From Zaha Hadid furniture to Jean Prouvé’s office, here’s what everyone is buzzing about
by Ann Binlot, Architectural Digest
For its 11th edition, Design Miami Basel continues to show a strong selection of 20th- and 21st-century design in the Herzog & De Meuron–designed Messe Basel, right across from Art Basel in the titular Swiss town. The fair, which runs through June 19, features 46 galleries from around the globe (including New York’s Friedman Benda, Copenhagen’s Dansk Møbelkunst Gallery, and Rotterdam’s Galerie Vivid). Artist-designed jewelry over at Elisabetta Cipriani and Louisa Guinness provides wearable works, while New York–based Demisch Danant chose to display rare pieces by French designer Pierre Paulin. Swarovski highlighted the Designers of the Future, while Design at Large shows large-scale architectural structures. “My interest is trying to tell a more round story, a deeper and broader story about 20th-century and 21st-century design. It fleshes out in different ways year after year,” says Design Miami executive director Rodman Primack. Here, we select some of the highlights of Design Miami Basel 2016.
Jean Prouvé’s Bureau des Etudes at Patrick Seguin
“It was his Bureau d’Etudes, so every decision in terms of architecture, design, engineering, prototypes, models, everything, was made in this building,” says Patrick Seguin, who mounted an actual copy of Jean Prouvé’s office—one of the most impressive displays at the fair—complete with original details, in his stand. After Prouvé moved out, the building had several occupants—the latest being a swingers club and brothel—before Seguin, who owns the most Prouvé structures in the world, purchased the work space.
The Collectors Lounge
Berlin architecture firm Kuehn Malvezzi worked with Finnish design company Artek and Danish textilemaker Kvadrat to create an experiential lounge composed of inverted rooms. “The rooms move to the middle, and the furniture is arranged around them,” explains Artek managing director Marianne Goebl. Midcentury sofas by Finnish designer Ilmari Tapiovaara are covered in Kvadrat fabric designed by Raf Simons. “It has a bit of a Memphis impact, and we felt this sofa is a bit like a mannequin,” says Goebl. “It’s very simple, and you can dress it however you want.”
Ettore Sottsass Flying Carpet Chair and Couch at Erastudio Apartment-Gallery
Milan-based Erastudio Apartment-Gallery brought in a chair and couch designed in 1974 by Memphis pioneer Ettore Sottsass. The furniture initially had a less-than-stellar reception upon its release in the ’70s, but the Memphis resurgence is sure to bring a more positive reaction this time around. “As you can see, it has the look of a carpet—look at the footrest,” says Sumit Gupta, a member of the sales team at Erastudio Apartment-Gallery. The chair does, indeed, evoke the feel of Aladdin on a flying carpet.
Aage Porsbo Chandelier at Dansk Møbelkunst
Aage Porsbo designed this brass chandelier, produced by Kemp & Lauritzen, for the Skovlunde Church in Denmark in 1972. With only 28 copies in existence, the sleek object is a hot commodity. Unfortunately for collectors, the one Dansk Møbelkunst brought to the fair has already sold for nearly $25,000.
Pierre Paulin at Demisch Danant
To mark the late French designer Pierre Paulin’s current retrospective at the Centre Georges Pompidou, New York gallery Demisch Danant brought together a group of rare Paulin pieces created between the late 1960s and mid-’80s. Three standouts include the lime-green F286 Multimo three-seater sofa, the F271 Multimo chair, and the 1981 Cathedral table, whose curved aluminum panels were meant to emulate Notre Dame’s arches.
Zaha Hadid Design
Though the inimitable architect and designer passed away in March, her legacy lives on over at stand G47, where a selection of her furnishings are on display, including curved marble tables from the Mercuric collection, barnacle-like Tau vases, and the smooth-as-ice Liquid Glacial chairs, cocktail table, and stools.
Diego Giacometti Bookcase at Galerie Jacques Lacoste
Design Miami executive director Rodman Primack referred to the Diego Giacometti bookcase as a museum piece, and it’s easy to see why. Giacometti made the stunning bronze item for Marc Barbezat between 1966 and 1969, when the publisher commissioned him to create a room of books. The shelves stood in Barbezat’s apartment until recently.
Artist-Designed Jewelry at Louisa Guinness Gallery and Elisabetta Cipriani
London-based Louisa Guinness Gallery created a museumlike exhibition highlighting jewelry designed by the likes of artists Man Ray, Louise Bourgeois, Pablo Picasso, and Anish Kapoor. Over at London gallery Elisabetta Cipriani are the Ai Weiwei gold bracelets that emulate the rebar the Chinese artist gathered from fallen buildings after the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake.
Ron Arad Armadillo Tea Pavilion
Revolution Precrafted Properties presents the Ron Arad Armadillo Tea Pavilion in the Design at Large section of the fair. Built for indoor and outdoor use, this independent shell structure “provides an intimate enclosure, shelter, or place of reflection within a garden, landscape, or large internal space,” as the wall text reads. The modular components allow for a number of configurations, making it a versatile structure wherever it goes.
