Philippe Méaille
{{Short description|French collector of contemporary art}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Philippe Méaille
| image = Philippe Méaille.jpg
| caption = Philippe Méaille in 2017
| birth_name = Philippe Méaille
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1973|4|27|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Enghien-les-Bains, France
| nationality = French
| alma_mater = Paris Descartes University
| occupation = President of Château de Montsoreau-Museum of Contemporary Art
}}
Philippe Méaille ({{IPA|fr|filip meaj}}; born 27 April 1973) is a French author and art collector, and the founder and president of the Château de Montsoreau-Museum of Contemporary Art.{{Cite news|url=http://www.artmarketmonitor.com/2014/09/22/everybody-talks-about-collecting-with-their-eyes-not-their-ears-few-do-it-like-philippe-meaille/|title=Everybody Talks About Collecting with Their Eyes, Not Their Ears; Few Do It Like Philippe Meaille|date=22 September 2014|work=Art Market Monitor|access-date=2018-01-30}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.connaissancedesarts.com/art-contemporain/philippe-meaille-installe-sa-collection-au-chateau-de-montsoreau-1126444/|title=Philippe Méaille installe sa collection au château de Montsoreau {{!}} Connaissance des Arts|work=Connaissance des Arts}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-collector-turned-15th-century-french-castle-contemporary-art-destination|title=The Collector Who Turned a 15th-Century French Castle into a Contemporary Art Destination|last=Chernick|first=Karen|date=20 September 2019|website=Artsy|access-date=2019-10-23}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.mutualart.com/Article/Combining-Past--Present-and-Future--The-/DCC6DC54DE5810EF|title=Combining Past, Present and Future: The Contemporary Art Museum at Château de Montsoreau|website=Mutual Art}} Currently, Méaille owns the world's largest collection of Art & Language works.{{Cite web|url=https://news.artnet.com/market/art-language-philippe-meaille-french-chateau-310458|title=Largest Collection of Radical Conceptualists Art & Language Finds a Home in French Chateau|website=Artnet|date=23 June 2015 }}
Career
After graduating from the Lycée Vauban in Pontoise, Méaille was admitted to Paris Descartes University where he studied Pharmacy. Méaille began his art collection when he arrived in Paris as a student.
In 1994, Méaille began to build connections with Art & Language artists, including gallerist Eric Fabre.{{Cite news|url=http://www.artpress.com/2006/06/01/art-language-chateau-de-la-bainerie-tierce-ecole-regionale-des-beaux-arts-nantes-11-mars-8-avril-2006/|title=Art & Language : Château de la Bainerie, Tiercé ; Ecole régionale des beaux-arts, Nantes, 11 mars – 8 avril 2006|work=Art Press}} Méaille acquired a large number of works from the Swiss Rothschild Bank in 1996. These works had been purchased from the Swiss gallerist Bruno Bischofberger, in 1972.{{Cite news|url=http://chicago.suntimes.com/entertainment/expo-chicago-to-show-little-seen-art-language-works/|title=Expo Chicago to show little-seen Art + Language works|work=Chicago Sun-Times}}
When I was 20 or 21, I bought a work of Art & Language of 1965 called Mirror Piece and installed it in my apartment in Paris. After two or three days, I felt sad and stupid because I understood the limit imposed if these works were kept private. They would be like a discussion that was kept secret. Therefore I felt a responsibility to make this collection accessible to the widest possible public – The Private Museum of the Future, Cristina Bechtler interview with Philippe Méaille, 2016.{{Cite book |title=The Private Museum of the Future |last=Dercon |first=Chris |publisher= JRP Ringier|year=2018 |isbn=978-3-03764-520-8 |location=Zurich |pages=99–100}}Méaille, has since assembled the world's largest collection of Art & Language works.
