Meet Guillaume Salmon

Founder of Tact agency

Meet Guillaume Salmon - illustration 1

After a long and rewarding stint at Colette, the famous concept store that took Paris by storm, Guillaume Salmon founded the communications agency Tact. According to him, tact is an essential quality to progress and succeed in the fields of communications and the press: fields in which he excels, notably defending the image of Paris-Saint-Germain football club. Although he humbly confessed that he rarely visits museums, art is omnipresent in many aspects of his life and his keen eye is sure to discover beautiful things.

1. Having studied French literature, you happened upon the world of communications and PR quite by chance, thanks to the concept store Colette. Why did you decide to work in this field? What was your lightbulb moment?

Like you said; it happened quite by chance. I started at Colette as a part-time sales person while I was studying. I immediately liked the place and its energy, curiosity and instinct. I liked the fact that it was multidisciplinary, independent and free.

I had the opportunity to become press agent and Colette kindly let me learn on the job, making me promise to stay for at least 3 years, which ended up being 15.

2. Those closest to you praise your kindness and courtesy, according to a Nouvel Obs article. In an area like the fashion industry, which is renowned for its mercilessness, is it hard to keep both feet on the ground?

No. It's not even a question. A little anecdote: my school reports always said “could do better but very kind", in primary, high school or college. My father likes to say that I've managed to make a career out of it. I just don't really feel the need to exaggerate. Thanks to an impromptu brainstorming session with journalists Sophie Fontanel and Dominique Lattes, my company is called Tact. I like to think that in a job like this one, kindness, courtesy, understanding and, therefore, tact are essential - before powerpoint or excel skills.

Meet Guillaume Salmon - illustration 1
Meet Guillaume Salmon - illustration 1

3. Does art have an important place in your search for inspiration, either in work or your daily life? What are your favourite cultural places?

Honestly? Yes and no. Yes because art comes naturally to me; I like art, creativity, aesthetics and the expression of it all. And no, because I don't go to museums or galleries. I like stopping to appreciate a work if it's caught my eye, but I don't consider myself an art-dict (art addict).

4. As a press agent, particularly in your industry, you must have had to keep your eye on the latest trends. Have you had any recent artistic favourites?

Hmmm… There are plenty of artists that I've been following for years - and they're prolific - but this year I had the chance to collaborate with the gallery La Cité, which was founded by Vincent Tsouderos and is currently under the direction of Thomas Lelu. I had the pleasure of discovering Tyrrel Winston's work, which I knew of through social media but had never seen in person. The same goes for Cali Dewitt. And I've completely fallen in love with an illustrator called Kraken, who I discovered at Galerie Marguerite Millin. I also became closer to the artist Ludo, and more familiar with his work and approach. Sarah Trouche's work challenges me and Boogie's photos have a huge impact on me.

Meet Guillaume Salmon - illustration 1
Meet Guillaume Salmon - illustration 1

5. You're in a relationship with the Canadian artist Zoe Duchesne, who is particularly known for her character Poupée that denounces the exploitation of the body and social norms surrounding femininity. Does this relationships influence the way you think about the industry in which you operate?

Not the industry, but rather my interpersonal relationships. What goes together, you might say. I have a lot of respect for Zoe's career, views and work. She makes me understand a lot of things; things that I've probably felt but haven't verbalised. I'm profoundly affected and touched by her character Poupée as well as her other projects. And they've undeniably been my firm favourites since December 2017.

6. After Colette closing in 2017, you founded your own agency, Tact. Why did you decide to get into entrepreneurship?

The shop's closing coincided with a more personal and global re-examination. 

It was time for me to give being an entrepreneur a go, since I'd never experienced anything like it before.

7. Another one of your passions, and a huge one at that, is football. A die-hard PSG supporter, you're currently working with the club. What are your future projects?

Indeed, I've had the chance to help the club with its 'lifestyle' development, in other words it's the 'dream job' :) … There are lots of things to come, particularly in 2020 for the club's 50th anniversary.

I also had the pleasure of working with other clients in different worlds and this is opening up a myriad of new possibilities.


Their favorite artworks

Fine Art Drawings, Ratfink Show, Kenny Scharf

Ratfink Show

Kenny Scharf

Fine Art Drawings - 45 x 61 x 2 cm

Sold

Fine Art Drawings, No pasaran, Kan

No pasaran

Kan

Fine Art Drawings - 130 x 89 x 1 cm

$1,920

Painting, On-side-out-side, Benjamin SPaRK

On-side-out-side

Benjamin SPaRK

Painting - 100 x 81 x 2 cm

Sold

Fine Art Drawings, Pointman Black, Futura 2000

Pointman Black

Futura 2000

Fine Art Drawings - 45.5 x 35.5 cm

$11,293

Sculpture, Vase en céramique peint à la main, Jérôme Mesnager

Vase en céramique peint à la main

Jérôme Mesnager

Sculpture - 35 x 21.5 x 21.5 cm

Sold

Print, Sa symétrie n'appartenait ni au hasard ni à la nature, Salvador Dali

Sa symétrie n'appartenait ni au hasard ni à la nature

Salvador Dali

Print - 62 x 44 cm

$4,404

Print, Nouvelles en trois lignes 3, Roland Topor

Nouvelles en trois lignes 3

Roland Topor

Print - 65 x 48 cm

$678

Print, Bretagne, JonOne

Bretagne

JonOne

Print - 65 x 51 x 0.5 cm

Sold

Photography, Liberty leading the People, Liu Bolin

Liberty leading the People

Liu Bolin

Photography - 18 x 24 cm

Sold

Print, R.I.P. Banking System, Ludo

R.I.P. Banking System

Ludo

Print - 90 x 67 cm

$1,251

Print, More Sketches of Spain - for Miles Davis, George Condo

More Sketches of Spain - for Miles Davis

George Condo

Print - 132 x 97 cm

Sold

Sculpture, Attentat alapinture 1, Speedy Graphito

Attentat alapinture 1

Speedy Graphito

Sculpture - 17.3 x 8 x 3 cm

Sold

Fine Art Drawings, Les yeux de Pandora, Milo Manara

Les yeux de Pandora

Milo Manara

Fine Art Drawings - 49 x 34 cm

$7,905

Print, Lovers - 1904/1905, Gustav Klimt

Lovers - 1904/1905

Gustav Klimt

Print - 65 x 50 cm

Sold