Art: The International language

Dubai - Gallerist Stéphane Custot tells us how his new gallery aims to fill what's missing in the Dubai art scene

ART CAN BE an intimidating world to some. Trying to understand what someone else is expressing through marks, colours, shapes and sometimes sounds or videos can be daunting. It takes a while, to connect the dots to make the puzzle fit and to look at something and realise what it's trying to say to you. Art, after all, usually tells a story. And in the case of gallery owner Stéphane Custot his story of how he got into the world of art is rather bizarre.
Imagine a 22-year-old law student in Paris in the mid 1980s who wanted to make a little extra money in the summers and so takes a job as a driver with a minimum salary and the promise of great tips. He was appointed a passenger for nine days, a Chinese American woman who spoke fluent French and worked as a director for American Vogue. Quickly, she filled Stephane's trunk with bags of shopping from some of Paris's most popular shopping boutiques.
"I was thinking to myself, she's spending in a day what she should earn in a month!" Stéphane told us at Alserkal Avenue's A4 Space, "First day was like this, second day was like this, third day was like this, I said: 'oh my God, she's insane!'"
After striking up a friendship, Stéphane invited the passenger to dinner with him and his godfather, who like her also an American, was closer to her age and happened to be an art dealer. The dinner went well and at the end of her trip, the passenger asked Stéphane if he could show her father around Paris when he came to visit later in the year. Stéphane agreed and introduced her father to his art dealer godfather, who then became one of his best clients.
"I got a tip, a big commission from my godfather, and this is how I started. The next year ,I said to my godfather, I don't want to be a driver anymore, I'm still studying, can you please take me in for an internship in your gallery? And by the way that woman was Vera Wang. My godfather became the godfather of one of her two daughters, and we are still friends. "
The internationally renowned fashion designer based in New York may have been the catalyst to start Stéphane's career in the art world but since then he's used his talents to continue to create a dialogue between artist, art and the public. Stéphane went on to be the director of the Hopkins-Thomas gallery in Paris (1988) which became the Hopkins- Custot gallery in 2001. Then in 2005, Stéphane set up the Custot Gallery in London, where he exhibited works by the biggest names in the modern and contemporary art scene.
Over the recent years Dubai and the rest of the UAE has seen a serge in art institutions, galleries and museums, most notably Alserkal Avenue in Al Quoz. The art district recently launched its expansion which includes more warehouses set up for artists, gallery owners and other design concepts. And recently this week Stéphane's gallery the Custot Gallery, after months of preparation has opened its doors to the public coinciding with the tenth edition of Art Dubai.

