Greek black-figure belly amphora with Herakles, Athens, c.530 BC, Antimenes Painter, terracotta, 20½in (51.5cm) high, priced €190,000.
Charis Tyndall, director of Charles Ede, which has stood at the fair since 2000, says that the new section was welcome news, giving the firm the chance to stage a collaborative stand while still running its usual space in the antiquities section.
“We had been wanting to do another show with Sean Kelly gallery for some time, having taken a stand together at TEFAF New York Fall in 2019, which was a great success,” she tells ATG.
“When we heard of this new initiative, we thought it could be the perfect opportunity to create a carefully curated mix of ancient and contemporary works, with the ability to - quite literally - focus.”
Intriguing concept
The stand will pair red- and black-figure ware with recent paintings by Callum Innes inspired by the ancient works provided by the New York gallery. Tyndall adds: “The methods of production have many similarities - an intriguing concept when you think that one is sculptural and the other two dimensional.
“Each work is made by first building up the surface, then laying colour, then removing colour to create the end result.”
On Kelly’s suggestion, the stand has been designed by Contemporary Mexican furniture designer Gloria Cortina. Tyndall says: “She rounds off the whole show by creating pieces to help display our vases and making a more domestic setting through her beautiful furniture. In the end we have come up with a display that encompasses everything that TEFAF is about and demonstrates how you could live with such works in your own home.”
The other participants in Focus are Ceysson & Bénétière (France); Mayoral (Spain); Galerie Mitterrand (France); Bowman Sculpture (UK); Ketabi Bourdet (France); Altomani & Sons (Italy); Galerie Pascal Lansberg (France) and Galerie Pauline Pavec (France).
