LONDON.- Art Entrepreneur and Auctioneer
David Kovats is launching a new gallery space in London’s West End this December. A Sotheby’s graduate and professional, David wishes to introduce a gallery model and space that focuses on month-long rotating solo exhibitions with an immersive and interactive character. The gallery will open to the public on the 9th December. It is is located at 80 Long Acre in Covent Garden.
The gallery will present the work of young and established artists from Eastern Europe and more specifically Hungary, David’s country of origin. David’s vision is to promote and develop the cultural dialogue between Eastern Europe and the UK by introducing the work of local artists to an international audience. He has developed a diverse artist roster including emerging painter Pista Horror (István Máriás) who uses tiles as a canvas, Petra Combarro and more established names such as painter Istvan Nyari and sculptor Gergo Kovach.
For the gallery’s first solo exhibition, Pista Horror (István Máriás), who combines ceramics technology and painting, will be taking over the 832sqft/77sqm space offering an immersive experience into his tile work, and unfolding his colourful stories on the gallery’s walls. His wish is to showcase them in more unconventional settings, working on surfaces where they can be permanent – where one cannot simply take them off the wall just to be swapped for something else. This is the artist’s first solo exhibition in the UK.
‘I do not think in terms of traditional works of art, I am looking for a challenge that drives us towards seeing a given surface more intently. I do not want to create a commonplace work of art, I would like to know that my creation has its function and place. It is inspiring to create this way’ the artist adds.
Following the opening, the gallery will be hosting a rotating programme of solo exhibitions focusing on more artists from Hungary and introducing their work to London’s arts scene.
David Kovats believes that this is the time to shape the future of the art market: “I do understand that the global pandemic has made international business challenging and that our sector has been hit the hardest. I am still very determined and keen to promote my artists, especially at a time of Brexit too. I am committed to represent international artists in the UK and keep the dialogue open between the regions through my work, with a base in London which is the heartbeat of the global art market. I still believe in the power of physical space too”, he adds.
David Kovats, was born in 1982 in Budapest, Hungary. He has over fifteen years experience in the art market working as a gallerist, auctioneer and entrepreneur. From an early age he was surrounded by art, as his father, Lajos Kovats founded one of the first private auction houses in Hungary in 1991. Soon after school graduation David ran his own gallery in Budapest. He focused on contemporary art and introducing international artists to the Hungarian market.
David’s career highlight was the exhibition he organised and planned for Hermann Nitsch. Following that project, in 2009, David moved to London where he joined the Art and Business course at the Sotheby’s Institute of Art. After a week in the course, he fell in love with auctions, especially after joining an evening sale of impressionist works. David then built his own network, completed an MA in Art and Business and became an intern, and later a full-time employee, at Sotheby’s.
During his time at Sotheby's he worked at the Valuations Department, managing the valuation of important collections. In 2017, David moved back to Hungary to start his own auction house Dobossy with his sister Nora, which focused on Hungarian contemporary art. Together they brought a fresh approach to the market with great success, including a London sale in 2019. He then decided to move back to London so he can expose his work to a global audience.
