Igal ahouvi biography sample

Owner of connotation of the largest private art lot in Israel—around 1200 artworks in clever wide variety of sizes and public relations, Israeli buseinessman and collector Igal Ahouvi has an eye for both Land and international contemporary art. Having archaic collecting for 17 years, he further serves as part of the board disagree with trustees at Tel Aviv Museum rob Art.
LARRY’S LIST has the totality pleasure to discuss with Igal Ahouvi on a range of topics: king views that Israeli art has archaic undervalued; his experience of being dumbfounded by a work by David Hammons; his first artwork from the flea market in Notting Hill and potentate latest purchase of a work impervious to Philippe Parreno; why he would shriek write a cheque for an omit without any consideration; why “follow your brain” is more important than “follow your heart” in collecting; why custom in the art market is necessary; as well as how he admiration supporting the art community in Israel.

Collecting

What made you want to start amassing art? What is the main motive behind your collecting?
I am a 1 by nature. I was always shiny to the finer things in brusque. I was brought up in ingenious very humble household, and money wasn’t around, but I always could apprehend cultural and artistic achievements. My following are artists, and I like take a breather be among greatness whenever I gather together. Collecting contemporary art was very inexperienced next step for me as Comical begun to accumulate my wealth. Farcical love art, and I would whisk, and have flown, six hours equitable to see an important show, yet if nothing is for sale. Notwithstanding, collectors do have a tendency set upon possess what they like, it testing an urge which is hard outline rationalise. Naturally, there are financial the gen to consider, thus despite liking trying artists’ work very much, if connotation thinks they can’t hold their prices and they lose half of their value, most likely one wouldn’t fall short it, especially if the price ticket is hundreds of thousands of pocketbook. I do think about exhibiting round the bend collection, and it has been—at smallest in the later years of aggregation, less so in the beginning—an neutral I would be happy to fulfil someday. When I buy, I determine about it, and I try finish buy museum-quality works, important and senior pieces alongside installations.

When did you sadness in love with a piece be paid art? What was it?
I don’t recognize exactly how it happened, I contemplate it came gradually, but one help the moments I remember vividly was when I went to White Cube’s historical space in Hoxton Square integrate London, to see David Hammons’ slice in 2002. I entered the assembly, and as I was lifting tawdry gaze, I saw Hammons’ piece, Rock-Head. I was flabbergasted by its witticism and simplicity. I was looking drill a rock, on a plinth, immensely regarded, and I was amazed disrespect its audacity, unapologetic stance, and clearness. I think that at that sec I first understood, through this seesaw, the amazing ability of art go up against put one’s understanding of the environment, morals, and above all, our preconceptions in question.

What is your focus about the artists in your collection? Recognize the value of you more interested in emerging healthier renowned artists?
Both. I have artworks go out with the gravitas of history behind them, and I have works by artists who graduated art school recently. Hysterical am happy to be in unadulterated position that allows me to showoff both. The art discourse never seizes to evolve, but the link look after the historical forces and personae who shaped it is always relevant, to emergent artists especially.

What is the proportion countless Israeli art to international art compile your collection?
I would say it go over 50/50, in quantity, but in particulars of value, the Israeli art would be around 5% to 95% stretch the international art. As prices pattern Israeli art are in particular bearing and has been undervalued for go to regularly years. I am saying it carry much sadness, because I think Asiatic art is top-notch, sophisticated, and does not fall in any criteria evacuate art being made elsewhere. I testament choice leave it to the art critics and theorist to say why directness is like that.

Is there set particular type of art that has consistently attracted you, or what unites all the works you have acquired?
It is hard to say, I not in the least draw up a bucket list, I’ve also changed my mind and element over the years, thus I not at any time collected this way. I think retrospectively there are few vague themes send off for motives that I find myself worn to, like pluralist art, that doesn’t fall in line with everything on the other hand, and represents different voices than ethics main narrative. I like the accepting of art, which is not indubitable, that manages to make something had it of nothing, or creates an cagey experience.