In 2000, Méaille installed his collection in the Château de la Bainerie, a former summer camp of the city of Argenteuil.{{Cite book|title=Collections Particulières|last=Candet|first=Nadia|year=2008 |publisher=Flammarion |isbn=978-2081214651}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.argenteuil.fr/reportage/24/4-promenons-nous-dans-le-patrimoine-l-age-d-or-des-colonies-de-vacances.htm|title=Promenons nous dans le patrimoine : l'âge d'or des colonies de vacances|website=Mairie d'Argenteuil}} The collection of Art & Language works was spread throughout the 50,000 square foot area of the château.{{Cite news|url=https://www.lexpress.fr/region/tierc-eacute-rencontre-avec-un-collectionneur_476261.html|title=Tiercé: rencontre avec un collectionneur|last=Sultan|first=Mylène|date=28 June 2007|work=L'Express|language=fr|access-date=5 September 2018}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.marieclaire.it/Casa/case-arredamento/Chateau-d-avanguardia#1|title=Château d'avanguardia : Benvenuti a Tiercé, mélange perfetto tra arte e design|work=Marie Claire Maison|access-date=13 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171028043451/http://www.marieclaire.it/Casa/case-arredamento/Chateau-d-avanguardia#1|archive-date=28 October 2017|url-status=dead}} In 2006, Méaille organized a public exhibition with Nantes school of Beaux-arts. In 2011, Méaille announced a long-term loan of 800 works of Art & Language to the MACBA.{{Cite news|url=https://elpais.com/ccaa/2015/03/04/catalunya/1425502846_857987.html|title=Philippe Méaille dona al Macba seis obras del colectivo Art & Language|work=EL PAÍS}} In 2014, Jill Silverman van Coenegrachts became the curator of Méaille's collection.{{Cite news|url=http://www.lejournaldesarts.fr/site/archives/docs_article/122015/une-experte-de-christie-s-france-a-la-tete-la-fiac-los-angeles.php|title=Une experte de Christie's France à la tête la FIAC Los Angeles|work=Le Journal des arts}}
In 2014, the MACBA organized a major retrospective of the group Art & Language, which was titled Art & Language uncompleted: The Philippe Méaille Collection. The retrospective contained works which were loaned by Méaille.
In 2015, Méaille signed a 25-year lease for the Château de Montsoreau, a castle located in the Loire valley.{{Cite web|url=https://hyperallergic.com/522074/chateau-de-montsoreau-museum-of-contemporary-art-art-and-language/|title=A Historic Conceptual Art Group Has Taken Over a French Château|date=14 October 2019|website=Hyperallergic|access-date=2019-10-23}} That same year, Méaille founded the Château de Montsoreau-Museum of Contemporary Art, where approximately 80 works of his collection are permanently exhibited.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ouest-france.fr/pays-de-la-loire/de-lart-contemporain-au-chateau-de-montsoreau-3503626|title=De l'art contemporain au château de Montsoreau|website=ouest-france.fr}}{{Cite web|url=https://thriveglobal.com/stories/philippe-meaille-it-is-time-we-take-responsibility-and-repair-the-climate-and-the-planet-this-is-what-i-call-prospective-ecology/|title=Philippe Méaille: "It is time we take responsibility and repair the climate and the planet. This is what I call prospective ecology" – Thrive Global|website=thriveglobal.com|access-date=2019-10-23}}
In 2017, Méaille decided not to renew his lease with the MACBA, and instead decided to repatriate his entire collection to the Château de Montsoreau-Museum of Contemporary Art. Méaille stated that the main reason for this decision was the political instability in Catalonia.{{Cite news|url=http://www.lemonde.fr/arts/article/2017/10/18/la-crise-catalane-fait-fuir-les-collectionneurs_5202461_1655012.html|title=La crise catalane fait fuir les collectionneurs|work=Le Monde.fr}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.lci.fr/international/video-crise-politique-en-catalogne-un-collectionneur-d-art-rapatrie-sa-collection-en-france-2071762.html|title=Crise politique en Catalogne : un collectionneur d'art rapatrie sa collection en France|work=LCI}}{{Cite news|url=https://news.artnet.com/art-world/french-collector-philippe-meaille-withdraws-works-on-long-term-loan-from-macba-due-to-political-instability-1113896|title=Fearing Political Instability After the Catalonia Referendum, a Collector Withdraws Loans From MACBA|work=artnet News}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.artforum.com/news/id=71621|title=French Collector Pulls Loans from MACBA After Catalonia Referendum|work=artforum.com|access-date=2018-01-30}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.lavanguardia.com/politica/20171013/432022865838/macba-lamenta-decision-de-philippe-meaille-de-no-renovar-deposito-de-obras.html|title=MACBA lamenta la decisión de Philippe Méaille de no renovar depósito de obras|work=La Vangardia}}
Books
- {{Cite book|title=Made in Zurich – Selected Editions – 1965–1972 Art & Language|last=Silverman van Coenegrachts|first=Jill|year=2014|isbn=978-3-00-047269-5|location=Paris}}
- {{Cite book|title=Art & language uncompleted : the Philippe Méaille Collection|last=Guerra|first=Carles|publisher=Museu d'Art Contemporani Barcelona|year=2014|isbn=978-84-92505-52-4|location=Barcelona|pages=264}}
- {{Cite book|title=Art & language Reality (Dark) Fragments (Light) Philippe Méaille Collection|last=Matthew Jesse|first=Jackson|publisher=Château de Montsoreau-Museum of contemporary Art|year=2018|isbn=978-2955-791721|location=Montsoreau|pages=176}}
- {{Cite book|title=The Private Museum of the Future|last=Chris|first=Dercon|publisher=JRP Ringier|year=2018|isbn=978-3037645208|location=Zurich|pages=214}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{Portal|visual arts}}
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Category:20th-century art collectors
Category:21st-century art collectors
Category:French art collectors