I remember the very first art collection I ever saw with my own eyes: it was the collection of Daniel Katz, a renowned art dealer in London. I was barely nineteen years old and when I saw the old masters dramatically lit in a dark oak room and the Henry Moore sculpture resting in the natural light of his Notting Hill mansion, it made such a strong impact on me. Suddenly these artworks were alive, having the most heated of conversations and they felt so powerful. This short visit is forever in my memory and it triggered a love for art collecting and the need to have art everywhere around me. 

 

A few years later, I had dinner in the dining room of Michael Ovitz, surrounded by the most impressive series of Rothko paintings at a dark table that had been made of ashes. These experiences shaped me as a young woman, fueled my ambition, gave depth to my eyes, and a fuller understanding of the wider world. 

 

Now imagine if these experiences could be made more public, how incredible could it be to impact the awareness of so many more people. That’s exactly why I believe in the need to set up art foundations and that is why I am so honoured to endorse the art foundation of Sloane and Danielle Bouchever - the Artemizia Foundation. 

 

I truly believe that it will become a cultural institution of reference… and you can already see this in its stellar selection of artists, from Barbara Kruger to Ai Weiwei and Kara Walker. 

 

The choices are political as the artworks selected make a statement; in a world where we hear so much noise, this curation is a beacon of hope and progress. 

 

While most would have been scared to venture out of established names, once again, Artemizia Foundation leads the way by showing that these historical artists must be in conversation with their younger contemporaries, such as Rayvenn D’ Clark, Jesu Moratiel and Wangechi Mutu. This diversity of artists highlights that talent doesn’t have an age, a skin colour or a gender. How incredibly necessary in 2021. 

 

My hope for the Artemizia Foundation is that it will foster a new generation of art lovers and art creatives, and encourage all of us to support the arts even more. I also hope that it will create a more inclusive cultural dialogue and reflect better on who we are as a wider society. 

 

Onwards!

                       

 

Marine Tanguy   ~   MTArt Agency   ~   London, UK