“I have been fascinated by imagery from an early age. I knew from a fairly young age that I was intrigued by art. Yet I ended up in the world of museums by accident. That's where my love for imagery — and what art can do for people — comes together, in one place. I always keep my eyes open for interesting art. Not just for my collection, but also to familiarise myself with it, to observe it and work with it. I cannot imagine a home without art (or books). We have recently moved and usually, the art is the last thing you hang. But I needed it to be in place before everything else.

I think art is inextricably linked to life, just like spirituality and love. For me, art is something that is inextricably linked to the deepest part of being a human being. Many images we surround ourselves with bear witness to our long history and tell us something about humanity as a whole. What fascinates me enormously about art is that material, through the intervention of the artist, can become loaded with meaning and emotion. You can express things that cannot be experienced or put into words in any other way. Art is often criticised or cast aside and isn't always taken seriously. As a society, we should attach much more value to it. Art is not something extra; rather, it is essential.

Art is often cast aside and isn't always taken seriously. As a society, we should attach much more value to it

I also think it is important to not only recognise the value of art, but also the value of artists. It's incredible that people can and want to make art. A lot of people attend art school, but it is quite difficult to earn a living as an artist. I respect people who are motivated to really go for it. I became an ambassador of Young Collectors Circle because I think that it's important to support artists. It's so good to speak and listen to them, and to buy work from them. Being an ambassador, I hope to infect others as well.”

Collection

"I consider owning art to be like having friendships. These are friendships with objects that are really meaningful to you, and you surround yourself with them, similar to how you surround yourself with friends and family. They symbolise something specific for you: they create happiness or make you feel something, for instance when they make you think about a particular moment or emotion. The works that I bought are all connected to a specific moment in my life. During the corona period, for example, I bought a work by Marc Bijl that I will always associate with that time. It is therefore more of a feeling than a certain style that I collect. I've wondered if there is something particular that characterises my collection. The only thing that I can think of is that a certain association, a feeling, is released the moment I see it.

This was the moment when I first thought: buying art is something I want to do and spend my money on.

I have both figurative and abstract work in my collection. I like tactile work, work that seems to invite you to touch it. I recently bought a work by Alejandra Venegas. It is carved out of wood and truly invites you to touch it. I never consider my home interior before I buy or want a piece. Sometimes that poses a problem. At some point, you run out of space, but that doesn’t stop you from collecting. That's why I like working at a museum so much. You can always rotate the art. Each exhibition is a new story, with different objects. And when the exhibition is over, some of the works are returned to the depot. That is of course a bit more difficult at home.

Collecting is a kind of life necessity. I always know right away whether I want a piece and I’ll make a quick decision. I bought Alejandra's work within the span of 10 minutes. That is when you experience infatuation and adrenaline. It's a connection. I imagine that the love is mutual: 'Oh yes, I've been waiting for you too.' Of course, that doesn't always work out because you can't always buy every work of art that you like. For my first purchase, a photograph by Desiree Dolron, I thought long and hard. I just got my first job as a curator at the ING art collection and I attended the preview of the PAN art fair. It felt like a 'boom', I immediately felt that the work was supposed to be mine. Then I really thought it through and weighed my options. I asked my friends for advice but nobody felt the same infatuation I felt, nobody told me to do it. I felt quite alone in that. I ended up just going for it. This was the moment when I first thought: buying art is something I want to do and spend my money on. That was a significant moment for me. Years later, my friends said they understood it and I was really happy to hear that.”

Tips

Even by buying art on a smaller scale, you can be have a meaningful influence: on yourself, the artist and the art world in general

The most important thing is the realisation that you can collect art. That it is in fact possible and that it can definitely be within your reach, regardless of your knowledge of art or your financial resources. Collecting art is much more within reach these days, for a larger group of people. That is a positive thing to come out of this time. Art is becoming more and more democratic. Even by buying art on a smaller scale, you can be have a meaningful influence: on yourself, the artist and the art world in general. Don’t be held back by the notion that you don’t have enough money or that you know too little about it.There are so many channels available in that area to inform yourself: via social media, by taking part in a gallery weekend or by going to a graduation show. I also really like Young Collectors Circle, they offer a wide range of activities and show a wide spectrum of what is possible within the art world, in an accessible way. Also, you don’t always have to look at art as something you should buy. Rather, consider what is being made right now, what are the subjects that fascinate artists these days and what does that say about the world? By doing that, you'll find out what is interesting and important to you, because that is different for everyone.