Anselm Reyle has enjoyed one of the swiftest art scene careers in recent years. His works are in famous private collections, appear in the best galleries, achieve record prices at auctions, and feature in important exhibitions like the critically acclaimed “Unmonumental” at the New Museum in New York. He has been represented by Gagosian since late 2007, after leaving Giti Nourbakhsch, his agent of many years, and falling out with the Contemporary Fine Arts gallery. The contentious issue was his reported demand to adapt the prices of the primary market to those of the booming secondary market. But a non-disclosure agreement sealed the details of the separation. In Reyle’s case, a lot of money has been in play, especially since François Pinault began collecting him on a grand scale; his work was on display at Palazzo Grassi in Venice last summer. Charles Saatchi bought a series of works in 2005, and from then on, the only way was up. Early in 2006, Reyle was honored with a solo exhibition at the Kunsthalle Zürich. The title of this show and the catalogue, which he helped devise, was “Ars Nova”—the play of words brings supernova to mind, the final explosion of a star that creates huge amounts of energy while destroying the star itself. Reyle confidently presents his claim to a glamorous new art that outshines the old. Following the Zurich exhibition, he expanded his network of international dealers. In close succession, solo exhibitions were shown that year at Andersen’s in Copenhagen, Almine Rech in Paris, and Heinrich Erhardt in Madrid, and his work appeared in a group show at kurimanzutto in Mexico City.
