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 Joost Vanhaerents (CEO Latmimmo and co-owner of the VanhaerentsArtCollection, 52 years old).
What does art mean to you?
I can’t imagine a life without art. Art is such an integral part of my daily life that it is an essential part of my being. Art liberates and broadens one’s view of everyday things and teaches one to think outside the box.
Were you exposed to art while growing up?
I really got the love for art from a young age. What started as a hobby became a passion and has evolved into a contagious chronic disease from which there is never a cure. I have also passed this art virus on to my partner and our three children.
Where do you get your information about the ups and downs in the art world?
I get most of the information from mailings from galleries and museums, but I also read a lot of articles online on Artnet.com
Where do you prefer to look at art?
I prefer looking at art in galleries as well as at major international events, such as the Venice Biennale or Documenta in Kassel. Wherever we are in the world, we try to pick up a touch of contemporary art at the local museum or galleries.
How often do you buy art each year?
That’s hard to say. Sometimes nothing for a long time and sometimes a few works in a short time. I prefer to buy unique works.
Where do you do your buying: in a gallery, at an art fair, at an auction or online?
We buy the vast majority of art in the gallery and, incidentally at an art fair.
Is it important that you and your partner always agree on a purchase?
After thirty years of living together and buying art together, the number of times we disagreed with each other can be counted on the fingers of one hand. In the event we disagree, it's often completely normal and not a problem at all.
Do you have a special relationship with any particular gallery?
We have a special relationship with many galleries. However, it is the artists who determine a purchase. After all, it is not the case that we follow the full range of artists from a particular gallery.
If you had an unlimited budget, whose work would you buy?
I tend to say that I should have built my collection in the peak years of Dan Flavin, Donald Judd, Carl Andre, Yves Klein, Sol Le Witt, Richard Serra, Elsworth Kelly, Mark Rothko, James Turrell. I like Minimal Art and colour field painting. These works radiate an inner peace that I do not possess myself. In a sense, I was born too late
Who are your favourite artists?
My personal discoveries and coup de coeurs of the past year are: I gratefully discovered Ben Edmunds at Tatjana Pieters Gallery in Ghent. Innovative and motivational art that encourages you to give the best of yourself. Aaron-Victor Peeters is a promising young artist from Genk, a true explorer with a love for technology and respect for the great inventors. I see great similarities in his work with Panamarenko's. Very recently I was pleasantly surprised by the work of Marcin Dudek and a group show with work by Ilke Cop and Dolly Bing Bing. I had never heard of the latter artist. An exhibition with a good portion of A-grade girl power.