An Art Mogul Talks Shop. Gagosian Gallery Le Bourget. Francesco Vezzoli Cinema Vezzoli April 27th 2014.
Avenue de l'Europe, Île-de-France, France. Gagosian Gallery. Why Did Hirst & Co. Leave? A Look Back at Gagosian Artist Defections. When news broke recently that three of Larry Gagosian’s biggest artists — Yayoi Kusama, Damien Hirst, and Jeff Koons — were defecting from the gallery in one way or another, it challenged the dealer’s reputation as “the leading Lothario” in the “courtship wars” over top artists, as the New York Times once put it. It’s a title he has earned for moves like convincing sculptor John Chamberlain to end his 30-year relationship with Pace, doubling John Currin’s prices after recruiting him from Andrea Rosen in 2003, and offering German painter Albert Oehlen a greater “global presence” than London dealer Thomas Dane last year. So are the recent developments payback for all the poaching? Perhaps, but those with longer memories know that the megadealer’s market power hasn’t always translated to artist fulfillment.