Or: What the hell, I’ll answer anyway.

Today I was given the book „Collecting contemporary art“, edited by Andrea Bellini and published by HAPAX and distributed by jrp/ringier (ISBN: 978-03764-015-9).

It is a collection of interviews with collectors of contemporary art from around the world.

Naturally, I have not been interviewed. That’s ok. I hadn’t even decided to collect when this was started, I assume.

But hey, this is the internet and I’ll take the freedom and follow standard teenage-blogging proceedure, steal the questions and anser them. Have fun!
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Tommi Brem, Stuttgart, Germany

Interview by Tommi Brem, translated by Tommi Brem

When did you start collecting contemporary art?

On June 4th, 2008. I did so because I was asked to write a weblog for this platform of collectors of contemporary art and I thought I couldn’t do this without a certain reason. So becoming a collector was the solution and I have no reason to regret the decision.

Can you give us five reasons why you purchase a particular artwork?

When I started out I actually believed the myth that one has reasons for buying artworks. I went so far as to develop a set of criteria by which to decide. Let’s see if I can remember them all:

There are Pull, Sustain, Inspiration, Love & WTF. Hey, it’s five!

The „pull-factor“ is how much an artwork interests me instantly. For example, if an artwork consists of several seemingly identical pieces, the pull-factor is at maximum. Or if the artwork contains something tiny.

„Sustain“ describes how long the artwork continues to interest me after an initial inspection and/or explanation by the artist/gallery owner or fellow collector. This is mostly defined by the conceptual background.

„Inspiration“ is something that deals with what the artwork triggers in my brain or gut. If it sets off a chain reaction of imagination, the score is high.

The „love-factor“ is somewhat tricky because it’s unexplainable.

And finally, „WTF“ means „what the fuck“ in three different meanings. One: „I don’t get it, what is this?“ Two: „They didn’t really, did they?“ and Three: „Oh whatever, I HAVE to have it!“

Of course, these five criteria are absolutely useless and I never ever bought a single artwork according to it and after not even six months I already own ten. I buy art following „Love & WTF“. That’s easier and it’s more fun! I want to have fun in everything I do. Even in collecting. So there you go. Two reasons.

Who do you trust?

I trust the idea that you can make no real mistakes in collecting contemporary art. When it comes to investing in contemporary art, this is a completely different business. But this is about „collecting“ though and I honestly seperate the two. God, I despise money! I try to get rid of it as soon as it comes in. Let me tell you I’m pretty successful!

When do you sell?

Whenever the price is right. I believe that for some artworks the price can never be right because the value I attach to them has nothing to do with money. With others, their effect might wear off and selling them might enable me to buy others.

So I guess I would sell if I wanted another artwork badly enough.

What’s the artwork you identify as the starting point of your collection?

Lasse Schmidt Hansen, x/°°.

What has your greates mistake been? And what your greatest success?

The biggest mistake was to start collecting in the first place. It’s bloody expensive and time consuming! The biggest success was to start collecting. It’s extremely exciting and fulfilling!

Could you define your strategy of collecting?

I try not to ruin myself. No, seriously, the only thing I strictly stay away from is decoration. If an artwork has passed this filter, I buy according to gut feeling and budget. In that order.

How important is it to be part of a social network?

I’m glad you ask this question! There is this community for collectors of contemporary art I work for … just kidding. My autism-level is pretty high so … just kidding. No really, both of it is true but to answer the question: I found a network to be vital. Mine includes some galleries, some artists and some collectors. And I have to say that I find the enthusiasm of fellow collectors most inspiring. They don’t have to present or explain themselves and their interest is not in sales. Missionary, maybe, but that’s ok. I think a right mixture is essential.

How has your collection changed with the recent boom in the global market?

Not at all. I started after that „boom“ went „ka-boom“. Of course it hasn’t but if you’re collecting with my budget, neither has relevance to the collecting habit. If prices go down, they don’t go down far enough for me, and if they go up, it was too expensive before anyway.

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These are my answers to the questions and I hereby thank the „curators“ of the book for asking the questions. Not to me, to these collectors: Marc and Josée Gensollen, Giovanni Giuliani, Renato Alpegiani, Blake Byrne, Valeria Napoleone, José Carlos Vallejo Marsal and Pepa Iriarte, Gemma Testa, Jean-Conrad and Isabel Lemaître, Teresa Sapey, Anita Zabludowicz, Christian Boros, Andrea Zegna, Pier Luigi and Natalina Remotti, Renato Preti, Paolo and Maddalena Kind, Josep Inglada and Roser Figueras, Eugenio Lopez, Charlotte and Bill Ford, Manuel Alorda and Hanneke Derksen, Tian Jun, Francesca Cillufo and Angelo Chianale, Uli Sigg, Josef Dalle Nogare, Licio Minvielle, Guillaume Houzé, Beatrice Trussardi, Albrecht Kastein, Eloisa Haudenschild, Bruna Girodengo and Matteo Viglietta, Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, David Roberts, Joshua Adler, Jérôme Tordo, Bet Swofford, Fundación Sorigue, Frank Cohen, Cesar Cervantes, Maurizio Morra Greco, Enea Righi and Ivo Wessel.

No, I didn’t double-check the spelling on these, I know I should have. Please correct me.

This entry was posted on Friday, November 21st, 2008 at 2:06 am and is filed under Book Report.