NEW YORK, NY.- The Robert Rauschenberg Foundation announces new gallery representation as part of a strategic plan to advance the legacy of Rauschenbergs life, work, and artistic philosophy.
Since acquiring the assets of Rauschenbergs estate in 2012, the Foundation has successfully expanded the publics access to Rauschenbergs artwork by placing seminal pieces in the collections of major museums across the United States, including the Guggenheim, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA). In concert with a 2016/17 retrospective co-organized by Tate Modern and MoMA, which travels to SFMOMA, the Foundation has selected three international galleries to represent the artists work: Pace Gallery (New York, London, Hong Kong, and Beijing); Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac (Salzburg and Paris); and Galeria Luisa Strina (São Paulo).
This new representation is global in scope, but local in function, ensuring that the artists market is reflective of Rauschenbergs unique and extraordinary oeuvre. As a complement to the museum shows, each gallery is planning solo presentations: an exhibition of late works at Pace (New York) in Fall 2015 to commemorate Rauschenbergs 90th birthday; a show at Ropac (Paris) in October 2016; and the artists first gallery exhibition in South America at Luisa Strina. Pace and Ropac also will present Rauschenbergs work at Art Basel (Switzerland) in June 2015.
The Foundations mission is to preserve and promote Rauschenbergs creative output through various activities from museum exhibitions, research and scholarship to philanthropic support of artists and organizations, and its artist residency program in Captiva, Florida. Christy MacLear, the Foundations Executive Director, explains: The Foundations focus is on three strategic areas for Rauschenbergs art: increasing access to the artists work via museums and institutions, encouraging scholarship among students, and preparing our archives to produce a catalogue raisonné. Partnering with these three galleries will cement Rauschenbergs presence on the global stagefrom New York to São Paulo, to Beijing and beyond.
With the Foundations global multi-gallery representation, Rauschenbergs audience will continue to grow and thrive across four key regionsthe United States, South America, Europe, and Asia. Pace Gallery, Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, and Galeria Luisa Strina are each uniquely suited to represent Rauschenbergs work and support the Foundation in promoting his vision. Having exhibited Rauschenbergs work many times over the past 26 years, Pace possesses a deep understanding of the artists market as well as strong relationships with his core collector base. Thaddaeus Ropac, a leading European gallery with international reachwho exhibited Rauschenbergs work in the early 90s through Leo Castellihas successfully worked with European museums to mount exhibitions of their artists and place work in permanent collections. Luisa Strina will bolster Rauschenbergs South American presence through her extensive connections with museum and collecting communities in Brazil and throughout the South American region. Together, the galleries will promote a broader understanding of Rauschenbergs creative process among collectors, curators, and the public.
David White, the Foundations Senior Curator who worked with Rauschenberg for over 30 years, added: It was always invigorating to embark on new adventures with Bob and his art. Im excited to participate with these galleries in developing exhibitions that demonstrate Bobs amazing use of images, materials and techniques.