©Grégoire Prangé
The pope of contemporary art welcomes us to his 200 m2 bookstore-gallery, rue des Filles-du-Calvaire. The Pope, really? Yes really !
Defender of contemporary art for half a century and famous art collector, Yvon Lambert has introduced the greatest artists of our time: Nan Goldin, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Miquel Barceló, Jenny Holzer, Koo Jeong-A, Christian Boltanski, Cy Twombly, Daniel Buren, Andres Serrano, Anselm Kiefer, David Horwitz, Robert Combas. And others.
The secret of this autodidact? He is not afraid of making mistakes, he trusts, he commits. Legend has it that at the age of 14, this son of a taxi driver bought his first painting, in Saint-Paul-de-Vence. At the age of 30, he moved to Paris and opened a gallery in the 6th arrondissement. We discover: Robert Malaval, Léon Tulundjian, Théo Van Doesburg, Jean Hélion, etc.
Shy, the young man has great taste. A prophet capable of predicting success, he reveals artists he takes under his wings.
In 1977, he landed in the Marais, near Beaubourg, still very popular and industrious, populated by artisans who live and work in dilapidated mansions.
Yvon Lambert will never leave this neighborhood. Rue du Grenier-Saint-Lazare, modern art adorns its walls.
In 1986, he was the first to enter the Haut-Marais. The museum proportions of its new 800 m2 space allow it to exhibit the best artists from conceptual, minimalist and land-art trends.
Artists, collectors, museum directors, colleagues: everyone sings the praises of this nonchalant, reserved, excessive, available, brilliant man, who knows how to forge strong bonds with those who cross his path.
His latest stroke of genius? He has just made an exceptional donation of 560 works to the State. On one condition: that this mega collection be installed in Avignon, in a space of 7.500 square meters, in the double setting of the Montfaucon and Caumont hotels. A donation estimated at 96 million euros by Christie's. Hats off to the artist!
Text: Katia Barillot
Video: Anaïs Costet – Instagram
02.04.21
