Five Minutes With: Six Women In The Art World

Favourite museum: An almost impossible question. I was recently taken by good friends to the Serralves in Porto, Portugal and that experience has lingered in my mind. Like most of my other favourite museums in the world, such as the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art outside Copenhagen or the Chichu Museum on Naoshima island, the Serralves is not only a building, it is an entire architectural environment situated within a landscape.

Serralves includes a contemporary art space which opened in 1999 and mounts important exhibitions of both Portuguese and international artists. When I visited, there was a thoughtful Louise Bourgeois exhibition which included historic and challenging artworks and a major survey of Portuguese contemporary artists Joao Maria Gusmao & Pedro Paiva. It is also home to a stunning example of Modernist/Art Deco architecture: a rose-pink villa “Casa de Serralves” designed by José Marques da Silva, nestled in a large garden and surrounding sculpture park. 

Favourite hotel (based on its art credentials): The hotel at Benesse Art Site in Naoshima, Japan. To this day, still one of the most magical trips I’ve ever been on. The rooms are simple and elegant, sparsely and thoughtfully designed. Looking out from the balcony in your room, you face the sea and can just about see one of Hiroshi Sugimoto’s seascapes floating on the side of a rock cliff which is a completely sublime experience. Close by, you have the Lee Ufan Museum, Chichu Museum, Art House Projects, and the Ando Museum. The island is both nature and artifice, an entire built environment brought to life by artists and art.

The art titles currently on your bedside table and/or reading list… States of the Body Produced by Love by Nisha Ramayya; Forms of Enchantment, Writings on Art & Artists by Marina Warner; Against Interpretation by Susan Sontag; Modern Nature by Derek Jarman; The Art of Memory by Frances Yates.

The piece of art that started your collection… The piece of art in my collection that I look at every day is a photograph by Friedl Kubelka from her Pin-Ups from the 1970s, a series of self-portraits taken in hotel rooms in Paris and Vienna. It is not hung on the wall but resting on my desk in the office at home (a place where I spend a lot of time these days) and is an image I engage with constantly. I bought it from Richard Saltoun Gallery whose programme I love. We have worked together in the past on exhibitions of artists such as Renate Bertlmann and Li Yuan-chia, two other artists that I also collect.

The artists and gallerists to follow on Instagram… @kimlimstudio, @sinforvictory, @paulmaheke, @zadiexa, @joostvandenbergh, @theperimeterlondon, @bluemountainschool, @richardsaltoungallery, @tate

Follow Bianca Chu here.

Favourite museum: I have been working to support the National Gallery for three years now, two specifically in my post as Co-Chair of the Young Ambassadors. The collection is spectacular but the reason I am so drawn to this institution is its ethos. The National Gallery was established in 1824 exclusively for the public and this has informed all its endeavours at the most fundamental level. Even its central position in Trafalgar Square was selected precisely for accessibility, the intention being for all members of society to be able to reach it (children in tow). To have such beauty and excellence on our doorstep – entirely for public benefit – is a rare privilege.

Favourite gallery: I have a few as my first steps in the art world were taken in the gallery sector, specifically Gagosian, which will always hold a special position for me. Not only does the gallery stage world-class exhibitions in major cities (which are entirely free to access), they pioneered the publication of great exhibition catalogues, bringing academics into the fold and creating opportunities for creatives working across the industry. I love Lisson’s programme – theirs is one of the few galleries that has managed to achieve the difficult balance of maintaining its early identity while growing their stable to embrace new traditions. The new Pace in London is also a real spectacle. I would say that their Rothko presentation (unveiled during Frieze) is one of the most impressive gallery shows I have seen in London in a long time. And last but not least, Colnaghi is bridging the gap between old masters and contemporary in a very exciting way – I would urge you to head to Bury Street, St. James's for their current exhibition, which completely changes the way we view historic objects. No spoilers. 

Favourite hotel (based on its art credentials): New York is on my mind at the moment, as it is one of my favourite cities that I have truly missed visiting… When in town, I make myself at home at The Gramercy Park. It has an impressive collection that includes major works by Cy Twombly, Julian Schnabel – who oversaw the hotel’s redecoration – and Damien Hirst. It also boasts one of the only woodburning fireplaces I know of in the city – you can find me curled up there with the FT on a Sunday afternoon.

The art titles currently on your bedside table and/or reading list… The Anatomy of Colour by Patrick Baty is always on my desk. It’s a wonderful reference book to have at your fingertips. I also love reading about collectors – at the moment it’s Peggy Guggenheim’s autobiography. Hannah Rothschild’s The Improbability of Love is a wonderful portrayal of the art world in all its glory – glamour, mystery and hidden truths. Marina Warner’s Nursery Rhymes illustrated by Paula Rego is by the bed.

The piece of art that started your collection… A little work on paper by André Butzer and painting by Christine Safa. Figurative painting in its many forms fascinates me as it is the most historically imposing subject matter, yet it has undergone so many changes and artists are still courageous enough to tackle it.

The artists and gallerists to follow on Instagram… Artist (and close friend) Sarah Meyohas works in the digital space so I look to her for the inside track in this area. Nino Mier is constantly entertaining and I love his programme – he’s also growing at an impressive pace so this keeps me in the loop. There are too many to count…

Follow Harriet here.

Favourite museum: For me, the ones that never disappoint are The Broad museum in LA, The Tate Modern in London, Fondazione Prada in Milan, and Whitney Museum in NY. For smaller museums that are always at the cutting edge I would say, The Underground Museum in LA, The New Museum, and MoMA PS1 New York, as well as Kunsthalle Basel in Switzerland.

Favourite gallery: I have a great relationship with a few galleries that I feel are doing really important work. There are so many galleries that I admire but to name a few I would say, Carlos/Ishikawa and Emalin in London, Bridget Donahue and JTT in NY, Kurimanzutto in Mexico City, Société in Berlin, Gladstone Gallery and Sadie Coles in London. And for the megas… I am always keeping an eye on what Zwirner and Hauser & Wirth are doing.

Favourite hotel (based on its art credentials): I think the Hauser & Wirth Gallery/ hotel set-ups are genuinely unique and fantastic, with locations in Somerset and the beautiful Fife Arms in Scotland where you are staying and living among piece by incredible artists. 

The art titles currently on your bedside table and/or reading list… The books that helped me and that I loved –The $12 Million Stuffed Shark: The Curious Economics of Contemporary Art by Donald Thompson, Boom: Mad Money, Mega Dealers, and the Rise of Contemporary Art by Michael Shnayerson, and, because its great read,  Widow Basquiat by Jennifer Clement.

The piece of art that started your collection… I bought a Samara Golden installation piece that is now in the permanent collection in the Whitney Museum and a piece by the great Kaari Upson who sadly passed away this year. After that I got Arthur Jafa piece which is so powerful and have never looked back.

The artists and gallerists to follow on Instagram… @artsy, @flashartmagazine, @artforum, @themuseumofmodernart, @artbasel, @friezeoffical, @artnews. I find a lot of the art magazines very useful to follow as you get a good broad view of what’s happening in the art world and of course some of the big fairs.

Follow Danielle Ryan here.