A global fair for design, Design Miami/ Basel celebrates its eleventh edition with an exceptional offering, starting on June 14th and over nearly a week, and this year with the partnership of Crash. This time around, the international design fair welcomes new exhibitors, such as Galerie Alain Marcelpoil (Paris), MANIERA (Brussels), or Gate 5 (Monaco), adding to the list of prestigious galleries already represented: Carpenters Workshop Gallery, Galerie Downtown Laffanour, amman gallery, Friedman Benda, Galerie VIVID, to name but a few. The 2016 edition promises to be particularly exciting for design enthusiasts all around the world. First with the solo exhibitions it offers and that extend the reach of design onto other fields. Just like Ai Weiwei’s pieces of wearable design presented by Elisabetta Cipriani (London), the first ever created by the Chinese artist. Not to miss are also the works of French Art Deco designer André Sornay, presented by Galerie Alain Marcelpoil. For the third year, the Design at Large program returns with a common theme: landscape. The past two years have proven to be very successful for Design at Large, and this year will be no exception. It will present nine substantial works of design that play with their relationship with nature. Each work is a wonder for the eyes, just like Jean Prouvé’s Temporary School of Villejuif (presented by Galerie Patrick Seguin). Designed 60 years ago, it demonstrates Prouvé’s inimitable approach and forward-thinking mind with a structure that melts into the environment. Ron Arad’s Armadillo Tea Pavillon also reunite the concepts of design and nature and creates a pavillon resembling the armor of the animal. It is presented by Revolution Precrafted Properties. This year again, Swarvoski shows its support to young designers with the Swarovski Designers of the Future Award. Four finalists have been chosen by the Crystal House to create works using crystal as their main inspiration and material, whatever their field of expression may be. Learn more about the initiative in our previous feature HERE.
And don’t miss our latest issue Crash 76 Cruel Summer, exclusively distributed within the fair for its entire duration.
Design Miami/ Basel, from June 14th to 19th, Hall 1 Süd, Messe Basel.
Owan by Kengo Kuma 2016 at Galerie Philippe Gravier courtesy of Galerie Philipe Gravier 1The Armadillo Tea Pavilion by Ron Arad for RevolutionVERANDE by DIMORESTUDIO, June 2016 at Gallery Dimorestudio courtesy of DIMORESTUDIOVillejuif by Jean Prouve for Galerie Patrick SeguinBanana Lamp by Studio Job 2015 at Carpenters Workshop Gallery courtesy of Carpenters Workshop GalleryBhanga Bronze by Vincent Dubourg 2014 at Carpenters Workshop Gallery courtesy of Carpenters Workshop GalleryCathedral Table by Pierre Paulin 1981 at Demisch DanantLes Ilots by Claude Parent 2010 at Galerie Philippe gravier courtesy of Galerie Philippe GravierRebar in Gold by Ai Weiwei 2013 at Elisabetta Cipriani courtesy of Ai Weiwei StudioPair of ZigZag Chairs by Gerrit Th. Rietveld 1934 at Galerie VIVID of Galerie VIVID
Design Miami/Basel 2016: this year’s Design Miami/Basel fair opens today in the Swiss city, where a six-tonne stone meditation space, a modular armadillo and designs by Zaha Hadid are among the highlights.
The collectible design fair is taking place from 14 to 19 June 2016, and will provide an opportunity to browse creative furniture and fanciful objets d’art presented by international galleries.
Many of the must-sees at the event come from the Design at Large programme of installations, this year curated by founder and editor-in-chief of Cabana Magazine, Martina Mondadori Sartogo, and themed around nature.
New exhibition platform Design Curio also promises interesting displays. Based on traditional cabinets of curiosity, it features assemblages of objects put together by designers, curators, innovators and gallerists.
Here are our picks of installations and displays that shouldn’t be missed:
Owan by Kengo Kuma
Taking inspiration from Japanese tea bowls and fish scales, architect Kengo Kuma‘s metal screen installation is intended to be an indoor and an outdoor space at once. While the structure’s thin metal shell looks like it offers little protection from the elements, it is actually lined with a waterproof membrane.
Called Owan, the structure is made from a metal referred to as a “memory alloy”, which means it can be bent into new forms when heated.
Designed to be movable, the installation is part of Galerie Philippe Gravier’s Small Nomad House Project, which also includes Kuma’s wooden pavilion from last year’s FIAC event in Paris and a stacked-box pavilion by fellow Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto.
A demountable office by French architect Jean Prouvé that was until recently being used as a swingers’ club has been restored for display at Design Miami/Basel.
The structure, now known as the Maxéville Design Office, began life in 1947 at the historic Ateliers Jean Prouvé in Maxéville and is being presented by the Galerie Patrick Seguin, frequent champions of Prouvé’s work.
While other Prouvé creations at the site were destroyed after his departure from the company in 1953, this one remained concealed behind cladding and over time served as the atelier’s design office, a plumber’s office, a restaurant and finally a swingers’ club called Le Bounty. Find out more about Jean Prouvé’s Maxeville 35 demountable office »
Civilized Primitives by Kiki Van Eijk
Each of the objects in Kiki van Eijk‘s new furniture collection is modelled on branches found in the forests surrounding the Dutch designer’s Eindhoven home, and cast in bronze.
