JEAN PHILIP DE TENDER

The Brussels Schönfeld Gallery featured Filip and me in their magazine “Stories” some time ago. Recently, when at a training together, two colleagues, one based in Moscow and one in Geneva, asked me about our collection and how we decide what to buy.

The answer is rather simple.

We have always been art lovers, but for the last twenty years, we had to invest in bricks first. Once they were paid off, we had time to consider decorating the walls. Filip, being an art historian, art had always been on our radar.

The Covid pandemic was a tipping point. As a regular listener of the Talk Art podcast, I discovered the works of Doran Langberg. Searching for the galleries representing him, I found the Yossi Milo Gallery in New York, where we bought “Landscape #11”,  gouache and colour pencil on paper. I recall the work being delivered very well and us unsealing it. Purchasing this work gave us the confidence to enter galleries and connect with the owners to discuss the artworks, give our opinions, and seek theirs. 

Having subscribed to their newsletter, Yossi Milo made us discover Navot Miller, an Israeli painter based in Berlin. When I saw his show at Yossi Milo, which was called “Eurovision” (in his interpretation, it showed the diversity of Europe), we were drawn to his works. On a Friday evening, arriving in Brussels from Geneva over an aperitif, we decided to buy “Amalfi Coast”.  It would have been easier to buy one of his other works from Europe, but we loved this work in particular and agreed to have it transported to Europe, which meant paying considerable import taxes. But it was the right choice.  Later, the work even featured on Times Square and is available on print-on-shirts by Todd Snyder.

That was the start of a collection that continues to grow.

So how do we collect? A few tips.

• See art and define your taste. Art fairs, which almost every city offers these days, are easily accessible and give you a good flavour. Go to galleries to see group or individual exhibitions. And understand the broader picture by visiting exhibitions of artists you cannot afford at the major museums.

• Connect with artists. If you appreciate their work, engage with them. Learn what they want to express with their work and how that fits with your view of the world.

• Define your budget and stick to it. Within that budget, buy whatever appeals to you. Some work may take more time to appreciate; in that case, don’t rush.

• Give it a prominent place in your home, and enjoy it. It will be your best investment.