City Times sat with Stéphane, stylishly dressed in blazer and jeans, where he spoke about his thoughts on the importance of starting a cultural dialogue in the art world here in Dubai.
Why did you decide to open a gallery here in Dubai and specifically in Alserkal Avenue?
When I first came here two years ago, I didn't have an idea to establish a gallery. I came to Dubai and thought wow this is interesting, this is cool, I could feel a good vibe. I fell in love with the Alserkal Avenue. I chatted with them a lot, they didn't at first understand my project and they were a bit tough with me and I respect them for that. I didn't fall in love with the warehouses. I fell in love because of the concept and because of Abdelmonem Alserkal's vision.
They are presenting different things from the same world (art), but they can talk to each other, they can each give to the people something different. It's competition but it's really healthy competition and dialogue, and dialogue is very important for me. And I think what they are doing, what Alserkal is all about is dialogue, it's arts. And this is what I like. My goal is to show European artists, American artists here and to bring them here and to try to have a dialogue with the other artists and people in the region.
The audience in Dubai are different to France or London. Do you have to be selective about which artists to show?
It's very challenging. That's why I'm starting with a group show. Because I'm new in the region. I have to be relaxed and broad and try to see what the reaction to these artists and their work are. I don't believe in a ready programme today. I have to set up a programme for us to function but the programme will be adapted to the situation. I will adapt, little by little an appropriate programme.
What about art inspires you?
My father was a small collector and my mum was raised and born in Singapore and they moved to Cambodia and when they came back in the 50s they came back with sculptures because they were inspired by the culture over there. So I was surrounded in my childhood by these very nice Cambodian sculptures and that maybe influenced me a lot. Because it's a very pure art -very modern in a way. And my father collected a bit of post Impressionist paintings, so I was in the middle of that . . . I was surrounded a little bit by art but I didn't think about being an art dealer at first. 
What has been your impressions so far of the contemporary art work here in Dubai ?
It's only Middle Eastern artists. So, of course it's fascinating, its interesting. But we only see that. Everything is international in Dubai, the brands, the cars, the architecture . . . Dubai is like a museum of architecture with all the architects from everywhere in the world. The only thing that they don't have here are international artists coming from all over the world.
So even though you want to promote your own art which is normal, each country wants to promote its own art but it's always better, in my opinion, to have a dialogue between culture. And when you have a dialogue between cultures it enhances your own art. I think I'm coming at a good time because the museums are going to open.
For many people contemporary or modern art is intimidating. Do you think it is an art gallery's job to make art more accessible to people?
I would say it's a pleasure to do that but it's not our responsibility. It's more a Museum and University's job. You know, I am intimidated when I go into an art gallery even after 30 years. It's like when you enter a restaurant and there is nobody there. Most of the time when you enter a gallery, there is not a lot of people, so it is intimidating and most of the time you have people looking at you when you enter. It's not so easy and you have some art, you don't know, so, of course, it creates something a bit bizarre and I understand the feeling of those people because I do have those feelings.
Do you think art has a function in society?
Of course. It is more and more social. It's good and bad. It's good because people are talking much more about art but also it's bad because in a way there are more investors today and because it's very social they want to have this artist and that work at home because they can say I am an important man.
Today, luckily we still have collectors and people who buy things, because they like it, but we do also have investors and investors are all right as long as they like what they are buying. But it's a bit sadder in a way because it's pure investment. Like when people buy without looking, they buy with their ears.
But that must have benefits.
Of course it does. It creates a buzz and we have more and more people interested in art. And this is good. We have new museums now all over the world because of that, we have private foundations. because sometimes those collectors, they want to share their collections which is fantastic and they want to show their collections to the public. So that is the good thing about the world of art today. We have more museums and more and more people go and see these museums and more people are talking about art . . . its an international way of communication. Because art is an international language, in a way.
Well, that leads me to my next question. How do you think art can be used as a tool to create cross cultural dialogue now especially in the Middle East where there is a lot of turmoil in the region?
I am in Dubai and it's not really my culture, but I can talk to other people with the excuse of art because we don't have to talk about things they don't want to talk about. We can talk about something that everybody is happy to talk about. For example, if I like Joan Miró, I'm sure I can find someone here who likes Miró and maybe his background is very different from my background.
Normally we wouldn't mix, we wouldn't meet and because of Miró, because of art, we have something to say and we can build a relationship based on that excuse, which isn't an excuse, it's a passion and yes, of course, but art can unify people all over the world. This is why when you see this kind of drama in Syria, when they destroy temples, its terrible and shameful because they are destroying a part of the culture, -that culture it is for everybody, it's not for this people or that people, it's for everybody.
So you think art is for everybody?
Completely, for me, it's for everybody. There is art everywhere, it's not only in paintings and sculptures. There is art in architecture, there is art in the way you dress yourself in a way; it's art also cause you're going to think about having this trouser with this blazer.
What is the biggest misconception people have about art?
It's a tough question because most people might consider that art is not accessible. Because it's too intellectual or too expensive and that's not true. Art is accessible but it depends on who you talk to. It depends who you meet, where you go and if you go and if you push yourself to go to museums. I think museums is where you have to go because it's an easy access to knowledge and there is an interaction cause you can see the art and you can read the catalogue.
So there is a dialogue when you go into those museums. Also, people always see headlines of newspapers that we got this price for this artist and that artist. People think that art is only for the rich. This is not true. Art is affordable. You have all kinds of prices - you just have to go and look and everybody can spoil themselves and buy something one day.
The tenth edition of the Art fair takes place March 16-19 in Madinat Jumierah. For more information, visit: www.artdubai.ae