Vagabond
Decorative antiques dealer Joe Chaffer has moved his business Vagabond to a shop in the heart of Petworth.
The premises were previously a classic car showroom and petrol station so the site offers on-site parking (a rarity in the West Sussex market town) and a showroom roughly four times the size of his previous shop in nearby Fittleworth.
After taking over the fairly dilapidated space in February, Chaffer and his brother gradually fixed the place up during lockdown, finally opening in September.
Despite some misgivings about opening a new bricks-and-mortar space while many dealers were turning their attention online, the move seems to have paid off with the physical trade outselling the business’ online shop.
“We had a flying start,” he tells ATG. “We opened in time for the Petworth fair and it was really busy, but everyone has been very observant of the rules and polite.
“In my mind the real British high street should be having an upturn now. Clients I hadn’t expected to come down for the opening have. In small market towns you can have a day out and it will benefit all the local trade.”
Bastian
Twentieth century art specialist Bastian has announced a new exhibition space to be opened in Berlin Dahlem next year. The new premises will be in a custom-made gallery designed by architect John Pawson.
Founded in Berlin in 1989, Bastian donated its German gallery building to the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation last year and opened an exhibition space in London’s Mayfair.
“The decision to open a new location in Berlin is a sign of confidence in a difficult time due to the consequences of the pandemic, and firm commitment to Berlin as an important place for art,” says the gallery’s Aeneas Bastian.
Meanwhile, the firm has announced an extension of its exhibition Atelier Picasso in London (see Dealer’s Diary, ATG No 2455). The updated show, which now runs until December 12, features a new selection of prints including a 1959 linocut Bacchanale avec Chevreau et Spectateur.
