What do art lovers like? Where do they buy their art and, most importantly, what do they buy? Every Monday an enthusiast tells about his love for art in this section. This week it's founder of De Stroom ism Mediahuis, owner of Desmet studio and founder Top Notch, Kees de Koning.
What does art mean to you?
It’s a large part of my life. Since childhood I have I devoured all forms of art. When I was twenty-four, I founded Top Notch, where I released music by, among others, De jeugd van tegenwoordig, Lil Kleine and Ronnie Flex. For me, music is definitely an art form.
Were you exposed to art while growing up?
My mother always encouraged me to draw, clay, write, act and make music. Discovering the artists, which I also include writers and musicians, was something I did myself.
Where do you read about the latest developments in the art world?
I scavenge everything from everywhere, but mainly online. I follow people I find interesting, like Swizz Beatz. He shares a lot of things that I find cool. What he liked are often trends now. Many artists from West Africa are popular, partly because he shares them.
Where do you prefer to look at art?Although the best way to see a work of art is in real life, I see most art online. At a fair or in a gallery I always feel enormous pressure. Don't look too long, because someone will immediately come up to you and have a chat. In a museum I can never look for any longer than an hour. Everything dies a bit after that.
How often do you buy art each year?
In recent years I think I buy five to ten works a year. I prefer to buy vintage prints, so prints made by the photographer himself. My first unique works were paintings by Pieter Jennes and Bendt Eyckermans; it gives a unique charge if you are the only one to have a work on the wall.
Where do you do your buying: in a gallery, at an art fair, at an auction or online?
Mostly online. Never at an auction, that seems very scary to me. I am currently very busy limiting myself; what kind of collection do I want to build, how much money do I want to spend on it.
Is it important that you and your partner always agree on a purchase?
I am currently without a partner, but still value my ex's opinion of my purchases. I also like to involve my children in making my decisions. But let there be no misunderstanding: if I set my eye on something, I no longer care what anyone else thinks.
Do you have a special relationship with any one gallery?
Yaki Kornblit was very important to me in the eighties in Amsterdam, a gallery where graffiti art was shown. Cokkie Snoei in Rotterdam is very special to me. And the gallery of Sofie Van de Velde, where I deal with people who don't necessarily want to sell me something, but who want to be a guide on the way to something I'm interested in.
Als u een onbeperkt budget had, van wie zou u dan een werk aankopen?
Bendt Eyckermans, Wim T. Schippers, Jordan Casteel, Rammelzee, Nina Chanel Abney
Who are your favourite artists?
Mainly young Flemish artists such as Pieter Jennes, Valgerður 'Vala' Sigurðardóttir, Dittmar Viane, Flexboj & L.A., Soetkin Verslype and of course Bendt Eyckermans.