Business
The business of culture
More than 40% of small and medium-sized enterprises in the Greater Region do not have a business plan, according to a study by PwC presented during the sixth annual Economy Days conference. Business leaders state that success rests first and foremost on human capital. events.pwc.lu/events/ economyday2011/home.html
SAARLAND RECOVERY
Saarland has left the economic crisis, says Dr. Christoph Hartmann, the German state’s economy minister. He expects a return to pre-crisis GDP levels by the end of the year. With rising business order numbers, Hartmann says “the economy in Saarland is humming.” www.wirtschaft.saarland.de
PRICEY WATER
Water is three times more expensive in Luxembourg than in Lorraine, reported the NGL-Snep. The trade union estimates the average price of tap water is about €7.50 per cubic metre in Luxembourg, compared to €2.43 in Metz. It wants a proposed rate hike cancelled. www.ngl-snep.lu
TRIER NETWORKING
The Trier Region Media and IT Network renamed itself the TrierLuxembourg Media and IT Network, with the aim of improving crossborder industry links. About 80 companies are members of the networking and lobbying association, which is affiliated with the Trier Chamber of Commerce. www.itregion-trier.de
38 - delano - March 2011
Art.metz gives artists a chance to sell direct. But does it pay off financially?
The Greater Region’s largest contemporary art show is a different type of art fair, which explains why it is marking its 11th edition in fine form. Art.metz, to be held April 1-4 at Metz-Expo, gives younger and less well known artists exposure--and sales--they would not normally get through galleries. In fact, Marie Rigaux, president of the art.metz association, founded the fair in 2000 because “I had many friends in Paris, a group of artists, that organized their own art fair as a protest against galleries, and I wanted to support them.” Today the fair has opened to galleries, but the main attraction is still the more than 100 artists who exhibit. Last year several hailed from Argentina, China and Korea, in addition to area artists such as R. Benedikta, who has studios in Luxembourg-Cents and Oetrange. Attendance was up slightly in 2010, to more than 5,000 visitors, drawn from across the Greater Region. Rigaux expects to see similar numbers next month. “Art.metz gives artists an opportunity to represent themselves directly,” says Kesha Bruce, an American artist living in Metz and director of Baang and Burne Contemporary Art in New York City. “It’s much more expensive and much more work for the artists, but there are better financial and marketing prospects as well.” It costs an average of €1,500 for an artist to participate, but artists then do not share revenue with galleries, which often amounts to nearly 60 percent of the sales price, says Rigaux.
David Laurent/Wide
Luc Deflorenne
smes: no plans
Artistic License
MARIE RIGAUX: art.metz helps younger artists gain more exposure
Bruce, who exhibited at art.metz in 2008, notes the organisers still charge eight euro for admission, whereas other art fairs are typically free. “So the audience is smaller, but more serious.” At the same time, she observes that the starting prices of about €300 last year are comparable to what buyers could expect to pay at similar art fairs in London and Paris. Nonetheless sales at art.metz were down in 2010, with more than 300 pieces sold in contrast to approximately 450 works in 2009. While the most expensive asking price last year was €200,000--for a work that did not sell--the highest recorded sale was a large sculpture that sold for €20,000, notes Rigaux. She adds these figures do not include sales artists frequently make directly to customers following AG the fair.