ABOUT DANIELE BALICE
Paris Social Diary: How are you today? What are your plans for this week?
Daniele Balice: As everyday, I am very busy, but also very happy to be waking up in Paris. The more I live here the more I appreciate it. This week I will be quickly visiting Amsterdam and scout new artists at the Rijksakademie! This is the best part of my job really. The rest of the week I will be at the gallery where I have a great show by the american photographer Buck Ellison and on sunday I am off to Berlin and Miami.
Paris Social Diary: What is going on in the Art scene in Paris?
Daniele Balice: The art scene in Paris has never been so exciting and dense. A lot of french artists are finally really breaking through the international scene. Paris is now the place where you can open an edgy gallery and do good business. Most of those young galleries are now moving to larger spaces and the established ones are expanding or open locations in London and New York. Some of my american artists decided to move here and call Paris their home. I don’t think I ever seen Paris in such a good shape.
I am italian so, I don’t have any patriotic feelings for this country or the city of Paris, therefore my enthusiasm comes from a really neutral point of view. Paris is offering a lot at the moment and its becoming the ideal place for artists that can find inspiration from all the amazing museums and private foundation.
Paris is also fun now and the music scene is very interesting and the night life is exploding. There is a new hip scene that has changed the way to go out, there is a new scene that is multicultural and multiethnic. Whereas everywhere else in the world things are looking backyards, Paris is moving forward.
Paris Social Diary: Are there any must-see exhibition happening now in Paris not to be missed?
Daniele Balice: I think the Magritte show at the Pompidou is amazing as well as Tino Sehgal at the Palais de Tokyo. I also cant wait for Cy Towmbly show at Pompidou as well.
Paris Social Diary: Do you have a favorite contemporary or ancient artist?
Daniele Balice: I don’t have a favorite contemporary artist, because I think I can only judge by looking at a lifetime production. I love to look at every artist producing today. I am voracious that way. Of course I love all the artists I work with because I think they are relevant in history of art. But its hard to answer that question.
But being Italian I do have a soft spot for Michelangelo.
ABOUT GALERIE BALICE HERTLING
Paris Social Diary: How has internet had an impact on the gallery?
Daniele Balice: Today internet has a crucial role in our business, but personal contact and relationships to artists and clients are still the most important element in my transactions.
Paris Social Diary: You introduce foreign artist to France, how does this process work from beginning to end, inside the gallery?
Daniele Balice: As I said I travel a lot and I do meet a lot of artists. I spend most of my time doing studio visits all over the world and thats probably the best part of my job. Everything usually starts with a suggestion of one of my artists, that always support their friends. Once I set up the studio visit, if it works its usually a love at the first sight and I need a physical reaction to the work. I either hate or love the work, I put my own personal taste on the side and try to see if the works has an historical and critical potential. I am interested in artists that push the dialogue towards progress and evolution.
Paris Social Diary: Is it easier for a foreign artist to make it in Paris thanks to Galerie Balice Hertling? How?
Daniele Balice: I think we have a reputation of discovering young artists, which is my biggest passion really. Most of our foreign artists have had their first solo show in our gallery. Our visibility in the city, and abroad, is definitely related to this idea of research and discovery. But I think we are more famous for bringing french artists outside of the country. We managed to get a solo show at MoMA for Neil Beloufa as well as the Venice Biennale. Isabelle Cornaro is a very well known artist in the states and Europe. Camille Blatrix just had an amazing solo show at Wattis Center in San Francisco.
Paris Social Diary: What are your thoughts on Latin American Art? Have you ever presented any on the gallery?
Daniele Balice: I am very interested in the scene, as a matter of fact, I think it looks way more interesting of a lot of things I see here. The only problem is I need to have a good friend or and artist that can help me look at the right things. I think its important to not fall in this neocolonialist idea of showing an artists from Latin America or Asia and Africa with an exotic eye. I need to be more educated to make the right choice. When I’m ready I will then show an artist from that region.
ABOUT DANIELE BALICE’S VISION
Paris Social Diary: What are your plans for 2017?
Daniele Balice: In 2017 I will spend some time in California for an art fair and studio visits. Most of my artists relocated to Los Angeles, so I need to go and see them, but the priority is actually to grow my business in Paris, which is by far going through a very dynamic moment right now. I feel very connected to the city and start to appreciate a lot more things about it. The idea is to make the scene stronger and the gallery a real meeting point for curators artists and collectors.
I will also develop a deeper relationship with Asia, where I have a lot of great contacts and some good friends now.
Paris Social Diary: You have a strong commitment with young artists. What advice would you give to younger generations who dream of being big in art?
Daniele Balice: I don’t want to sound like a cliche’, but really in order to have a long and healthy career is better to be yourself, not being obsessed with easy money and superficial things. The most difficult part of an art career is not to start but to actually last.
I always thought that its better to be cooler at 60 than at 28. There is no rush, good things take time.
Paris Social Diary: What is the future of Art for you?
Daniele Balice: Things are changing so fast in the geography of art. Today you don’t need to be in New York anymore to be a respected artist or a successful gallery, you can be anywhere.
Asia is really becoming an important place to be, where private museums are just opening one after the other. Anybody in the art world today should be open to new places and new territories. I also hope that people in the art world will travel more and will fight the wave of isolationism that is invading the western world now.