From an A-frame daybed of intersecting sticks to a tall and gnarled candelstick holder, each is based on branches that have been sanded on three sides and left textured on the last – giving rise to the “civilized” and “primitive” aspects of the collection’s title.
As part of the Design at Large program, the collection is displayed in an outdoor Bedouin-style tent, created using the large-scale printing processes of Dutch company Exposize. Van Eijk’s Physical Interaction light sculptures, which are turned on through unusual interactions like blowing on a mobile or lighting a flint, are also on show inside.
Zaha Hadid design exhibition
The late Zaha Hadid may be best known for her architecture, but her fluid forms also translated into some memorable design objects, which are now the focus of an exhibition during Design Miami/Basel.
Included in the display is her Liquid Glacial range of acrylic stools and tables, designed to resemble ice formations, as well as her Valle shelves in slashes of black granite.
The exhibition has been put together by her firm, Zaha Hadid Architects, to commemorate her contribution to the field of design following her unexpected death earlier this year.
Stone Tea House Meditative Alcove by Masatoshi Izumi and Koichi Hara
Last month, Vietnamese architect Vo Trong Nghia said he makes his staff meditate every day to help them “resist cravings and improve concentration”, after he installed a space for relaxing activity at the Venice Architecture Biennale.
The trend has continued at Design Miami/Basel, which is hosting a hulking but hollow stone cube called the Stone Tea House Meditative Alcove by Japanese sculptors Masatoshi Izumi and Koichi Hara.
Weighing in at six tonnes, minus the 18 tonnes of stone carved out from its middle, it is intended to provide a sanctuary from the busy world beyond. The installation sits within the natural surrounds of a spatial intervention titled In a Silent Space the Landscape is the Sound, designed by Enea Landscape Architecture.
Armadillo Tea Pavilion by Ron Arad
Another calming space is Israeli designer Ron Arad‘s Armadillo Tea Pavilion. Assembled from five moulded wood shells, it resembles the overlapping body armour of an armadillo.
Its components are modular, so it can be configured to suit different spaces, and the shells can be made in a variety of timbers depending on whether it will be used indoors or out.
The Armadillo Tea Pavilion comes from the catalogue of Revolution Precrafted, a company that aims to “democratise high-design and architecture” by providing prefab structures from more than 30 famous designers – including Tom Dixon, Marcel Wanders, Kengo Kuma and Zaha Hadid. It launched its first design at last year’s Design Miami, the sister event of the Basel edition.
Architect Ron Arad designed this lovely indoor/outdoor shelter, called the Armadillo Tea Pavilion. The shells are made from the likes of oiled plywood or PVDF-coated timber composite. The hardware is brass and bronze.
The Armadillo Tea Canopy is designed as an independent shell structure, for use indoors and outdoors, and provides an intimate enclosure, shelter or place of reflection within a garden, landscape, or large internal space. In its basic configuration, the Pavilion comprises 5 moulded shells, each made of repeatable, modular components which are mechanically-fixed together with exposed fixings and stiffening brackets. The modularity of components provides freedom to configure the tea canopy to suit a number of arrangements, which can be expanded when using additional shells.
A limited number of Armadillo Tea Pavilions are available from Revolution Precrafted.
Here it is, artnet News’s roundup of the world’s top 100 collectors. Once again, we’ve pulled together an encyclopedic museum’s worth of art trade resources to arrive at what we believe to be the world’s most essential inventory of major art collectors. How is this year’s review of the world’s top collectors different from other lists? For one, our 2016 grouping is more compact, extensive, and better researched than previous rosters. Additionally, the list is also remarkably detailed and up to date, incorporating some of the latest movements major collectors have made around the globe—as told to artnet News—over the intervening 12 months.
Today’s top art collectors are an evolving lot. At once more global, wealthier, more interconnected, and politically exposed than ever, they sit atop an unequal and stagnant world economy (thanks to slow growth, falling commodity prices, currency devaluations, and general economic and political malaise) that increasingly buttons them as a privileged elite. Perhaps for this reason, today’s Ultra High Net Worth (UHNW) collectors increasingly behave like startled grizzly bears. While these art world predators still throw plenty of weight around, at pivotal moments—read, this year’s spring auctions—they appear unsure of whether to gorge or hibernate for the winter.
Times have changed—somewhat—since the frothy highs of 2015, when Liu Yiqian, a former taxi driver turned-billionaire art collector with two private Shanghai art museums, bought Amadeo Modigliani’s Nu Couché (1917–18) at Christie’s November sale for $170 million, and a second, less-public buyer shelled out $70 million for Cy Twombly’s Untitled (New York City) (1968) at Sotheby’s. Last year, both auction houses jointly raked in $2.3 billion in just 10 days. Since then, auction results have slipped drastically—sales at Christie’s and Sotheby’s dropped roughly 60 percent in 2016—framed by a newly chastened art market that has been described by experts as “softening,” “tepid,” “thinning” or, more prosaically, undergoing “a correction.”
