2019 September Parcours Des Mondes Tribal Fair in Paris

Written by Michael Auliso and republished here with his permission.

Another great Parcours has wrapped up and that means my annual review. Since I was unable to attend this year, I’m grateful to Anita Schroeder and Patrick Morgan for taking photos and doing field so I can share them with you. Thus my commentary will be limited but is gleaned from conversations and dealer interviews. Their were many thematic exhibitions, dealer book releases and 6 exciting lectures hosted by the organization. The names I’m told who had exceptional pieces and exhibits include: Bernard Dulon, Dalton Domare, Michael Hamson, Lance Entwistle, Charles Hourde’ to name a few.
Enjoy.

Galerie David Serra- Barcelona Spain

(Galerie Eric Hertault) Yaure Mask Ivory Coast

Bernard De Grunne

(Galerie Alain Bovis) Thematic exhibit: “In Praise of Folly”

Dalton Somare’

Charles-Wesley Hourde’

Erik Farrow

(Montagut Gallery) Always with a high impact exterior.

Galerie Abla et Alain Lecomte

Lucas Ratton. Baule Exhibition

??? This Dutch dealer alledgedly stole a Parcours Banner for their gallery, but it didn’t go unnoticed. Its widely thought that all of their pieces were reproductions. They even had a five volume book set for sale too… Nonparticipating dealers are called “pirates”.

Kevin Conru. For the fair Kevin announced his new book: “Sepik Ramu Art”.

Galerie Patrick Frolic

Collectors Sam and Sharon Singer

Adrian Schlag- Tribal Art Classics

Laurent Dodier (left), exhibiting together at Galerie Meyer (Anthony Meyer right)

Exterior Entwistle Gallery

Wayne Heathcote Gallery

Olivier Larroque

Joe de Buck Tribal Arts

(Bernard Dulon) Nothing was apparently for sale in his exhibit!
Interesting strategy and maybe effective if you’re trying to entice the most powerful collectors into a private bidding war?

Jonathan Hope

Galerie Dartevelle

Michael Hamson Oceanic Art

When I asked Michael about the fair his answer was: “It was a very good show for me. I really tried hard this year to go after pieces never on the market and succeeded in finding a few great things— like the Marquesas figure collected in 1833/34 by American missionaries. Then I found a great Lower Sepik figure from a gentlemen in the UK whose grandfather was a surgeon on a ship to New Guinea in 1909. Then from one of my ads in the NY Times I found a superb small Maori head that I traced back to Oldman buying in 1909, etc.

I sold 35 pieces in total but just over half were pre-sold leading up to the exhibition. As usual I produce the catalog and once I have the PDF version of it a few weeks before the show I send it out to my best clients to give them the first shot. Sure this leads to some disappointed people walking in the gallery but my loyalty is to my existing clients who do business with me year in and year out.

Overall I think the attendance was good, on par with the last few years. I thought there was good energy and a fair amount of excitement—partly because of my Marquesas figure. I did business with not only my normal clients but nine new ones—so that is a good sign. I didn’t get around to too many other galleries—maybe seven or eight—but I thought the level of quality was high as always. So all in all I think the Parcours showed there is still strength, enthusiasm and interest in the oceanic art market.”