A group of dealers are joining forces to make tribal art more accessible to customers who live outside Paris, Brussels and London—the traditional European centres of the trade. At the first edition of the Bourgogne Tribal Art Show (26-29 May), around 25 dealers will show African, Oceanic, Eskimo, North American Indian, Pre-Columbian and Southeast Asian works in a converted barn in the tiny village of Besanceuil, in the Saône-et-Loire region of eastern France.
There is a large group of dealers in the provinces who are not being catered for, says the Paris-based dealer Anthony J.P. Meyer, who is organising the fair with fellow dealers Laurent Dodier, Bruno Frey and Jacques Lebrat. He has been lobbying the Syndicat National des Antiquaires, the French equivalent of the British Antique Dealers’ Association, to decentralise and draw more attention to the more rural areas of the country. “Provincial dealers have a fantastic attic full of incredible knowledge, fabulous taste and wonderful objects,” he says.
The French provinces also have a number of existing collectors, as well as potential ones who are put off by big-city galleries. “They don’t understand the codes of the big cities and the big galleries. Many people still think that if you ask a question, you’ll be seen as an idiot or you’ll be taken for a yokel, and if you push the door, it means you have to buy something,” Meyer explains. “This, of course, isn’t the case—it’s a complete fallacy—but it’s what the general public thinks.”
The fair is also aimed at those who cannot traipse to big markets and “are basically consoling themselves by clicking on eBay and unfortunately are buying a lot of crap when they could be spending a little more money to buy something nice”.
The event is being held in two multi-level barns, converted into elegant art spaces by the contemporary art dealer and tribal art collector Bruno Mory. Spaces will be shared by two or three dealers, including three who are exhibiting at Tefaf: Meyer, Dodier and Didier Claes.
A wide range of pieces will be on display, to cater to all tastes and chequebooks. Meyer says: “Who knows who is going to walk through that door? If everybody only brings €1,000 to €2,000 pieces and Bill Gates walks through the door, he is not going to be interested, so you have to have €200,000 to €400,000 items in there somewhere. We’re not downing the merchandise; we’re not downsizing the prices. We’re not dumbing down anything at all.”
Interest from dealers has been strong, Meyer says, and there is a waiting list to exhibit in this edition of the show. Some gallerists have already signed up for the 2017 edition, including the Japanese weapons and armour specialist Jean-Christophe Charbonnier, who was “overjoyed with the idea” but could not participate this year because of prior commitments.
There will be food and fine regional wines at the event. “If nobody shows up, we’re still going to have a whale of a time. And if people show up, they’re going to have a whale of a time,” Meyer says.