Entralling interview & Visual treat with Ms. Annamaria Bersani (Gallery manager, of Opera Gallery)

Ms. Annamaria Bersani (Gallery manager, of Opera Gallery)

    Celebrating 2 decades of association with Art, must be a huge occasion for Opera Gallery. Please tell us a little more about this esteemed Gallery?

From the beginning, this gallery has specialized in art investment. It started business in 1994 with the opening of its flagship gallery in Singapore, on the city's famous Orchard Road. From the School of Paris through the freewheeling movements, Pop Art, tromple l'oeil up through contemporary art production, Opera Gallery offers works by masters such as Chagall, Dali and Modigliani, as well as works by new talents from every continent.  Today, Opera Gallery is a notable leading network with a total of twelve galleries world-wide, including branches in the world's major capitals Paris, London, New York, Miami and Hongkong, as well as gallery spaces in Geneva, Monaco, Seoul and Dubai.

    What was the impetus behind Opera Gallery Middle East?

Quote from Opera Gallery’s Chairman Gilles Dyan:

“Establishing a gallery in Dubai was an important move,” he said at the 2008 opening of Opera Gallery at the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), a few weeks before the global credit crisis made landfall. “When it hit, we did not know what to expect,” recalls Gilles Dyan. “Thankfully, because of our loyal client base, we were able to keep the gallery running.”

Opera Gallery Group’s network of 11 Contemporary art galleries across the world weathered the storm. In 2010, it even opened up a second branch at The Dubai Mall, which later closed in 2013. “Many questioned our decision to open a gallery there, however it is there we can attract international tourists that are not familiar with us, while the DIFC space is for our longstanding collectors,” he says. “Before opening up in Dubai, we always had many clients from the region; now we can appeal to a new collector base as well as sell to the institutions being built here.”

    The theme for the exhibition celebrating Opera Gallery’s 20^th Anniversary, The Woman, The Myth, The Mystery is at once strong, interesting and compelling. Can you please state the incentive behind this theme?

The exhibition, The Woman, The Myth, The Mystery is a real exploration of the baroque painting style of this reputed and respected artist in the contemporary art scene, and draws us into a fantastic world of myths and legends, where our subconscious governs over all.

It introduces us to the artist’s mythological universe of mystery, enigmatic thoughts, feelings and emotions and is divided in Roc-Roussey’s especially worshiped themes, The Woman, The Myth and The Mystery.

    Women the world over are faced with many challenges. Do you think Art can become a real catalyst in bringing about positive changes? Yes of course: “Historia docet”- since the dawn of time revolution done to achieve civilization and human right has been supported by literature and art movements. Simple brush strokes can denounce deep opinions.

    Please tell us about the artist Jean-Pierre Roc-Roussey’s and his art works? Is there any particular painting or art style you can elucidate about?

Roc-Roussey’s baroque painting style draws us into a fantastic world of legends and mythology. Focused mainly on women Warriors, Amazons, Greek goddesses, Samurai women or African dancers, he creates a new form of exoticism with mysterious realm. Always with his splendor and freedom of invention, he depicts them in a more ‘masculine’ way, as warriors… wishing to liberate their power. He perceives them as impassive demigods and he creates a world of imagination where our subconscious governs over all. Roc-Roussey lives in his own world of imagination that enables him to envision mythical legends and use themes from Neo-Classicism and the Renaissance, mixed with elements from the Middle Ages and Oriental civilizations.

    What kind of Art Works interests Opera Gallery?

Opera Gallery provides a showcase for the works of the famous painters such as Picasso, Dalí, Miró, Braque, Warhol, and Chagall. It also promotes new artistic talent. Recent artists include: Ron English, Lita Cabellut, Lori Earley, David Mach, Camilla D’Errico, and Sylvain Tremblay. Opera Gallery also supports young artists who have gone on to achieve international recognition. The Gallery continues to find many talented artists in Europe, Asia, and America.

    Do aspiring artist’s works appeal to the gallery curators or is it more interested in established artist’s works?  Both elements equally equilibrated are into Opera DNA

    How strong is Dubai’s association with Art world, and what do you think of the Dubai Art scene?

Dyan says he hopes to increase the number of exhibitions held at the gallery in a bid to introduce foreign artists to the UAE art scene. The space is also actively promoting the Modern works in its catalogue: “We have a great inventory of masterpieces from the 20th century that we can present to collectors in the region,” states Gilles Dyan. He is confident in the longevity of Opera Gallery’s Dubai branch, citing the city’s growth into an international cultural capital. “The local art scene is maturing by the day and is becoming stronger and stronger,” he says. “With two major art fairs in the UAE, international and regional art protagonists will continue to invest their time and money in the Middle East, which will sustain the regional scene.”