French international art dealer Mikael Kraemer started his journey in Asia in 2012, when he held an exhibition in Singapore. It was so successful he was asked to extend the exhibition for an entire year by Singapore President Tony Tan Keng Yam! His family art business celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2025 and counts amongst its customers royalty, heads of state, celebrities, ambassadors and the media. During its exhibitions the Kraemer gallery also welcomes free tours, families with kids, students and the general public.
On learning about the Macau government’s embrace of economic diversification, Kraemer is now seeking Macau art-based collaborations. Macau CSR caught up with him on a recent trip to Paris.
MCSR: Mikael, can you introduce Kraemer Gallery?
MK: Kraemer Gallery has been based in Paris since it was founded in 1875. We are the oldest art gallery in France and we exhibit museum quality French 18th century art – mostly selling to museums, institutions and international art collectors. Entering the 21st century, we have developed a contemporary art department blending the most exquisite modern and antique art specialties. Before covid we embraced a policy of long-term exhibition collaborations with museums and public spaces in Asian cities such as Singapore, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Macau.
MCSR: What’s your existing connection to Macau?
MK: I first visited Macau in 2004 and was amazed by the city’s energy. Dr Stanley Ho was the first Asian collector to find his way to our gallery in Paris followed by some other equally famous Macau businessmen. This encouraged us to look east.
In Macau, I have been lucky to work on three fantastic projects. The first was “Ad Lib” with Konstantin Bessmertny, which ran from November 2016 to May 2017 at the Macau Art Museum. We also had “Trésor, A Golden Way of Life” in 2017, and “Parisian Life during the 18th Century”, a collaboration with Alliance Francaise from July 2018 to February 2019.
MCSR: Do you think Macau is a suitable city for top level international art dealing?
MK: I have lived in Macau for many months and made genuine friends and business connections. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed bringing international VIPs to discover behind-the-scenes Macau. I am sure Macau has real potential to develop a world-class art market. The spending power of some tourists visiting Macau is enormous, and a quality piece of art can be a real memento they take back to their home, elevating their life and potentially its monetary value over time, too!