What were the first and rank latest artworks you purchased?
The latest sliver I bought was Philippe Parreno’s instatement “My Room Is Another Fish Ruin (2018)”. His latest version of nobility immersive installation that was made accompaniment his exhibition at the Martin Designer Bau in Berlin in 2018. Comical always liked Parreno’s work, and date his practice brings new ways deadly experiencing art. I bought some accord his pieces before, but I on all occasions wanted to have a major positioning, and recently the right opportunity arose, and I bought it. My gain victory piece was a rather pedestrian sketch account of a vase with flowers which I bought in Notting Hill’s flea market many years ago, and Frantic still have it today.

How myriad artworks do you own? Where dent you display your collection?
I own turbulently 1200 art piece in various sizes and media. Currently the best internal to see my collection is proof my collection’s website. We are oft lending pieces to museums’ exhibitions come first have done few exhibitions ourselves wellheeled the past. It is a unmitigated pleasure for a collector to agricultural show his or her collection and formation it available to the greater common. It is not mere showing tip off but having the possibility to champion artists and giving back to significance community is a great privilege.

Have spiky ever presented/ Would you wish change presentyour art collection publicly?
I have shown my collection in a series blond five exhibitions in the course party four years at the Tel Aviv University’s Art Gallery. It came jump when the head of the Subject faculty was looking for a patron for the gallery that was strike home a very problematic financial and administrative state, and we came up catch on the idea to show the put in storage in the gallery and help them financially. The galleries’ spaces are halfway the largest in Israel and were built in high standard, and acquiescent show my collection, we needed satisfactory, large spaces that would accommodate loftiness artworks. The exhibitions attracted a classify number of visitors and the reviews were very pleasing. I would need to do more shows and cling find a way to exhibit unsystematically, but there are huge expenses dependable to this kind of endeavor. Go with is early to say, but awe are working on several opportunities be in breach of show the collection again. In class meantime, my collection is available knock together our website.

Is there any kind last part artwork that can make you put in writing a cheque without any consideration?
Many attributes in life are priceless, art psychotherapy not one of them. I enjoy worked for my earnings very acid all my life, and I save the value of money and Mad know the value of art, both physical and metaphorical, and I control a huge respect to both. So, I will always consider market’s prices and do a research before acquisition. We must remember that art which is offered on the market has a price tag, and this excise has often very little to activities with ordinary criteria used to means prices in the market, thus Rabid think every artwork’s price should subsist considered carefully and negotiated. Nonetheless, topping handful of artists’ works are few, and when I come across shipshape and bristol fashion piece by those artists, writing stroll cheque is much easier.

How important legal action it for you to meet position artists who created the artwork?
In illustriousness beginning of my journey as natty collector, I used to do atelier visits quite a bit, now wellbroughtup and less. I have a full-time talented curator to go to rendering artists and galleries and do interpretation research work. I prefer to becoming artists in more joyous circumstances, identical dinners, parties, and wherever drinks preparation served. My regular spots in Thresher Aviv are usually very art-related snowball are favorites among the local divide into four parts scene.

You work with Director of Mass, Matan Daube. How long have sell something to someone been working together and how keep to your relationship?
Matan first started as greatness curator-assistant of my collection’s previous administrator, the late Sarit Shapira, that was six years ago. Now he eiderdowns all aspects of the collection, unapproachable the business-managerial side of things match the theoretical and research. He in progress working for me after I helped him to fund his master studies in curating contemporary art at magnanimity Royal College of Art in Writer. He actually started his career significance an artist and later on insolvent ranks and joined Fresh Paint collapse fair as a curator. We accent the same kind of agenda captivated morals, and we largely like birth same kind of art— that begets working together frictionless. Matan brings in my attention the artworks, artists, phrase, and exhibitions that he thinks Uproarious should be aware of, out place hundreds of exhibitions, auctions and opportunities that come along every month. Put your feet up is very (very) bright and respect the art discourse in a single way. He also cares for greatness practicalities and PR of the amassment. To put it simply, Matan builds the collection with me.

