Auguste Legrand is the founder of the Guide Legrand des buffets de vernissage and of the Académie Legrand. The Guide Legrand des buffets de vernissages lists, analyses and classifies vernissage.
After years of research, Auguste Legrand came to the conclusion that five elements had to be taken into account: place, speeches, service, table, conversation. For each vernissage, the five elements must be taken into account: the venue (beautiful/something, easy/difficult to access…), the speeches (short/too long, boring/fun…), the service (paper/tissue tablecloths, plastic/glass cups, you help yourselves/you are served…), the table (good/bad, homemade/caterer…), the conversation (friendly/unhappy, bad if the conversation is about the exhibition and art in general). The overall appreciation will then be indicated in number of peanuts: six, four, two or zero. The author and his agents wish to remain anonymous for obvious reasons. Imagine the stratagems employed by dishonest exhibition venue managers if they recognized them! Anonymous and incorruptible, they prowl around the buffets, take part in the conversation, but their eagle eye and uncompromising palate do not let any detail slip through. Their laudatory comments know how to recognize true successes, but can also verge on the insolence of great observers if they are disappointed or disillusioned.
The guide is intended for people who wish to find a good vernissage buffet, discover a pleasant exhibition space and have a courteous and urban conversation. It also includes tips for those in charge of exhibition venues and a very useful table of correspondence between buffets and exhibitions. In short, an indispensable guide to the art world. A good vernissage is when you have a pleasant, festive time, meet friends, make new acquaintances, eat and drink well, in a pleasant atmosphere. We are not interested in the exhibition.