19 october 2020, Oscar van Gelderen & Manuela Klerkx
Ask an Art Collector… Claire Hoogakker
In this section we let a selection of art lovers – from occasional buyers to art professionals – talk about their perception of art and preferences: where do they want to see art? Where do they purchase art, and above all: from which artists do they buy? Below, an interview with Claire Hoogakker (Art historian, co-founder of iMPACT DOC, age 28)
What does art mean to you?
Art makes the beautiful things in life a bit more visible. And the ugly, nasty, worrying and shocking things too. Art can create awareness and can be used as a tool for social change.
Lonneke van der Palen, Awe Cape Town, South Africa, 2017, Galerie Fleur & Wouter.
Were you exposed to art while growing up?
My (small) family on my mother's side is very art-minded. I consider myself lucky that as a child my grandparents and mother regularly took me to museums in the Netherlands and abroad. My grandmother is very artistic and creative; she still paints and draws a lot at the age of 90 and has given me that too.
Bertien van Manen, Apanas - Pjotr and his family, 2020, Annet Gelink Gallery.
Where do you read about the latest developments in the art world?
Mostly online, due to lack of time and simply convenience. I also read many articles and newsletters from art platforms, including Metropolis M, ArtNews, Artnet and Hyperallergic.
Sarah van Sonsbeeck, Mistakes I've made and remade #3, 2017, Annet Gelink Gallery.
Where do you prefer to look at art?
I prefer to take in art in peace and quiet without feeling rushed or disturbed. For me, viewing art is often a matter of the heart and therefore often a solitary activity, no matter how fun the social events and activities that surround it can be. Art fairs are very useful to get a picture of the current art landscape, in order to orient me on possible new purchases, but above all to keep up to date with what is going on.
Erik van Lieshout, Untitled, 2020, Annet Gelink Gallery.
How often do you buy art each year?
I don't have a fixed budget or quota for this. I buy when I fall in love with a work (and I am financially able to afford it, of course!). And unfortunately you can never plan love. I mainly collect photography, which almost invariably comes in editions, (of course with the exception of unique Polaroids, negatives, original silver prints, etc.).
Robby Müller, Pacific Sand Hotel, while shooting Barfly Santa Mo, 1986, Annet Gelink Gallery.
Where do you do your buying: in a gallery, at an art fair, at an auction or online?
It varies, but I usually buy in a gallery, at a fair or online.
Isabelle Wenzel, It_reminds_me_of_the_wind, 2020, Galerie Bart.
Is it important that you and your partner always agree on a purchase?
Not necessarily, because I already started my personal collection long before I met my love, but this is actually always the case organically.
Thijs Zweers, Habitat of Power I, 2016, Torch Gallery.
Do you have a special relationship with any one gallery?
Yes, many! For example, Gallery Fleur and Wouter in de Pijp and No Man's Art Gallery in Bos en Lommer, because both galleries are run by good friends of mine. I admire Marian Cramer for her innovative, unique and personal concept: a gallery at her home in Amsterdam Zuid. I also find The Gallery Club's offerings extremely refined and special.
Elsa Leydier, Untitled #14, 2017, Galerie Caroline O'Breen.
If you had an unlimited budget, who would you buy a work from?
Perhaps not the most surprising answers for a photography enthusiast, but no less true: Andreas Gursky (preferably Rhein II - already one of the most expensive photos ever sold) or Wolfgang Tillmans. Dream on...
Maria Roosen, Pink Breasts (Forwards), 2017, Galerie Fons Welters.
Who are your favourite artists?
Erik van Lieshout is the enfant terrible of the art world, always avant-garde and witty like no other! His brilliant solo exhibition "Art Blasé" - an anagram of the icon of the art world, Art Basel - which was recently shown by Annet Gelink hit the nail on the head about art in times of global crises.
I love Lonneke van der Palen’s design language, use of colour, and the way in which she turns discarded every-day objects into works of art in her photographs.
Beautiful work by Elsa Leydier, both in content and form, was recently shown at gallery Caroline O'Breen. The colours and imagery are extremely engaging and visually appealing.
Florentijn de Boer, Ninety degrees clockwise, 2020, Rademakers Gallery.
