Founding of Ravenel

Everywhere in the world, Ravenel Art Group is the symbol of refined art culture. It also plays the role of collection advisor for the "20th & 21st Centuries' Chinese Art".

Ravenel Art Group, incorporated in June 1999, receives the complete professional and technical support from Drouot – a major French artwork auctioneer with long-lasting history. Its tenet is to introduce refined European culture, synchronize artistic creation and investment, and push forward contemporary Chinese art. Ravenel brings about dedicated and systematic collection and artistic works investment to enterprises, collectors and foundations across Asia by means of artwork auction which focuses on oil painting and sculpture, intermediary service, art fund investment etc.

It provides important overseas media and art institutions with Chinese artists and dynamic information in China's contemporary art market via the online platform (http://ravenelart.com) by presenting exhibition for contemporary Chinese artists in cooperation with major overseas art institutions, in order to facilitate long-term development of Chinese art in international arena.

Ravenel Art Group has two major art-related departments: Ravenel European Art Auctioneer and Ravenel Art Investment. Through 10 years' unremitting efforts, the numerous businesses including auction, intermediary service, web site, exhibition etc. have achieved remarkable results. New programs such as insurance, fund, foundation and so on are now under preparation. In 2006, along with the strategic expansion in China mainland, Ravenel Beijing was established. Ravenel Art Group will inevitably provide enterprises, collectors, foundations as well as other institutions and individuals with abundant and more professional collection and investment services.

Purpose

Introducing refined European culture

We cannot talk about the evolvement of art without mentioning Europe. Europe represents delicacy and particulars and embodies richness and plurality. The unique cultural connotation in Europe has received recognitions from numerous artists and scholars for centuries. In this regard, the 19th century's Salon Culture in France represents an important stage. In France during the reign of Louis XIV, the expressions from castle, yard and art mean the ultimate goals in Europe and even in the world. From then on, the Salon Culture was penetrating into other European countries with an overwhelming tendency.

It was not only the vogue of the then literary circle, but also means the refined and pluralized cultural connotation and traditional modality through accumulation. In following changes of the trend of thought, the Salon Culture had contributed mentally to the French Revolution, the Democratic Movement, and artistic reform etc. Its contribution cannot be ignored even to the flourishing cultural enlightenment in Europe.

Ravenel is dedicated to introducing the Salon Culture and expects to bring into play the fundamental spirit of that culture – establishing refined life style, to promote exchanges of culture and thought, and to introduce the Chinese art and culture to international arena.

Pushing forward contemporary Chinese art

China, with over five-thousand-year civilization, is now in an era of changes. In the middle of edification, stimulation, discrepancy and struggling for traditional Chinese culture and modern Western civilization, those artists have created a wording culturally suitable for this period through impact. Contemporary art just represents a much featured aspect in this wording. The particularity is that it is close to life and expresses the potential insaneness and strength in the era and life with unique spiritual connotation. Based on traditional Chinese culture and driven by economic boom, contemporary China is drawing numerous strange and yet curious attentions in international arena. The contemporary Chinese art, which just echoes to the times, has naturally become a highlight.

Ravenel is willing to play a role that bridges the Eastern and Western culture, and it is dedicated to recommending the most representative artworks of this era directly to key collectors, enterprises and funds in the world. Meanwhile, Ravenel is making unremitting efforts to bring into play the essence of Chinese art in international market with its unique demeanor.

Synchronizing artistic creation and investment

Artwork is provided with a variety of complicated and peculiar factors such as rareness, history, aesthetics, philosophy etc. This way, the monetary value of a specific artwork cannot be defined under general concept of commodity on the one hand, and the artwork is always hard-won because of its unique spiritual attribution on the other hand. These factors have defined that a fine artwork will have increasing value as the time goes, so it is an optimum tool for long-term investment.

Dedicated to providing masterships of top-class Chinese and Western artists, Ravenel Art Group defines the current value of potential artists and their works to enter the future history of art with professional standard and international vision. In light of this concept, Ravenel extends most scientific data analysis in cooperation with major banks around the world and follows the trend of global art market on a long-term basis. Interaction is favorable between Ravenel and personages in the art industry, so the group is kept informed on latest trend of the global market.

The Art & Investment magazine, a refined quarterly publication, gives detailed and in-depth description and analysis on situation of Chinese art market and artworks by Chinese when recommending works to the West. Thus, the quarterly magazine with auction catalog has become a basis and guideline for collectors in terms of price and quality.

Based on above advantages and specialty, Ravenel Art Group has planned art investment projects for several enterprises and foundations; meanwhile, generous return is guaranteed.

Professional and pluralized art collection

Art investment must be established based on considerable financial strength for distribution of risks. The key lies in professional insight and control over the market. To better serve the collectors and investment institutions, Ravenel European Art Auctioneer and Ravenel Art Investment Consulting under Ravenel Art Group are focusing on oil painting and sculpture by professional operation, so most specialized art investment is assured. As the pluralized investment pattern has been set up, Ravenel is extending optimum options to those in love of art by the most prudential, most opened and most objective means in cooperation with related financial sectors on the basis of auction, intermediary service, art foundation and so on.

As a window of collection and investment tailored for collectors by Ravenel Art Group, Ravenel European Art Auctioneer presents every artwork perfectly with rich connotation and without neglecting any detail, through the flows of auction, by strengthening all particulars from preview with refined arrangement to set off different themes before official auction and appreciation events in salon to creation of auction catalog and in-depth description to the pieces. An auction is just an interaction between art and soul; an artwork may also become a legend and a much-told story.

