Collector's Talk

Elie, you’re what they call a passionate collector. Could you share how you first encountered art, and what sparked your interest in collecting?

In high school, I had a French teacher who encouraged me to read and to explore culture, so I began attending art exhibitions at the age of fifteen. This greatly influenced my taste over the years. But more importantly: I used to visit my uncle’s home regularly for Shabbat dinners with my parents. He had a Karel Appel painting in his living room, and artworks in his collection by notable artists, including the Belgian surrealist Gaston Bogaert. When I later joined my father’s company, I used my first paycheck to purchase a painting by Gaston Bogaert at the Sablon in Brussels. That purchase marked the beginning of my exploration. At an art fair in Ghent, I stumbled upon Matteo Pugliese’s patinated bronze wall sculptures of male torsos. A few years later, I acquired a series of photographs by 
Erwin Olaf.

What type of work are you currently looking for?

Right now, I’ve grown somewhat weary of photography. I mainly buy pieces from young artists. I find it important to think long-term, and to evolve alongside my artists. Already established works are less interesting to me. As a collector, my role in that regard has ended. A collector has to invest in young talent, and offer them the opportunities they need. I’m constantly scouring the internet and platforms like Instagram in search of personal coup de foudres. Last year, I stumbled upon South African art from the Guns and Rain gallery in Johannesburg through an online art fair. They represent, among others, the young Zimbabwean artist Raymond Fuyana. I was immediately in love with his work, and ended up acquiring around ten of his paintings.

Did your collection also serve as the foundation for your own gallery?

Yes, while renovating a building here in Antwerp in 2013 to house my collection, I suddenly felt the urge to start a gallery. Two years later, our first gallery project came to be, called Artelli. It was a vibrant blend of styles and materials, very different to what the gallery has become today. Schönfeld Gallery, situated in the Rivoli building in Brussels, marks its fifth anniversary today. One of our inaugural exhibitions featured photographs from my collection by Erwin Olaf, complemented by pieces on loan from a Parisian gallery. ‘The Collectors’ Selection’ aptly served as the exhibition’s subtitle.

Today, you are curating a group exhibition on ceramics, entitled: ‘A brush of Ceramics’. Was that your first passion?

Yes, when my mother was living in Paris, she was gifted two vases from Boch La Louviere. I was captivated by their art deco aesthetics and vibrant, fluorescent green and yellow colours. They felt incredibly modern at the time! Now, I have amassed around 300 such vases – I didn’t let go of that passion easily (laughs). My affection for ceramics was rekindled when I crossed paths with Thomas Ghaye seven years ago at the Affordable Art Fair in Brussels. The following year, Thomas opened La peau de l’ours, a gallery (like Schönfeld, situated in the Rivoli building) primarily specialised in ceramics.

What can we expect from the group exhibition?

I’ve seen a lot of ceramics in recent years, especially since I became a partner at La peau de l’ours two years ago. However, the ceramic paintings by American artist Bari Ziperstein truly stood out as groundbreaking to me. I had never before seen ceramics as a painting in such a unique manner. With over twenty years of experience in ceramics, Ziperstein has achieved an unprecedented level of mastery in this medium. Her work is not only groundbreaking, it also carries an immense technical and ideological complexity, as she is renowned for her exploration of Soviet-era textile designs and patterns. This artist’s innovative approach has inspired me to curate an exhibition with ceramics where painting takes over the object. I’m negotiating with her galleries, as we speak, to include Ziperstein’s work in the exhibition, and I hope to make that a reality.