‘The spirit of a collection lies in love at first sight, above all, and in creating ensembles that make sense and speak to one another. I started collecting quite young, at age 25 or 26. I first had an eye towards aesthetics, because I wanted to create a universe, for my home to feel like a vast cabinet of curiosities. I was lucky enough to meet and spend time with the sculptors François-Xavier and Claude Lalanne quite early on, when I was still young. I also collected Surrealist painters.
‘Then I started buying contemporary artists and the approach to collecting became more intellectual. In the 1990s, I became close with Gérard Garouste, a much-talked-about French figurative artist. He created works for Le Palace, an iconic club at the time. Then I turned to abstract art and bought historical works by Pierre Soulages and Daniel Buren. I have a painting by Buren from 1966, which happens to be my birth year. The work was made during his early period, when he still did random painting. In the same spirit, I began buying international artists who were my contemporaries. Very early on, I collected Christopher Wool and Rudolf Stingel.
‘Today, my collection operates under two guidelines. The first is America focused: I mix abstract and conceptual works, from Richard Serra to Ed Ruscha, and more expressionist works, like Georg Baselitz or Louise Bourgeois (I am lucky to have sculptures of hers I find incredibly moving). I am also passionate about African American artists. I collected Rashid Johnson very early, and then Glenn Ligon. I’m now interested in artists from the African continent, for example Amoako Boafo. Their practices have a singular and personal resonance for me as I was born in Africa and I lived in Ivory Coast for fifteen years.
‘I'm a big supporter of art galleries. For artists to have a successful career, they need good ones. In France, I am very close to Thaddaeus Ropac, kamel mennour, Perrotin, Chantal Crousel, and Mariane Ibrahim, and internationally to Hauser & Wirth, Luhring Augustine, and Xavier Hufkens, whose programs I like very much. During lockdown, I realized that having a conceptual direction for my collection wasn't enough; I realized that I didn't collect enough young French artists, and that they weren't given enough support, despite the dynamism of the emerging scene. In 2021 I created Reiffers Art Initiatives, a foundation and exhibition space that supports France’s young generation, promotes cultural diversity, and benefits from the support of my company. We exhibit emerging artists in a legendary space of more than 600 m2 in the heart of Paris, near Place de l’Étoile. We hold group exhibitions, award a prize to a young artist, and run a mentoring program that will culminate in an annual October exhibition, timed to coincide with Paris+ par Art Basel.
'The foundation now orients part of my collection through my support for these young French artists. I create close ties with the great international artists whose work I collect such as Rashid Johnson, Kehinde Wiley, Ugo Rondinone, and Camille Henrot, and involve them in my program to champion young French creatives. Similarly, I dedicate an annual budget to acquiring work by young French artists. This year’s fund was allotted to Raphaël Barontini, Kenny Dunkan, Pharaoh Kakudji and Pol Taburet – the latter being the first winner of the Reiffers Art Initiatives prize last spring.
‘Kehinde Wiley, an African American artist, will be the mentor overseeing our next exhibition. He is a true star within the contemporary art world, known – among other things – for having painted President Barack Obama’s portrait, on display at the National Portrait Gallery at the Smithsonian. He will accompany and advise Alexandre Diop, a 26-year-old Franco-Senegalese painter, for the next mentored exhibition in October. For me, supporting and exhibiting emerging artists is a very different philanthropic approach to showing already acclaimed artists, which is more the role of the museum.
‘What is exciting about all of this is dreaming and, at the same time, not being able to have it all. Passion, strong relationships, and real commitment are prerequisites for having the most beautiful works, and to distinguish oneself from speculative collectors. The idea is not to buy a brand, or the name of an artist, but a beautiful painting or beautiful sculpture. On the other hand, I do hope that the creatives we assist can all become great artists.’
Ingrid Luquet-Gad is an art critic and PhD student based in Paris. She is responsible for the art section of Les Inrockuptibles, a member of the editorial board of Spike Art Magazine and a correspondent for Flash Art.
English translation: Sarah Moroz
Caption for full-bleed images, from top to bottom:
Pol Taburet, Holy Cruel Engine, 2021 (detail). Courtesy of the artist.
Installation view of Kenny Dunkan's artwork in 'No Apologies' exhibition by Reiffers Initiatives at the Studio des Acacias, Paris, 2021. Courtesy of the artist.