Since September 2012, Connaissance des arts and IESA art&culture have been partners with the aim of introducing their audience and students to the professions that make up today’s art market. As part of this, videos on careers in culture are produced every month. This month, Romain Tichit, co-founder and organizer of the YIA Art Fair, talks to us about the profession of contemporary art fair organizer.

Who Is Romain Tichit?

Romain Tichit, after several years in advertising (Publicis) during which he organized exhibitions, concerts and performances on the side, decided in 2010 to launch the new concept of the YIA Art Fair, a Parisian contemporary art fair…

At IESA, Romain Tichit is the mentor of a 2nd-cycle, 1st-year student in contemporary art, Anne-Sophie Luyton, who intends to work with young contemporary creators. He will also soon speak to 3rd-cycle contemporary art students as part of the course “Entrepreneurship in Contemporary Art,” which aims to provide all the keys to creating one’s own business in the art market sector.

The YIA concept:

Having noted that current contemporary art fairs were built on a linear sequence of booths, Romain Tichit wanted to establish a new model of contemporary art fair: “The idea of YIA was to make a fair - which I actually prefer to call a ‘salon’ - without compartments, without partitions between each space, where the works could live alongside one another, in an industrial setting so as to better showcase the artists. In addition, with YIA, we focused on conviviality so that galleries would talk to each other again.”

Organizing a Fair, the Winning Triptych: Passion, Network and Professional Skills

Passion… “What makes the difference is personal involvement, real motivation, passion. Contemporary art is above all a passion!”

A network… “By definition, a network is built over the course of meetings…”

Professional skills… “The skills are mixed: a huge number of trades and skills are involved in organizing a fair. Everything I learned in project management and communication strategy helps me a lot in my work and in being visible.”

Programs in organizing contemporary art fairs at IESA:

Organizing a contemporary art fair involves exhibitor relations officers, communication officers, artwork registrars, VIP and institutional relations managers, gallery owners… Students as well as adults changing careers can train for these professions at IESA art&culture thanks to our initial and continuing education programs in the art market:

These provide the appropriate skills, through courses, tutorials or personal projects, covering in particular:

  • exhibition organization: artwork transport, insurance, scenography, etc.
  • gallery management: contract law, customs, condition reports, etc.
  • marketing and communication: press relations, community management, building a network, promoting artists, etc.
  • project management: students carry out a full-scale personal project aimed at organizing an exhibition, a fair or a symposium; a project that validates their end-of-program degree

Moreover, our school follows and supports its students in building their professional network: it connects them with professional mentors, includes mandatory internships in its programs starting in the first year to facilitate meeting professionals, and ensures that all of its instructors are established art market professionals.

> Download the art market programs brochure

Next profession featured in the Connaissance des Arts & IESA videos:

Communications Manager, with an interview of Céline Gautier, head of the Communications department at the Musée de l’Armée des Invalides.