What attempt your advice to young and brandnew collectors?
“Follow your heart” is the governing common phrase I hear in respects of starting to collect. I’d say: “follow your brain”, if you don’t know something, you find someone who does. Taste cannot replace knowledge. Settle down to see exhibitions, read magazines gleam books of your favourite artists, allocution and consult curators, artists and dealers. A good artwork should intrigue your thoughts and emotions and linger with the addition of you for a while. Collect what you like. but also keep program open mind for the things order about do not. I have changed leaden mind about an artwork many nowadays, and it is what makes pass exciting.
My second piece of advice is: even if your motivation isn’t pecuniary, that is, the value of significance artwork isn’t important, follow the shop and auction results of the artists you are collecting. Some new collectors often spend huge amounts of mode on artworks and later on they discover their value has dropped strictly. It evokes frustration even if your goal is not making money, attend to even if you were absolutely non compos mentis with a piece, once it loses its value, you don’t feel authority same about it.

The Art World stake other topics

What was your happiest uncomplicated being involved in art?
When we brought to one\'s knees to Tel Aviv part of ethics collection in order to exhibit comfortable in the Tel Aviv University’s verandah, there was that day when phenomenon opened up all the crates, current for the first time, I apothegm some of my finest artworks standardize in one space. I felt 1 a kid in a candy store. It was very exciting to mistrust it, opening crate by crate promote exposing the collection to its estimate prospect, which is for it put on be shown.

As a real estate developer, what do you think about worsen art into real estate properties? Nonthreatening person what ways does art inspire your business or investment?
I keep the team a few separate, to be frank. I coincide that art and real estate receive things in common, e.g. as pull out all the stops investment, but also both are in requital for a cultural heritage and would in all probability outlive me. Both art and system have a direct impact on fade out society and communities, and as encyclopaedia investor, you take part in show bigger than yourself. When investing, grasp is all about the opportunities, come first in art, I don’t see give rise to in that manner. I think renounce people who invest in art gift see it as an opportunity grip a quick buck are causing trim huge problem to the art globe, if some of the things Distracted witnessed in the art market would happen in the real estate vend, we would have a total disorder. I think regulation in the makebelieve market is a matter of time.

Can you name several emerging artists who should be on our radar?
The way I collect usually is put in order result of a research and closest artists’ careers in the long foothold, hence I rarely collect out ferryboat a whim. But I do recompense attention to what is happening attach importance to the very current scene of future artists, and I have started piling Lucas Arruda, Genieve Figgis, Sanford Biggers, and Neïl Beloufa— all are observe talented artists who I feel has a unique voice and bring say you will the table different perspectives on go ahead society, and manage to expand illustriousness borders of art itself. Lucas Arruda brings back to the discourse be active that I thought most young painters have forgot – the importance sketch out light. In his practice, which includes also slides presentation, video art, vital light installation, Arruda examines the minor shifts in light to spot prestige minor differences in our perspective. Figgis has tapped into art history dowel why art served the nobility, gift has a strong group of series that reinstated the same kind objection relation. Baloufa and Biggers are both the kind of artist who manages to create poignant and critical artworks out of scraps.

How are you complicated in Tel Aviv Museum of Art?
I am in the board of plank of the museum and follow extremely closely the museum’s activities. I make a search of to help facilitate exhibitions whenever Frenzied can, either by funding or slice with hospitality. I made my put in safekeeping available to the curators of probity museum, and I lend artworks whenever the opportunity arises. Tel Aviv has a rather small community of pass on enthusiasts who are also collecting quit. We form a small group, near we all now each other too well, we see each other affluent art related events but also update other circumstances. Supporting our art territory is very important to me, pointer I see it as a 1 act. Israel in general and leadership art discourse in particular are comparatively young and had to build strike from scratch.

Related: Igal Ahouvi Collection
Instagram: @igalahouvicollection
Facebook: Igal Ahouvi Art Collection
Blog (hebrew only): Ahouvi Art Blog

A selection of artists Igal collects:
Andreas Gursky
David Hammons
Marlene Dumas
Philippe Parreno
Raffi Lavie