INTERVIEW
Why did you create Carré d’artistes? What was the idea behind?
I have always been fascinated with art. I think I was born with this responsiveness. Art has been a part of me since I was a little girl.Therefore, I dreamed of creating an art gallery, but a different art gallery. During the 90s, Spanish artists were very dynamic and presented their works in "Supermercados del arte". They claimed accessible art. There was a shopping cart at the entrance to buy artwork, while you would shop at the supermarket.
In 1998, during a sailing trip, I had to disembark in Menorca to protect myself from the wind. My friends and I had visited Ciutadella. During the visit, I had this big flash: a church had been turned into an exhibition space and was hosting artists' works in bins. These were works created on paper and at genuinely affordable prices. I wanted to buy everything!This idea of accessible art was taken up by Dominic Campillo, founder of Bazart through the Travelling caravans. He had innovative ideas to democratize contemporary art.
Three years down the road, Carré d'artistes mulled over all these ideas and created the first accessible art gallery in France, with square formats at small prices. And I thank all the artists and referents who helped us conceptualize this simple idea but so innovative, at the time.
What is your favorite part of your work? Where does this passion for art come from?
As I am passionate about artistic creation, I always attended evening classes at the Fine Arts School. I stopped painting when I created Carré d'artistes certainly because today, I live amid art, I nourish through this and it makes me feel fulfilled.
Since the creation of Carré d'artistes, I have been living an extraordinary adventure. Both from a creative viewpoint and from a human viewpoint. I have met several artists, who are committed to their profession but also to creation. It’s very important to them to convey messages, trigger emotion and be recognized. There are so many touching people, that I would have loved having more time to share their art... As the company has developed over the years, the teams have grown, and many collaborators have joined us. Once again, I experience a genuine and human adventure among these teams. They are committed, creative, fun, and definitely professional. I never left the office, even during the first lockdown, because the collaborators are essential when it comes to this adventure. I need to be close to them. I take this opportunity to thank them once again... but also the franchisees who trust us.
Last but not least, customers are able to discover us, support us and take real pleasure in buying art. As it is also very important to them...They often thank us and speak very highly about our artistic line and selection. They take pleasure in discovering the different galleries, through the insightful selections
What were your first steps in the contemporary art world?
I began drawing at a very young age. I loved doing manual work with my mother. Followed by evening classes at the Fine arts school, then a genuinely personal path. I have always been very sensitive to creation. Moreover, if you go with the flow of your heart: contemporary art is very simple!