Yet, despite these adjustments at the top of the food chain, covetous art collectors around the world continue to defy predictions of an art-market bust. In a less flashy repeat of last year, Japanese fashion mogul Yusaku Maezawa dropped $98 million in just two days in May for works that included a $57.3 million Jean-Michel Basquiat and a $2.6 million self-portrait by Romanian artist Adrian Ghenie. Proving, once again, that even in an economy where Wall Street bonuses have dipped and the supply of rare luxury goods has crept up, deep-pocketed buyers like Maezawa and others on the artnet News Index can make outsize impressions on the market.
According to a recent survey conducted by Bank of America US Trust, “Insights On Wealth and Worth Survey,” “collectors still overwhelmingly buy art for aesthetic and lifestyle reasons, but they are increasingly interested in how their art behaves as a capital asset.” The same study states that a large number of collectors, including younger patrons and the so-called UHNW (the $10-million-plus club), are more “likely to enjoy the community of other collectors on the ‘global circuit.’” Translation: Despite all the talk of art fair exhaustion, it seems the vast majority of art collectors still like an arty party.
There are several other patterns that may be drawn from making this list, but one impression above all appears especially relevant now. That is, namely, the sense that even if today’s art buying may have come down to earth from previously stratospheric heights, the boldface names on our essential artnet News Index remain singularly devoted to art collecting as a passion, a financial store, a philanthropic venture, and a social activity.
A few other conclusions can be drawn from the results of this year’s collector Index. Firstly, the thoroughgoing globalization of art collecting continues apace, as demonstrated by the inclusion of new collectors from Africa and South Asia. Secondly, the trend toward the building of private museums is not only growing, it has exploded geographically, traveling like a viral meme from cities like Miami, Dallas, and Vienna to Jakarta, Chonquing, and Henningsvær, near the Arctic Circle. And thirdly—and perhaps most importantly—this year has seen a strengthening of renewable collector activity oriented toward stable value and away from fast profit. Here’s the same idea in a soundbite: 2016 is the year of the collector, not the speculator.
Without further ado, then, we present this year’s artnet News Index, 2016’s essential guide to global collectors encompassing the insights and analysis of the entire editorial team as well as the advice of industry experts including art dealers and advisers. Without a doubt, the individuals on this list will continue to shape the face of the international art market for the next 12 months and, in all probability, for years to come. Enjoy.
Roman Abramovich and Dasha Zhukova. Photo courtesy the Garage Museum of Contemporary Art.
1. Roman Abramovich and Dasha Zhukova (Russia) Zhukova is a world-class “tastemaker” and the more active partner of Russia’s most powerful art collecting “It” couple. In the past few years she has also become a pioneering arts institution-builder. In 2008, she launched Moscow’s Garage Museum for Contemporary Art. With Abramovich, she is set to open “New Holland,” a 19-acre cultural complex set on an artificial island in Saint Petersburg (coming in August). Among the exhibitions Zhukova has underwritten at Garage in the last year are shows by Taryn Simon, Rashid Johnson, and Urs Fischer. Her collection contains thousands of contemporary artworks. Her husband, the owner of England’s legendary Chelsea Football Club, prefers modern and Impressionist trophies. Abramovich is said to have bought an Edgar Degas pastel for $26.5 million, a 1976 Francis Bacon triptych for $86.3 million, and a Lucian Freud painting for $33.6 million.
(L to R) Nita and Isha Ambani. Courtesy of the Ambanis.
3. Mukesh and Nita Ambani (India) NEW! India’s richest couple controls a $20 billion family fortune that has lately turned to art collecting and funding art exhibitions related to their homeland. In 2015, Nita Ambani’s Reliance Foundation—named after Reliance Industries, her husband’s textile and petroleum empire—sponsored a show of Hindu paintings at the Art Institute of Chicago. In March, the foundation was the biggest sponsor of the Met Breuer’s retrospective of Indian artist Nasreen Mohamedi. According to the Wall Street Journal, Nita Ambani is “planning a museum of her own in India, where large, institutional venues containing the latest climate-control technologies remain scarce.”
4. Robbie Antonio (Philippines) Among the biggest art collectors in the Philippines, this young real estate tycoon began by amassing portraits of himself by the likes of Marilyn Minter, Julian Schnabel, and the Bruce High Quality Foundation to adorn his Rem Koolhas-designed Manila home. Recently, Antonio transitioned to blue chip purchases by artists such as Francis Bacon, Willem de Kooning, Andy Warhol, and Takashi Murakami. Additionally, Antonio has also moved into prefab architecture by collaborating with design giants like the Campana Brothers and the lateZaha Hadid.
5. Hélène and Bernard Arnault (France) Chairman and CEO of the French luxury-products conglomerate LVMH, Arnault has a net worth of $32.8 billion, making him the richest man in Europe, according to Bloomberg. In 2014, Arnault opened the Frank Gehry–designed Louis Vuitton Foundation in Paris, with commissioned works by the likes of Olafur Eliasson, Ellsworth Kelly, Sarah Morris, and Taryn Simon. His collection consists of many thousands of contemporary and modern artworks, including pieces by Agnes Martin, Pablo Picasso, and Yves Klein.
