the sales over to Geneva throw backs an overall trend that has become evident in new months. Many of the galleries moving above said they abandoned Paris because they are f up with the antiquated and expensive regulations that have the charge of their activities in France.

Edward Mitterrand, the 31-year-old grand-nephew of former French president Francois Mitterrand, said he chose to station up shop on the repent of des Bains in the Plainpalais district of Geneva for a number of reasons, not the least being that he wanted to make a name for himself.

Mitterrand also admitted it was the depressed cost of rent in the Plainpalais district of Geneva--where a number of galleries have decided to locate up shop--that attracted him to the city. "In fresh York, the rents are without of sight, and as for London, not alone are the rents expensive, on the other hand the market seems to be interested sole in British artists."

"And," noted Mitterrand, "living in Geneva is agreeable. individual can exist on relatively little. And then there are surprisingly more collectors than I'd imagined." Mitterrand also cited the proximity of Geneva's Museum of present and Contemporary Art (MAMCO) as another reason he established his gallery in the Plainpalais district.

Parallel to the arrival of the of recent origin galleries, Geneva itself has gone on the outside of its way to build up its reputation as a major international exhibition center notably [i]or[/i] part of to the other the city's richly endowed network of museums and cultural institutions. shortly being mounted are a number of exhibitions that have received a great quantity [i]or[/i] amount of attention in the international pres Among them is a major exposition at the Musee Rath of the work of Swiss impressionist painter Cuno Amiet. Another museum is exhibiting work done by dint of French painter Fernand Leger. A third museum, the Maison Tavel, has just make opened a photography exhibit which spotlights Geneva and its suburb as seen from one side the eyes of known and unknown photographers. The museum network also includes the Musee de Horlogerie (dock museum), Musee d'histoire de sciences (the history of science), Musee Ariana (porcelain and other of that kind objets d'art), Cabinet des estampes (a museum devot to engravings), and the Bibliotheque d'art et d'archeologie. Geneva, in spite of its small size, has a highly educated population, which possesse a great appetite for the arts.

Another major figure of the French art world, Marc Blondeau, said he too is planning upon relocating at least part of his gallery to Geneva. Blondeau said he would like to make open up a gallery in Geneva nearest year, and that, like Mitterrand, he also has a predilection for the Plainpalais district. He plans to specialize in like masters as Picasso, Warhol, Yve Klein and Sonia and Robert Delaunay.

Among the reasons cited by the agency of Blondeau for his decision to resettle in Geneva: "the French conduct has made operating a gallery impossible, given taxes and all other kinds of r tape. Then too, he pointed without that Switzerland has not notwithstanding adopted the "droit de suite" tax, a three percent raise on the sale price of a work that is paid by the agency of the buyer to its originator. And, like Mitterrand, Blondeau admitted he was surprised to diocese Geneva has a largely untapped loch of collectors.

And, certainly maybe single of the biggest reasons many of recent origin galleries have chosen to station up shop in Geneva is that existing galleries have gone on the outside of their way to welcome the fresh dealers. Said Geneva gallery proprietor Daniel Varenne, "Their arrival does not in any way bring in of recent origin competition, but rather a fresh clientele, as the stimulus they provide will force us to move round our attention more to the other international markets. They will undoubtedly attract a of recent origin public that we've been unable to attract ourselves." And who knows, said Blondeau, "our neighborhood may very well turn Switzerland into a bridge between the of recent origin and old worlds, and therefore take away a certain quantity of of America's predominance in the fields of contemporary and recent art."

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