Portrait

You emphasise the dialogue between East and West. In what way is this specific to
the gallery?

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It's a special feature, but above all it's a strategic approach based on a clear sense of taste. We believe that the public, our clients and our collectors are sensitive to a program with a clearly identifiable editorial line. This dialogue between East and West is our identity. It is very contemporary in artistic terms, but also more broadly in cultural, economic and political terms. It has to be said that the art of Asia has great potential for attraction, that it fascinates a wide audience, whether connoisseurs or not. It has a great power of seduction and desirability, and its aesthetic force gives immediate access to Asia.

This dialogue between East and West is even more meaningful given its ancient roots. The Orient has inspired and influenced Western art for a long time. And the history of art is marked by movements designed to reveal the wonders of Asia and its integration into European aesthetics. Whether we're talking about the “taste for China” from the seventeenth
century onwards, the Compagnie des Indes porcelain trade, the attraction of Coromandel lacquerware, or closer to us, Japonism, international exhibitions in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, or post-colonial artists, we hope to make our own contribution by extending this dialogue with Asia into the modern era.

You seem to be particularly interested in Korean art (as shown by the articles on your website). Why this orientation?​

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Rodrigue established links with the Korean art market very early in his life. Meeting the association of Korean artists in France (Sonamou) was also a decisive moment in setting up our Korean program. For almost 80 years, artists from Korea have forged a special relationship with France. Magna Gallery Paris aims to perpetuate and develop this
relationship.

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There is no doubt that Korea today has a soft power that gives the country a wide influence. It is one of the leading centres of artistic creation in Asia. So it seems obvious to us to establish our strategy in parallel with Hallyu, the Korean cultural wave that is sweeping the world. We are ourselves under the spell of this culture, of which there are still many aspects
to be discovered.

And we know how to convince our public of the major interest and wonder that Korean art provides. This art is unique in more ways than one. Both modern and contemporary artists are keen to convey their silent contemplation of nature through highly delicate works. Their pictorial thinking is based on compositions that are always refined and elegant, whether they are painted or sculpted.

Could you introduce us to your next exhibition and how it relates to the gallery's identity?

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It's a solo and monographic exhibition by the Korean artist Lee Young In. It's the fourth Korean solo show in our first season. Aesthetically, it's very different from the previous shows, but at the same time very complementary.

In Lee Young In's work, we find authentic Korean artistic precepts: the minimalism of form, the extreme plastic quality and the figuration of nature. All this in the service of transposing
reality into a purely poetic dimension. Lee Young In applies himself to a hyper-realistic representation of water-polished pebbles set against a white background. The viewer's gaze is captured by the visual effects. The artist takes us towards the perfection and delicacy of the zen garden.

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Visit the exhibition online : Exposition Seon - Lee Young-In | Magna Gallery Paris

The contemporary art market is a competitive sector. What challenges do you face nowadays for the artists you exhibit, and how do you promote them?

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Asian art and our focus on Korea put us in a unique market. We're talking about the primary market here, but we also address a private and public audience, customers of the secondary market. In this segment, we have major works in hand.
 

What matters most is the aesthetic quality and execution of the works, and indeed of the artists. Equally important is the authenticity of the works, which must be perfectly in keeping with their period, their cultural context, and the personal thoughts and gestures of their creator. No imitation, no pastiche, no anachronism...
 

When it comes to developing and promoting our artists, the answer is simple: by giving them a time and a space 100% dedicated to them. To do this, we rely on solo shows. These monographic exhibitions at the gallery, where we can count on a significant visiting clientele, are backed up by intense online communication, and by work with our privileged clients. We encourage them to follow our own discoveries, which enrich their collections.

Finally, a gallery has a duty to devote itself to research. We also want to provide a scientific perspective on our artists, by collecting invaluable documentation on their work, and by calling on art critics, literature and art history when writing prefaces, for example. This is a highly rewarding aspect for artists, most of whom are now, or will soon be, part of museum collections.