Bill and Maria Bell at Alex Israel’s studio. Photo courtesy Bill and Maria Bell.
6. Bill and Maria Bell (United States) Early in their collecting career the Bells were drawn to Andy Warhol. Today, they have become best known as Jeff Koons’s biggest supporters—they bought the artist’s massive Play-Doh (1994–2014) sculpture and waited two decades for delivery. Much like when they started collecting in the 1990s, this power couple is well poised to take advantage of a softening market. In May they bought a $1.5 million Ed Ruscha painting at Christie’s postwar and contemporary art evening sale, substantially below it’s $2 million estimate.
Peter Benedek. Photo Alex J. Berliner/ABImages, courtesy United Talent Agency.
7. Peter Benedek (United States) Benedek, co-founder of United Talent Agency (which now represents artists), and his then-wife Barbara, a screenwriter (The Big Chill), began collecting 25 years ago when Peter bought himself a David Hockney painting as a birthday present from the now-defunct Corcoran Gallery in Santa Monica. Since then, he has amassed a first-rate store of artworks that he compulsively updates every year. In an email to artnet News, Benedek recently acknowledged adding works by the following artists to their extensive collection: William Kentridge, Jonas Wood, Lesley Vance, Ricky Swallow, Max Jansons, Tom Wesselmann, and Ella Kruglyanskaya. In his own words, his purchases over the last 12 months are “intergenerational and speak to many subjects.”
8. Lawrence Benenson (United States) NEW! The scion of a great New York real estate fortune, Benenson is an executive vice president at Benenson Capital Partners. His father was the storied art collector Charles Benenson; over a lifetime, he amassed an eccentric trove of artworks by figures such as Joan Miró and David Wojnarowicz. The tastes of Benenson fils also run to the eclectic: Lawrence collects historical documents (he owns a copy of the Emancipation Proclamation signed by Abraham Lincoln) as well as paintings and drawings by Henri Matisse, Kehinde Wiley, Gustave Doré, and Mark Lombardi. Additionally, Benenson serves on the board of New York’s Museum of Modern Art and the Ad Reinhardt Foundation.
Debra Black and Leon Black. Photo Sylvain Gaboury/Patrick McMullan.
9. Debra and Leon Black (United States) Owner of Apollo Global Management, Phaidon Books, and Artspace Marketplace, Leon Black is reported to be worth $4.7 billion. His wife, Debra, is a Broadway producer. In 2012, Leon made waves when he purchased one of four existing versions of Edvard Munch’s The Scream for $120 million. Most recently, Leon was revealed to be Larry Gagosian’s secret buyer for Pablo Picasso’s contested plaster sculptureBust of a Woman (1931), for which the New York dealer paid $106 million. In 2014, the Blacks also bought a 17,000-square-foot Manhattan mansion previously occupied by the defunct Knoedler & Company for $50.25 million. Considering all their pricey treasures, it makes a swell private gallery.
Christian Boros and Karen Boros at the Boros Collection. Photo John MacDougall/AFP/GettyImages.
10. Christian and Karen Boros (Germany) Located in a former World War II air raid shelter and S&M club, Christian and Karen Boros’ concrete abode is also home to the Bunker, an 80-room exhibition space for contemporary art that includes more than 700 artworks by artists such as Danh Vo, Ai Weiwei, Elmgreen & Dragset, Sarah Lucas, Rirkrit Tiravanija, Elizabeth Peyton, and Olafur Eliasson.
Norman Braman and Irma Braman. Photo Chris Ford/Patrick McMullan.
11. Irma and Norman Braman (United States) Besides being instrumental in bringing Art Basel to Miami in 2002, the Bramans are among the handful of local figures who ensure that that city’s private collections are among the best in the world. Much of their blue-chip collection—which includes paintings by Andy Warhol, Willem de Kooning, and Jasper Johns and the globe’s largest private holding of works by Alexander Calder—is on view at their spectacular Indian Creek Island residence. Since 2014, the Bramans have also been engaged in another large project: Funding the design and construction of South Florida’s newest museum, the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami, set to open its new Design District flagship in December 2016, just in time for Art Basel in Miami Beach.
Peter M. Brant at the Montblanc De La Culture Arts Patronage Award ceremony at Kappo Masa, November 10, 2015, in New York. Photo Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images for Montblanc.
Eli Broad and Edythe Broad at Los Angeles’s the Broad in 2015. Courtesy photographer Jerod Harris/Getty Images.
13. Eli and Edythe Broad (United States) A fixture of top collector lists for many a year, the Broads further solidified their influential position with the opening of the Broad, their new $140 million, Diller, Scofidio + Renfro-designed contemporary art museum in Los Angeles. The museum boasts Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Room (2013), Jordan Wolfson‘s creepy robot, as well as another two thousand Instagram-ready artworks. The collection showcases the couple’s blue-chip tastes—Edythe started collecting some 50 years before her husband—as well as thematic shows, like the Broad’s upcoming Cindy Sherman survey. “We look for quality, and for things that we think are going to be huge and historically important,” Eli told Haute Living in March. “I’m interested in whether it has social commentary.”
