04 december 2021, Oscar van Gelderen
Ask an art collector... Emely Christiaens
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 or her love for art in this section. This week: art expert on television programme ‘Stukken van Mensen’ Emely Christiaens (36, self-employed entrepreneur).
What does art mean to you?
Experience and sentiment. Art has to move me. If it gives me goose bumps, then it’s good.
Were you exposed to art while growing up?
Art has always been there, from a very early age. My first real memory was my dad talking very enthusiastically about his work of Pol Bury. My mom is also a real collector. To this day it is still nice to share this passion with her. I secretly hope that one of my children will also develop this passion for art.
Where do you read about the latest developments in the art world?
Mostly word of mouth. I like to listen to the opinions of experts. I follow galleries, artists and art fairs on Instagram.
Where do you prefer to look at art?
In a museum. The architecture of the museum often adds an extra dimension to the artwork or the entire exhibition.
How often do you buy art each year?
I bought my last work on a sunny Wednesday afternoon, at Barbé Urbain in Ghent. I happened to be in the area and quickly jumped in. That evening I called Oliver and Christophe for work by Manor Grunewald and Ritsart Gobyn. Those two works just stayed with me all afternoon. If you usually search specifically for something, you won't find it.
Where do you do your buying: in a gallery, at an art fair, at an auction or online?
I buy where the work hangs at that particular moment and speaks to me. That could be anywhere. You will be overwhelmed at an art fair. Buying art at auctions is something you must have done. The rush is like nothing else.
Is it important that you and your partner always agree on a purchase?
When I had just met my husband, we went to Art Basel together. That fair still remains the number one in the world, in the field of contemporary art. We bought a beautiful watercolour by Hans Op de Beeck there.
Do you have a special relationship with any one gallery?
At the moment I have a really good contact with Barbé-Urbain. They continue to innovate and amaze with their shows. They even have an artist like Joost Pauwaert shoot cannons in the gallery. Talk about a bang.
If you had an unlimited budget, whose work would you buy?
Today the first that comes to mind is Ugo Rondinone, a Swiss artist living in New York. But maybe it would be more of a classic: an Alberto Giacometti or Mark Manders, for my garden.
Who are your favourite artists?
I bought one David Adamo’s bronze balloons at Rodolphe Janssen in 2016, at the Brafa fair. Where they once hung so beautiful and high up in the air and served to give a party a dash of colour and fun, they now only give the feeling of something sad, the hangover after the party…
Stan Van Steendam is also a must-follow! This young and also über-sympathetic artist has enormous potential.
Lionel Jadot is someone I am following closely. The way he reinterprets objects is fascinating. His works never bore and are challenging.
