An artwork exchange fair where money and cheques are banned - Art-Pool brings the art of barter back into fashion

An artwork exchange fair where money and cheques are banned Art-Pool brings the art of barter back into fashion By Martine Duprez Original and playful, this barter-swap! You offer your thing, the artist offers their swap. The artist offers their thing, you offer your swap. Truc-troc is a far cry from the traditional art market. Just like Art-Pool, by the way, this artists' cooperative founded in March 1990 with the aim of democratising art. To that end, it has set up a completely original system for acquiring works, designed to satisfy buyer and artist alike. Judge for yourself. Someone wants to acquire a work. A contract is drawn up. Every month, for five years, they pay an instalment (of 500 or 1000 francs). After one year, they can already take the work home and, at the end of the five years, they become its full owner. The starting price remains fixed, even if the artist's rating rises. No need to be a Croesus, then, to enjoy owning a painting or a sculpture at home. A PAINTING OR A SCULPTURE IN EXCHANGE FOR A TRIP TO ITALY? The advantage for the artist is equally considerable: they are paid on a regular basis. The instalments form a kind of salary. Thirty-five artists are currently members of Art-Pool. Applications are submitted to a selection committee made up of the cooperative's members. - To be admitted, you have to be a professional artist. That is, live from your art, explains sculptor Mon De Rijck, who is behind the creation of Art-Pool. We try to be as diverse as possible, from conceptual to figurative. Mon De Rijck is brimming with ideas. It was he who devised the artwork lending gallery at Château Malou. It is also he who dreams up Art-Pool's exhibition-events. Perhaps you remember that "déjeuner sur l'herbe" where visitors to the astonishing gallery picnicked on grass - real grass, yes, yes - while contemplating the paintings on display? His truc-troc is just as playful and surprising. Art-Pool artists exhibit their works in the ground-floor room. In the upstairs room are placed the objects or service proposals that private individuals offer in exchange for the works. During the event, no financial transaction of any kind may take place. - One industrialist, completely disconcerted, confessed to me: "it's still easier with money!", says Mon De Rijck. It's crazy how unimaginative people are. - We get the slight impression that people are afraid of offering this or that, adds Françoise Laurent, a draughtswoman and member of Art-Pool. In fact, barter is not based on the financial value of the work but on falling in love with it. The exchange must satisfy both parties. So far, about a hundred proposals have already been recorded. There is everything: a 3-month stay in the Drôme, a 15-day trip to Italy, five gold coins, a large Chinese rug, two small rattan armchairs, a mini hi-fi system, a set of watercolours from 1915 probably published in "Le Patriote Illustré", a lot of jewellery, another painting or sculpture, a bunch of flowers a week for a year, the opportunity to exhibit in a gallery, photo reproductions of the artist's works... LET EVERYONE BE PART OF THE ELITE The list is far from closed. You have until 22 December to submit your proposals. A contribution of 500 francs towards expenses is requested (except for members and subscribers to the magazine). This share entitles you to an unlimited number of proposals and an annual subscription to the magazine. On 22 December at 2 p.m., the exchanges will take place. - Thanks to this truc-troc, we hope to reach the widest possible audience. Those who do not usually visit galleries, Mon De Rijck continues. In the long run, culture must be accessible to everyone. Everyone must be able to be part of the elite. MARTINE DUPREZ Art-Pool, rue Gaucheret, 80, 1210 Brussels, tel: 02/242.15.37. Open every day, from 2 to 7 p.m.