German art collector Frieder Burda poses next to a Pablo Picasso sculpture in the exhibition “Masterpieces of the Museum Frieder Burda” at the Granet museum in Aix-en-Provence. Courtesy photographer Gerard Julien/AFP/Getty Images.
14. Frieder Burda (Germany) Burda, who turned 80 this year, opened his eponymous Frieder Burda Museum in Baden-Baden in 2004. His collection has grown to include more than 1,000 works of mostly blue-chip art that include pieces by German Expressionists, Abstract Expressionists, and Teutonic contemporaries like Sigmar Polke and Gerhard Richter. In May, Burda made news for his deaccessioning of Mark Rothko’s No. 36 (Black Stripe) (1958) at Christie’s for $40.5 million. Yet Burda’s collection continues to grow. According to the German art magazine Monopol, the collector recently acquired Andreas Gursky’s photograph Rückblick (2015), which depicts Germany’s four living chancellors seated before Barnett Newman’s painting Vir Heroicus Sublimis (1950–51).
15. Richard Chang (United States) Regularly touted as one of Asia’s top collectors, Chang founded the Domus Collection, which is based both in New York and Beijing. Since then, the investment professional has become a key broker between the art communities of both East and West. Chang is a trustee of the Royal Academy in London and MoMA PS1 and the president of New York’s Performa. Additionally, he is the vice chair of the Tate’s International Council. Chang collects work from artists at all stages of their careers. The Domus Collection told artnet News that he’s recently been focusing on established German artists Anselm Kiefer and Sigmar Polke, mid-career American abstract painters such as Laura Owens and Jacqueline Humphries, and emerging artists including Harold Ancart and Kevin Beasley.
Pierre T.M. Chen. Courtesy of the Yageo Foundation.
16. Pierre T.M. Chen (Taiwan) Though he recently stepped down from being CEO of his electronics company, Chen has definitely not retired from collecting. In fact, the Taiwanese entrepreneur made his biggest purchase ever in at Christie’s in May, when he paid $26 million for the painting Swamped (1990) by Scottish painter Peter Doig. Other works in his Western-leaning collection include pieces by Georg Baselitz, Francis Bacon, Gerhard Richter, Cy Twombly, Marc Quinn, Andreas Gursky, and Mark Rothko. Reportedly, full-time staff help Chen buy his art. In 2014–15, some 75 works from his collection toured four Japanese museums in the exhibition “Guess What? Hardcore Contemporary Art’s Truly a World Treasure.”
Adrian Cheng. Courtesy photographer Eric Piermont/AFP/Getty Images.
17. Adrian Cheng (China) Heir to a property-development fortune in Asia, the Hong Kong native is the founder of the K11 Art Foundation, which has staged exhibitions by artists like Olafur Eliasson, Damien Hirst, and Yoshitomo Nara at the foundation’s K11 Art Malls in Hong Kong and Shanghai. Cheng is on the board of directors of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority, is a board member of the National Museum of China Foundation, a trustee of the Royal Academy, a member of Tate‘s International Council, and a member of the Centre Pompidou‘s International Circle. In March of this year, Cheng—who is among the world’s youngest billionaires—announced that he joined the board of directors of the Public Art Fund.
Patricia Phelps de Cisneros poses with the artwork Nylon Cube by Venezuelan artist Jesus Soto, part of the exhibition “Radical Geometry: Modern Art of South America from the Patricia Phelps de Cisneros Collection” at the Royal Academy of Arts in London, England. Courtesy of photographer Matthew Lloyd/Getty Images.
18. Patricia Phelps de Cisneros (Venezuela and Dominican Republic) Founded in the 1970s by Cisneros and her husband, Gustavo, the New York City and Caracas-based Colección Patricia Phelps de Cisneros (CPPC) is one of the world’s premiere collections of Latin American art. The collection ranges across ethnographic objects, colonial, modern, and contemporary art from the Americas. Additionally, Cisneros sits on the board of MoMA.
19. Steve Cohen (United States) The former hedge-fund manager has a history of using the art trade as a financial market—mainly by buying and selling high-priced artworks—but in January he went one further. He used his $1 billion store of art trophies to secure a personal loan from Morgan Stanley’s Private Bank. More recently, the billionaire—who bought Alberto Giacometti’s painted-bronze sculpture Chariot (1950) for $101 million at Sotheby’s in 2014—acquired 1.2 million Sotheby’s shares through his new company, Point72 Asset Management, making him the auction house’s fifth largest shareholder.