Characteristics

Drouot Auction Consortia (Drouot Commissaire-Priseurs), Paris

Drouot Auction Consortia (Drouot Commissaire-Priseurs), Paris, is the most ancient artwork auction organization existing in the world. Every year, auctions accounting for one-third of the turnover in global art auction market are called here, and 16 auctions are sponsored every day on average.

Four-hundred-year Commissaire-Priseur system

The foundation of Drouot is closely related to the Commissaire-Priseur system with a history of four hundred years in France. In 1552, Henry II, then French Emperor, launched the firm for the "maîtres priseurs-vendeurs". Those professional auctioneers became the "Commissaire-Priseurs" later. Traditionally, Commissaire-Priseur is the official auction executor in France who, in the capacity of judicial officer, must play a neutral role of arbitration.

Professional, precise college education and concrete training

To be qualified for that hammer, a Commissaire-Priseur must receive professional and precise college training (especially for the history of art and law), intern for three years in a Commissaire-Priseur firm, and then pass the national examinations. Upon receiving the qualification, the Commissaire-Priseur cannot serve genuinely until practicing in France only. The Drouot Auction Consortia (Drouot Commissaire-Priseurs) is just established by responding to this tradition. In this period, any auction could not be performed until it was sponsored by a French organization; no such event was allowed if executed by people from other institutions in France.

Swift transformation, orientation to the world

However, such situation has changed when J. Toubon, former Minister of Justice in France, promulgated the act of opening the auction market on January 1st, 1998, upon buildup of the European Union. This way, Commissaire-Priseur is no longer the professional in France that can perform all auction activities than mandatory auction in court within the French territory.

Thinking highly of the great China region, a booming art market, Drouot has launched a series of planning enthusiastically. While exploring source of funds and transforming to a genuine corporate entity, it also engages in business in other countries besides France, earnestly supporting the Ravenel Art Group in Taipei. Drouot, a time-honored auction consortia with a pool of specialists, is challenging the booming international art market with a brand-new pose.

Drouot Auction Headquarters, Paris

Richelieu Auction House

Drouot Auction Headquarters, located in Richelieu, Paris, represents the French history of auction. The auction house was built during the Second Republic of France, with a history of over one hundred years. The original building was rebuilt in 1980 because of time-wearing. The entire building, three-story, occupies a site area of 10,000m2, consisting of sixteen halls. The auction house sponsors shows and auctions every day. It is capable of performing 3,300 auctions in a year, and as many as 700,000 articles could be sold. The north corner of the auction house is a paradise for dealers of used goods, as liquidation sale for modern furniture, electric household appliance and spare parts of gears is available here. In addition, two used vehicle auction spaces are supplied outside the north exit, of which one is 7,000 m2 and the other is 4,500 m2. Special-purpose used vehicles are auctioned including public utility vehicle, mini antique car, wagon car etc. However, there are also second-hand new vehicles because of cancellation of loan contract or equipment lease contract. The headquarters in Richelieu is a witness of intermittent auctions, colorful, pluralized and dynamic.

Montaigne Auction House

Montaigne Auction House is situated on the beautiful and elegant Avenue Montaigne in Paris, on both sides of which are gathered head offices of all world-top luxury brands such as Chanel, Christian Dior, Louis Vuitton and so on. In September, the fashion brands in this avenue will jointly sponsor a grand gathering for announcing the vogue and trend of next year. This gathering has also become an important annual congregation for upper class in France. In the boutiques, the shopfronts will be decorated and finished meticulously during the event, and most delicate shows and displays are extended. Personages and distinguished guests are received with champagne, and goblets flash from hand to hand. Drouot Montaigne Auction House has been in this gathering since 1987. The auction only sells premium-priced masterpieces during this period. As long as there is important artwork for auction, the scene is transmitted to US and Japan via satellite for synchronized auction. Numerous media will be attracted, waiting for those rare and world-class pieces to be brought.

Ravenel Art Space

The Ravenel Headquarters is located on Dunhua South Road, eastern Taipei. The Beijing Office is located on Jianguo Road, surrounded by a lot of well-known enterprises and vogue-leading international flagship stores. The two places are both ideal landmarks in metropolis. Selection of office place is of symbolic significance as a part of corporate culture. This way, Ravenel Art Space is designed on the basis of three key factors: future, professionalism, and internationalization. They echo to the concept for operation of Ravenel as well – introducing refined European culture, promoting the concept of contemporary art, and bringing Chinese art to international arena.

Refined and professional art space

Unsophisticated materials such as glass, metal and silver foil contribute to the main structural elements of the Ravenel Art Space, corresponding to the interior traffic flow planning, exhibit display, lighting arrangement, and color utilization. The lighted wall of front door perfectly matches luminous yarn curtain; soft beams and silver-foiled columns bring a futuristic space. In a visit to Ravenel, the light changes from the entrance. The artistic quality is advent that emphasizes refinement and particulars. In general, the tone of lighting in front door is vibrant. As long as there is any visitor, the luminance turns darker to avoid disturbance by irrelevant matters, delivering the information of "no disturbance". In the evening, the pattern of lighting is from backward and penetrating. Even when all staff is off duty, the intense artistic feeling is still touchable. The colorful lighting design actually comes from one of the design concepts looking into the next century. In terms of traffic flow, the column at the silver-foiled entrance is the axis, echoing the embedded space on the wall. Flower arrangement highlights the mastermind combining art with life. The meeting room, showroom and VIP lounge, office area, and storage room deliver a style of simplicity on the basis of pro-white or transparent colors and materials. The overall style extends to the General Manager's Office, where office desks and chairs by well-known designers fill the space with a modern feeling. B&O telephone meets well the style of wall deco perfectly. In the corner beside the window, the round table and chair creates a small conversation area, ensuring that even professional consulting can carry on within such a short distance and under leisure.