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We take you beyond the threshold of the world's private art collections, as impassioned collectors extend the hand of hospitality.
Beating a path off the beaten track of the city's cultural institutions, we open doors, exposing the covetable collections of the world's most impassioned connoisseurs, both past and present.
Once closely guarded from the prying eyes of the public, collectors once went to great lengths to keep their prized masters secreted away, carefully concealing the spoils of their wealth. The rare sight of these heirloom oeuvres was often restricted to the occasional outing as part of a carefully curated large-scale exhibition in a major metropolitan museum, but joining the masses can quell the thrill seeing such works in a more sympathetic environment. However, today's new wave of collectors are not only opening private gallery spaces to house their treasured troves, some are extending a hand of cultural hospitality, offering an exclusive glimpse of their personal collection within the intimacy of their own home.
The democratization of art is not a new phenomenon, particularly in the US. In the early 1920s Albert C. Barnes created the Barnes Foundation (hyperlink: www.barnesfoundation.org), a cultural institution dedicated to education through art. Today the foundation is renowned as the home to one of the world's largest collections Impressionist, Post-Impressionist and early Modern paintings, boasting extensive holdings by Picasso, Matisse, Modigliani and Renoir, as well as an
impressive collection of African sculpture. Due to its widespread fame of Dr Barnes' art legacy, the foundation now operates entrance by appointment only.
Keen amassers of photographic art Debra and Dennis Scholl first began opening their Miami home to fellow collectors, artists and museum groups in the mid-nineties. As the successful Swiss export, Art Basel/Miami began to elevate the city's status as a cultural hotspot, the couple extended their open-house invitation to fans of the fair. Today they receive around 1,500 visitors throughout the duration of the fair, eager to see the couple's collection of visual media from established art stars such as Cindy Sherman and John Baldessari, to emerging artists like Simon Starling, Adam Helms and Julie Mehretu. The success of the Scholl's collection has forced them to expand, creating a public space dedicated to large-scale works that no longer fit in their home. "We began to open our home as a way of exposing many of the young artists in the collection to other collectors and curators... seeing their work, even difficult work, in a domestic setting was a way of showing other collectors what could e possible with contemporary art in the home" explains Dennis Scholl.
Another star attraction of the annual Miami art event is the home of Carlos and Rosa de la Cruz. The couple, who have been collecting for around 20 years, beginning with Latin American art, broadened their collection to contemporary art around a decade ago "For me, the contemporary art scene is really interesting. Of course we don't exclude Latin artists – on the contrary – but I've always found it interesting to meet the artist and spend time with the artist, also that the artist could come to our house and create site-specific installations, so that really became my passion. I would say that right now our collection is considered contemporary" says Rosa de la Cruz. The de la Cruz's have been welcoming guests since the outset of Art Basel/Miami "Art Basel/Miami was scheduled to commence in 2001, but it was cancelled due to 9/11, but we already had everything planned, and a lot of people were coming to Miami, so we decided to open up our home to everybody who came. It sort of became a tradition that during Art Basel our home is open and we serve breakfast. We also allow people to come and view the collection throughout the year, but on both occasions an appointment is necessary" she warns. Guests are given a privileged view of works by Sigmar Polke, Christian Holstad and the late Felix Gonzalez-Torres, the featured artist of the US pavilion at this year's Venice Biennale, and former friend of Mrs de la Cruz.
Although European collectors such as Ingvild Goetz are finally becoming less coy about this public display of affluence, many still prefer to keep the public at arms length, creating foundations and public spaces of museum proportions. However, in the case of many of these privately funded art shrines, such as the DeMarco European Art Foundation, a not-for-profit site in Dunbar which houses thousands of photographs relating European Culture, viewing restrictions are due to staffing costs, rather than a cautious coyness.
Private collectors will often extend an invitation to fellow acquirers, but the open home philosophy still remains a largely US phenomenon. However, as Rosa de la Cruz is quick to point out, the reticence of European collectors to open up is not down to cultural divides, but the difference between traditional and contemporary art "I think that contemporary art is more about a moment or a time. These people don't see their collection as historical objects; these are more alive. Its live state makes you feel this sense of flux that you want to share with other people."
Richard de Marco, Professor Emeritus of European Cultural Studies and Founder of the DeMarco European Art Foundation's Skateraw project agrees that, far removed from the stuffy art hoarders of old, what bonds this breed of keen acquirers is the philanthropic aspect – the pleasure lies in sharing more than showing "I do not separate the visual arts from all aspects of the arts, or from education, my belief is that art and education are two sides of the same coin." Mrs de la Cruz adds "To me, showing is more interesting than collecting. There would be no point in collecting if I could not share it with other people. Both my husband and I believe in community involvement, and now we are actually building a space in the design district for the collection, which will be open to the public. We believe it is important to share our art with the community, with the people, not to confine it to our eyes only."