If you’re in the market for a starchitect-designed room, then Ron Arad’s Armadillo Tea Pavilion might fit the bill. One of 30 limited edition prefab structures from well-known architects, artists and designers, The Armadillo, can be used indoors or out, and has five modular shells that can be reconfigured in various ways. For more details, revolutionprecrafted.com
According to Marcus Donaghy of Donaghy + Dimond Architects – recently awarded the 2016 AAI Downes medal for excellence in architectural design – the advantage an architect-designed garden room is that it is made to measure your garden’s shape, size and look. “This is obviously reflected in cost, which will be dependent on size, spec, location and accessibility for builders.”
The owners of a Ranelagh Victorian house asked Donaghy + Dimond to design a separate garden room, pictured left, that would give a sense of connection between the house and garden. The remains of the old garage walls were wrapped in glazed brick and a loft was created out of breathable hemp- insulated timber, with framed walls clad in sweet chestnut, supporting a planted roof and hanging gardens.
In the ground floor level, there’s a roof-lit shower room that can be accessed from the garden; a plant room with ground source heat pump and log store; and a car space which can also fit a table tennis table.
Above the garage, at the level of the canopy of the old apple tree, is the timber-framed loft. It’s lined with douglas fir plywood. “This was designed as a den or tree house, with a covered open air stairs rising directly from the garden,” says Marcus Donaghy. “The loft is fitted out with a built-in settle bed for kids to camp out on,” he says.
“The garden room or loft-over-garage meant we didn’t over-extend the original protected structure,” Donaghy says. Owners Susan and David say it’s been enjoyed by their twin boys who will shortly be 22. “They used it for band practice, which was great for us – we didn’t have to listen to it directly,” Susan laughs. “One of them is currently in college in Dublin, ensconced in it while he studies,” she says.
“It’s an extra space that functions as part of the house, but is separate and offers privacy. Because the living area which is on the middle floor, is open-plan style, and there are five of us, having this separate space was great. It’s a super place for teenagers to escape to without being out of sight,” says Susan.
“We also have an 11-year-old daughter who is waiting to reclaim it as a den and when the children have all left, we plan to use it as an office. It’s very adaptable.”
The ‘Armadillo Tea Pavilion’ designed by Ron Arad for Revolution Precrafted is inspired by the armored shell of the mammals it’s named after.
The tea pavilion is crafted using a number of different canopies that overlap one another. The front of the structure is left open, allowing its inhabitant to relax and enjoy their surroundings. Although displayed outdoors, the tea pavilion in able to be utilized indoors as well, since the five canopies that construct its unique shape can be sized down or expanded.
With this, Ron Arad’s design functions to provide a comfortable and more intimate setting for different sized groups — welcoming people to sit inside within its timber walls. The versatile tea pavilion is offered in a number of different finishes and its structure can change depending on the needs of the consumer.
Called Owan, Kuma’s pavilion aims to establish a dialogue between architecture and the landscape by employing an undulating mesh-like structural shell. Owan‘s design also derives from the curvature often found in fish scales and traditional tea bowls from Kuma’s homeland.
The pavilion’s shell can be altered, changing its relationship to the site and its interior dimensions. Though appearing porous, Owan is lined with a thin waterproof membrane that can move in the wind along with the lightweight structure.
https://vimeo.com/164417666
In the video above, you can see how the structure responds to light. Given the structure’s intended natural environment, the trajectory of the sun should play in important role in the pavilion’s performance.
Design Miami/ (June 14 – 19) is a forum that has a strong pedigree in the world of design collectables. Kuma’s Owan will be presented at the forum’s “Design at Large,” which will also exhibit further large-scale installations under the theme of “tea house,” notably Ron Arad’s Armadillo Tea Canopy by Revolution Precrafted.
revolution precrafted presents ron arad’s armadillo tea pavilion at design miami/ basel all images courtesy of revolution precrafted
the design at large program at design miami/ basel comprises a curated collection of large-scale works and ambitious architectural installations, both from historical and contemporary contexts. the 2016 theme focuses on ‘landscape’, exploring the relationship between the built and natural worlds from a literal, conceptual, and technological perspective.
as part of design miami/ basel 2016, held from june 14-19, revolution precrafted properties — a collection of limited edition dwellings, ranging from functional pavilions to modular homes — presents the ‘armadillo tea pavilion’ by israeli designer ron arad. the shelter is conceived as an independent shell structure, providing an intimate place of refuge and reflection within a garden, landscape, or large internal space. comprising a series of five molded shells, the pavilion is made of mechanically-fixed modular components with exposed fixings and stiffening brackets.
the ‘armadillo tea pavilion’ by ron arad is presented at design miami/ basel 2016
the flexibility of these elements allows the tea canopy to be configured in a variety of arrangements, and can be expanded when using additional shells. adaptable for indoor and outdoor use, ‘armadillo tea pavilion’ is designed to be structurally independent and installed as a free-standing element, with the possibility of additional anchoring if desired. each of the shells are made in range of finishes — depending on their intended purpose — from durable PVDF-coated timber composite for outdoors, to oiled hardwood-veneered plywood for indoor use. all of the shell fixings, foot brackets, and structural stiffeners are made in hand-patinated brass and bronze. ‘
it’s not an airtight structure — it’s not for typhoons, or storms — but it gives you a very loose shelter from sun, wind, noise, because you define your own enclosure,’ arad describes.
