n 2019, Esse is celebrating its 35 years of existence. Since its beginnings, the magazine has been driven by a deep commitment to addressing key issues facing society. Over the years, this commitment has been constantly renewed through our assiduous attention to current events as well as artistic and public concerns, always with the goal of encouraging reflection to promote a better understanding of art and its context, and to propose new ways of considering the world.
The Vendu–Sold auction was created during our 25th anniversary to help us pursue our mandate and successfully address numerous financial challenges. Vendu–Sold has also allowed us to engage with the art market, a domain that was unfamiliar to us at first and that didn’t seem compatible with our editorial approach. Since then, we’ve managed to demystify the important sector of contemporary art. Even better, we’ve succeeded in contributing positively to its development by promoting artists and artworks among a growing number of art lovers, thus adding to the vitality of the local art collecting scene.
It’s with great pleasure and renewed gratitude to the participating artists that we present the selection of artworks for Vendu–Sold 2019. As always, the esse team has surrounded itself with talented and devoted individuals to present this auction. To all of our supporters, thank you for sharing in our research and publishing activities, and above all for sharing our passion for art.
Sylvette Babin
Photo : © Jean-François Brière