With four locations in the United States—including the recently opened Burlington gallery—YellowKorner has begun its overseas expansion. The majority of the company’s stores are in Europe, but the business is gaining more widespread notoriety as it builds its brand in Canada, the United States, and Mexico. Corporate galleries and franchise partners are working hard and fast to make the business an international success.
Founded in the Marais neighborhood of Paris in 2006 by Alexandre de Metz and Paul-Antoine Briat, YellowKorner was meant to introduce photographers from all over the world to as wide an audience as possible. As photography lovers, the two friends wished to create a forum for displaying a panorama of photography that would increase the number of available copies of artists’ works, thereby making them accessible to more collectors. Simply put by the founders, “Our goal is to introduce you to and make you love art photography.”
Though based in Paris, Joseph Peteul is general manager for North America. He regularly travels back and forth overseas to ensure the company’s brand-building efforts are consistent in all locations. “YellowKorner wants to provide a space for expression of talent from different photographic trends while maintaining high artistic standards,” notes Peteul.
“Each of the galleries responds to the primary demand of YellowKorner’s founders: to make these exhibition spaces a place for the public and artists to meet and exchange ideas; [they are meant to be] places of culture,” he explains.
In all YellowKorner galleries, up-and-coming contemporary artists are found alongside the likes of Slim Aarons, Dorothea Lange, Man Ray, Jean Dieuzaide, and Bert Stern. Visitors will also find period photographers like Kusakabe Kimbei and Le?on Gimpel. To stock the showrooms with all manner of talent, YellowKorner employs a professional laboratory to produce prints that are numbered and supplied with a certificate of authenticity. The same photograph is available in several formats, each of which has a corresponding limit—whether an open edition or a limited edition with 30, 200, or 500 copies. The prints are mounted on aluminumframes, and a museum-grade plexi layer can be added if requested.
In an effort to be the cultural meeting ground intended by the company’s founders, YellowKorner hosts regular events. “We are trying to do an event every month,” says Peteul of the new Burlington location, “whether it’s a commercial event—like the tax-free weekend—or an artist visit, where an artist comes to explain his work, or an artist feature, where we [explain an artist’s work and vision] to the audience.” Such events may include interviews with artists, discussion around the history of photography, or a look at new additions to the gallery. Stores are also available for private gatherings—businesses looking for a unique and conversation-sparking venue should consider YellowKorner. yellowkorner.com