revolution is a collection of limited edition properties, ranging from functional pavilions to modular homes. the project — conceived by high-profile real estate developer robbie antonio — unites creatives such as daniel libeskind, soufujimoto, and lenny kravitz’s company kravitz design to create a series of prefabricated, livable spaces. each pavilion and home is individually branded by its designer’s personal concept of spatial form and social function. the series was launched at design miami 2015, with a prefabricated dining pavilion by zaha hadid taking center stage.
the collection ranges from functional pavilions to modular homes
renowned for his visionary work and innovative collaborations, revolution is antonio’s most recent independent project. over the past decade, antonio has been involved in developing premier commercial, residential, cultural and civic projects around the world. these collaborations have been realized alongside artists, architects, designers and brands, such as ron arad, sou fujimoto, trump organization, forbes media, takashi murakami, versace home, armani casa and damien hirst. antonio has worked with eleven pritzker prize-winning architects including zaha hadid, I.M. pei, rem koolhaas, tadao ando and richard meier, and no less than 67 international brands.
to learn more about the revolution precrafted initiative, designboom spoke with robbie antonio who explained his creative vision in more detail. read the interview in full below, and see designboom’s previous coverage of revolutionhere.
the recreation pavilion by daniel libeskind for studio libeskind
designboom: can you tell us about revolution precrafted? how did it originate, and what are its aims?
robbie antonio: revolution is a collection of limited edition, precrafted properties, including homes and pavilions. the project unites over 30 of the world’s preeminent architects, artists and designers to create an exclusive series of prefabricated, livable spaces. with a network of cutting-edge technologies and cost-efficient production systems, revolution is democratizing high-design and architecture by introducing designed spaces in exclusive collaboration with industry leading creatives. revolution was created to sell designer homes to landowners, developers and end-users across the globe at a reasonable price. the platform appeals to both individual collectors and large-scale developers interested in buying several properties at a time.
the aluminum cloud pavilion by kengo kuma
DB: how was the experience of bringing together some of the world’s best known architects as part of one project?
RA: it has been an interesting one. but when the top architects signed onto the project, many followed suit. but we are also expanding the network of creatives by integrating fashion designers, artists and product designers. designers including kengo kuma, gluckman tang, campana brothers and the late pritzker prize-winner zaha hadid — to name a few, and brands will collaborate to create collectible, unique structures. each pavilion and home is individually branded by its designer’s personal concept of spatial form and social function. the result is a diverse and global collection of architecturally-innovative, precrafted properties, ranging from functional pavilions to modular homes.
the bamboo pavilion by campana brothers
DB: how does the independent nature of revolution precrafted compare with your previous projects? does it give you a greater sense of satisfaction?
RA: I have and continue to build high-design residential and commercial towers. revolution is a unique concept as it allows us to serve developers and end-users in multiple countries with various needs in terms of size and price.
DB: how important is it that the series democratizes design and makes world-class architecture available for more people?
RA: this was one of my primary goals. it’s a legacy I would like to leave.
casa A by selgascano in collaboration with helloeverything
DB: can we expect to see more properties revealed in the coming months?
RA: yes, we have lots more to be released, including some major pritzker prize architects.
DB: do you have a personal favorite property?
RA: the diversity of our collection is unparalleled — so it’s too difficult to say.
VOLU dining pavilion by zaha hadid with patrik schumacher
DB: one of the completed pavilions is ‘VOLU’ by zaha hadid. what do you feel made her work so distinctive?
RA: the details are so complex and precise. as a friend and business partner of zaha, the pavilion has a special sentimental value that supplements its legendary design integrity.
DB: you have worked closely with many high-profile architects and designers. which similar qualities do they have, and what makes them stand out above the rest?
RA: it isn’t enough to work with a great architect. it is necessary to get their best work. the constant back and forth when working with a client is the common thread in achieving the best results.
the nest pod by fernando romero
DB: where did your personal appreciation of art and architecture come from, and how has it developed over time?
RA: I am a visual person. I feel art, architecture and design are intertwined and I am lucky to have grown up in a visually stimulating environment.
DB: can you tell us about any other exciting projects you are currently working on?
RA: I am currently speaking to a major pritzker prize architect to design a unique concept that showcases art and installations.
instrumental home: architecture by marmol radziner and interiors by kravitz design
the bettina pavilion by michael maltzan
the ellipsicoon retreat pavilion by ben van berkel of UNStudio
the infinity ring pavilion by sou fujimoto
the eros senses pavilion by kulapat yantrasast
the armadillo tea pavilion by ron arad
the billboard house by david salle in collaboration with AA studio
the ‘armadillo tea pavilion’ by ron arad is presented at design miami/ basel 2016
the shelter is conceived as an independent shell structure
the pavilion provides an intimate place of refuge and reflection within a garden
the design is structurally independent and can be installed as a free-standing element
mechanically-fixed modular components have exposed fixings and stiffening brackets
the pavilion is conceived for both indoor and outdoor use
