Introduction
Thaddaeus Ropac (born in 1960,January 16, Klagenfurt, Austria), is a gallerist specializing in International Contemporary art. He founded Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac in 1983 and represents more than 60 International artists today with his galleries in Salzburg (Austria), Paris Marais, Pantin (France) and London (coming soon).
Ropac was raised in Carinthia, Austria's southernmost state. He initially unearthed his passion for art on a school trip to the Kunsthistorisches Museum (Vienna Museum of Art) and went on to serve his first internship with Joseph Beuys in 1982. While in New York, Ropac became acquainted with young artists such as Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring and Robert Mapplethorpe.
Public offices
Ropac is a member of the Advisory Board of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Vienna, of the Museum of Applied Arts (MAK) (Vienna), of the European University of Science & Art (Salzburg) and the Salzburg International Festival. Since 2009, Thaddaeus Ropac has been nominated President of the Board of Trustees of the Salzburg Foundation, which encourages the display of art in public places.
Recognition
In 2005, Ropac was named Officier dans L'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by French President Jacques Chirac for significant contribution to the arts. In November 2006, he received the gold cross from the Austrian Republic (VERLEIHUNG GOLDENES VERDIENSTKREUZ DER REPUBLIK ÖSTERREICH AN THADDAEUS ROPAC IM BUNDESKANZLERAMT). The Chamber of Commerce in Salzburg awarded him the Art and Culture prize in August 2007 (Kunst und Kulturpreis der Salzburger Wirtschaft).
In 2009, the annual chart compiled by the British magazine Art Review called Thaddaeus Ropac "one of Europe’s foremost blue-chip gallerists."
In 2013, Thaddaeus Ropac was made Knight of the Legion of Honour in France.