Tell us something about your journey as an art collector so far. How did you get into this unique sphere?
Pleasure is the most important reason for collecting. The goal of a collection would be fulfilled if watching it with comprehension evoked pleasure. Then there is helping and promoting artists. We are at a moment when promotional activities are to be performed not just by galleries, artists and institutions, but also by collectors.
Idealists are always sexier than realistic cynics. Twelve years ago, I did not expect that the collection would attract any interest at all. It is a real privilege for me to show others that anyone can collect and that collecting is sexy.
Art is one of the directions on my compass—there is north, south, east and art. I breathe art. You do not become an artist overnight and, similarly, it takes some time and maturity to become a collector. Actually, this process is still going on.
Tell us about your collection, including some of your favourite artworks.
My collection focuses on young, emerging Polish art—it is a matter of personal sensibility and taste. The artists are still unknown. I found most of them when they were students or fresh graduates. When I buy their works, I experience their self-esteem and identity being created and reinforced. It is not just about purchasing the artworks, but also about getting involved with someone’s life.
My collection is based on very subjective and personal criteria. It is like a social chronicle, a box full of souvenirs, my memories of meeting with artists, etc.
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What do you have to say about the current art market in India vis-à-vis Poland or the West?
India is growing in strength, economically and demographically. And this growth has an immense impact on the local art market. Its vast development renders Indian artists internationally recognisable. Take Anish Kapoor or Subodh Gupta, for example. The establishment of auction houses in Mumbai and Delhi has also influenced the idea of young Indian art worldwide.
I encountered contemporary Indian art for the first time in 2012. It was during my stay in Rome, Italy, where I saw Indian Highway, an exhibition at the MAXXI (the National Museum for 21st-Century Art), which impressed me very much.
