Oscar van Gelderen & Manuela Klerkx

Interviewer Het Parool – Gallery Viewer

Parts of the interview:

What does art mean to you?

For me, art is a form of freedom, a way to get out of the everyday concrete reality and to gain experiences in a more abstract way. Art invites one to critical thinking and is a form of recording the reflection of our social consciousness and conscience.

Were you exposed to art while growing up?

Apart from visiting museums, there was not necessarily an active and conscious focus on arts at home. The real start of the development in art came later when I visited the opening of the PAN art fair at the invitation of my close friend Mark Mouthaan and his father Floor. Mainly by looking and experiencing a lot, I slowly but surely found my way.

How often do you buy art each year?

This depends entirely on what is happening during the year, on the works you come across and those of artists you have been working on for some time. In recent years, we have built up a corporate collection, called the Lakeside Collection, and we have become a member of the Netherlands Association of Corporate Art Collections.

Is it important that you and your partner always agree on a purchase?

I am free to make purchases as I see fit; privately too because there is no partner in the picture. For my private collection for the corporate collection, I am advised by an art consultant. Like a love affair, however, when it comes to art it starts with falling in love.

To read the full interview:

Dutch version: https://www.parool.nl/kunst-media/ali-keles-het-begint-bij-kunst-met-verliefdheid~b802fc5e

English version: https://galleryviewer.com/en/article/511/ask-an-art-collector-ali-keles