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 Tim Van Steenbergen (Couturier, 43 jaar)
What does art mean to you?
Over time, art has developed into my great hobby, I may say: passion. I have worked in a completely different sector, banking, but from my adolescence, I have been involved in art, gradually more and more intensively. Initially only passive, looking, later on, as a hobby, I picked up sculpting myself.
Were you exposed to art while growing up?Art has always been present in my life. My grandfather was an architect and was very interested in the arts, while my mother, who painted herself, mainly focused on contemporary art.
Where do you read about the latest developments in the art world?
I tend to look at art online first (especially in these strange times), but I prefer to visit the art world through the Antwerp gallery world.
Where do you prefer to look at art?
I prefer to look at art in a gallery or museum. Art is an emotion, it is the texture that you have to be able to see or feel and which can then touch you or rather repel you.
How often do you buy art each year?
There is no clearly defined plan, but rather snapshots of time during which I really like something or can be emotionally touched by a work.
Where do you do your buying: in a gallery, at an art fair, at an auction or online?
I mainly buy art within the gallery world, because there you can also be advised and can come into contact with the artist's environment and with the story behind the works.
Is it important that you and your partner always agree on a purchase?
We always agree on a particular purchase. I never buy without consulting, so every purchase is actually a joint purchase and tells something about who we are as a couple.
Do you have a special relationship with any one gallery?
Many of the works that we have at home were purchased at Gallery Callewaert Vanlangendonck. I am also very much inspired by the aesthetics of the 1950s for my own work. The link this gallery establishes between artists from this period and contemporary young artists is therefore very interesting for me.
If you had an unlimited budget, whose work would you buy?
If I had an unlimited budget, I would buy Mark Rothko's work. Just for the power of the colours and the power of the textures. Cy Twombly's work could also be of added value to my personal living space; I really love the power and at the same time the poetry of his work. It has a layering to it that makes you quiet.
Who are your favourite artists?
The power of Jan Saverys' linear, controlled use of colour in his abstract images makes him one of the most exciting post-war Belgian artists for me. Even now, so many years later, his work remains strong and radiates so much power.
His strong geometric compositions and powerful lines make Guy Vandenbranden a true visionary for me, someone who was ahead of his time.
I’d like to mention the young artist Jef Meyer next to an icon like Guy Vandenbranden. His choice to make work in concrete makes for a strong interpretation of the concept of space and time. I never imagined that concrete could evoke so much emotion.