Curator's Column - Lawrence Van Hagen on 'WHAT'S UP' at Soho Revue
“What’s Up” is an ambitious and unique survey. The selection process has been ongoing for at least a year, during which time 50 artists were retained…all of these I consider to be extremely interesting, but it was important to me to really stick to those artists who fitted the theme, and who truly deserved to be in a show with such a title: “What’s Up”.
Some of the artists I have selected, such as Katherine Bernhardt, Sterling Ruby, Ella Kruglyanskaya…are definitely very popular right now. They are already keenly followed by the market. Others are getting there – this is the interesting part of the show. Other artists live through a revival and other, older ones have just been discovered and rediscovered, like Brian Calvin, Brian Belott and Markus Amm.
We have 50 artists, with about a total of around 85 works. This is a huge accomplishment taking into account the number of parties involved and the hectic schedule all these artists have! Over the years I have developed relationships with the representing gallerists and met with many of the artists themselves to understand their work better. It has been an amazing experience discovering these artists during numerous travels around the world of the arts. Travel has really formed my eye, allowing me to exchange with collectors and art lovers from all horizons. I believe it is a vital factor in order to succeed in today’s art world.
All the artists in the show are aged between 25 and 45, and while they may already be supported by great galleries and great collectors, they are contemporary and emerging. It’s important to point out that all artists taking part in the show are those I either already collect or intend to collect in the future. My goal is to show artists I like, I support, I collect (or will collect) and most importantly artists I believe have and will continue to have a very successful artist career. The ultimate goal of my exhibition is to help the artists I love and who I have followed since their beginnings.
I want it to be perceived as the survey of contemporary artists. I hope people will see that it is a selection made by a younger collector and curator, specifically chosen for the next generation of collectors. These collectors will be young people who want to purchase quality works of art, to start their collections, but also those more seasoned collectors who want to make new discoveries.
Schubert, 2014 Sam Lipp, 2015
There is definitely a fresh generation of collectors under the age of 40 – tending to live in big metropolitan cities such as London, New York, LA, Paris…It is exciting to see a new demographic emerging from industries such as finance, consulting and tech, as well as the more traditional art fields. It demonstrates that there is a large group of hard working, professional individuals who may not be especially informed about the arts but who are very curious to understand more, and most importantly to get involved!
Ultimately, of course, this show – like any other with such a huge range – has been built on connections, relationships and friendships – and of course a lot of trust. Friends always ask me for advice on what to buy, who to discover, etc. and for as long as I can remember I have been keen to show them the artists I like and who I collect myself – when my friends buy art on my recommendation, I always tell them that I will buy it off them if ever they get bored of the piece.
Lawrence Van Hagen
WHAT'S UP runs from 14th - 30th April 2016 at Soho Revue
14 Greek Street
London
W1D 4DP
