591 Exhibition: Art World - André França

This project seeks to study the façades of art galleries located in important centers of the world art market. The perspective investigated here is the relationship between the architectonic configurations of the gallery façades, observed through a symbolic approach, and the way in which a given culture/city relates to the art, the market and to the public in general.

New York. All photographs from this series were made at the art gallery district of Chelsea, New York City.

London. Differently from the New York galleries, many of which have façades with an opaqueness embodying a dimension of power that intimidates and keeps away some art enthusiasts, London galleries have façades with large panes of transparent glass which make the exhibit space, works of art and people visible from the street, making for friendlier and more inviting spaces into which it is easier to enter.

São Paulo. The series art world - São Paulo is the third phase in a project begun in 2009 in New York City with the series art world. I took an interest in shooting the art galleries of São Paulo, for three reasons. 

First, it is the largest art market in my native country, so I thought it would bring “local color” and a more personal dimension to the project. 

Second, this market is going through an excellent period of growth, and attracting the interest of the Brazilian audience in relation to collecting and appreciating art, as a consequence of the country’s favorable economic situation. 

Third, I expected the façades of the galleries in São Paulo to present –as in fact turned out to be the case– interesting features that are related to the complex matrix of the Brazilian culture, as well as to the still early stages of development of a local art market and to the clearly visible influences of foreign ideological models in the construction of an “external image” for some of the galleries, which can also be associated with the import of management models for the art business.

Text and photo © André França
Website www.andrefranca.com

Thank you André for bringing us this perspective on the art world. It is an interesting and original approach and the series as a whole is truly fascinating. - Mr Urbano