 irector of the upcoming Docks Art Fair in Lyon, Olivier Houg conceived the venture in his desire to do something fresh and different for the art scene in France. The fair was particularly angled with the aim of providing an international platform for emerging artists, and thus took the highly innovative approach of showcasing only one artist per gallery. This means each artist is given all the special opportunities of a solo show, and visitors in turn are enabled to gain a much deeper understanding of the artists’ work.
Since its initial realization in 2007 the event has quickly gained a reputation and returns this year with increased strength. Running alongside the Lyon Biennial and just 100 meters away, Docks will present 32 galleries and their artists at the site of Lyon’s docks on the River Saone. Further raising the profile of the fair is the Montblanc Prize, which will award one artist a special solo exhibition at the brand’s shop in central Paris. With the originality of the fair and its substantial commitment to emerging artists it should continue to be an influential event in the autumn calendar.
Olivier Houg: I was born in 1958 and grew up in Saint-Étienne. It is a small city near Lyon, France. My father was an art dealer who dealt antiquities and paintings in the 1960s, 70s and 80s.
Art Interview: Was he also involved in contemporary art?
Olivier Houg: Yes, Saint-Étienne had the first contemporary art museum in France known as the Musée d'Art Moderne of Saint-Etienne. My father knew the first director there and was friends with several local artists from that period. He opened the first contemporary gallery in Saint-Étienne, but he didn’t keep it open long - it closed at the end of the 1970s.
Art Interview: Did your parents encourage you to work in the art world?
Olivier Houg: Yes, when I finished my baccalauréat (BAC) at 18, my father told me there was a school in Paris where I could study; it was the École du Louvre. I did 4 years there, learning to be a museum conservator, but I stopped when I had to do my military service. So, I’m a first graduate but not a final graduate.
Art Interview: How did you begin working professionally in the art world?
Olivier Houg: When I was studying in Paris and my parents still lived in Saint-Étienne, so I traveled back and forth from Paris 5 times a year. I had been looking at the galleries in Paris and it became evident that there were a lot of events for contemporary art there. Saint-Étienne did not have this type of structure so I started to become very involved in the art events in Paris. When I was free from the army I began dealing art between Paris and the rest of France.
Art Interview: Did you have your gallery by this time?
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Elise Cam
Drawings
2008
29.7 x 42 cm
Marker and Colored Pencil on Paper
Courtesy of Olivier Houg Gallerie
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Olivier Houg: No, I worked for other art dealers. I was involved in the secondary market, and dealt modern and contemporary art. That was my specialization at the École du Louvre, so I found it easy to do. I did that for twelve years before I opened my contemporary gallery in 1998.
Art Interview: What made you decide to open Olivier Houg Gallerie?
Olivier Houg: When I dealt modern art the people involved were not interested in how the works were created. Their focus was just on the money between one dealer and another, which I didn’t find satisfying. I had always visited contemporary art galleries and exhibitions to stay informed and at one point a collector, who is still a very good friend of mine, pushed me to open my gallery. I was living in Lyon, and at that time there weren’t many galleries there. So, I saw that as a possibility to do something new with some of the artists that I had met there.
Art Interview: Were you working with a local collector base when you started?
Olivier Houg: Yes, I began by working with local collectors and local artists, but I opened the gallery to the international market early on by participating in art fairs and from that I gained access to artists and collectors from abroad.
Art Interview: After almost ten years of running your gallery you also ventured into producing the Docks Art Fair. Why did you decide to start this venture in 2007?
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Vincent Lamouroux
(U) Afterimage
2009
Structure en aluminium, tubes fluorescents, réglettes
163 X 462 X 250 cm
Edition of 3
Courtesy Galerie GP & N Vallois |
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Olivier Houg: Many of the people who are connected to contemporary art in France asked me “Why are you starting a fair in Lyon instead of Paris”? But I started the fair in Lyon because it is a good place to do things differently. I had been part of the FIAC Art Fair in Paris in 2006 and I wanted to produce a different energy than I found in Paris. In Lyon we have a big event called the Lyon Biennial and I saw that as a good opportunity to propose something involving emerging artists. It was important for me to propose an alternative for Lyon because it is a very big city and it has a lot of art collectors. These collectors travel around the world looking for contemporary art. They come to my gallery but I mostly stay in touch with them through art fairs in Rotterdam, London, New York and Madrid.
Art Interview: Have your past entrepreneurial experiences helped you to make the Docks Art Fair an international event?
Olivier Houg: I have been involved in contemporary art in Lyon for over ten years. I know the place very well and I know all the important players in the art scene there.
Art Interview: The Docks Art Fair is intended to support emerging artists and you have comprised it of solo exhibitions. Why did you decide on this particular focus?
This oral history transcript is the result of a digitally recorded interview with Olivier Houg on July 24, 2009. The interview took place over the telephone between Berlin, Germany and Lyons, France and was conducted by Brendan Davis for Art Interview Online Magazine. Lydia Ward wrote the introductory text.
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