Kolektoři 4 – Richard Adam

• Mr Adam, you were born in Znojmo in 195300:00:22.025
• 00:00:22.025
• and attended painting classes up to the age of fifteen.00:00:26.420
• 00:00:26.420
• Your art teacher Jan Zelený introduced you to the history of art.00:00:28.575
• 00:00:28.575
• You graduated from the Faculty of Law at Charles University in Prague00:00:33.501
• 00:00:33.501
• and in 1977 you obtained your first piece of art from00:00:37.168
• 00:00:37.168
• Dr Dráždil's collection as a graduation gift.00:00:41.213
• 00:00:41.213
• In 1984 you bought the first painting by Ivan Ouhel00:00:46.065
• 00:00:46.065
• and in November 1992 you met the painter Antonín Střížek00:00:51.653
• 00:00:51.653
• and your interest in the00:00:57.838
• 00:00:57.838
• 00:00:57.838
• Until 2005 you had your collection deposited in your flat in Prague00:01:02.613
• 00:01:02.613
• and in 2006 you opened together with the businessman Miroslav Lekeš00:01:08.373
• 00:01:08.373
• a gallery in Brno called Wannieck Gallery,00:01:14.206
• 00:01:14.206
• today Richard Adam Gallery you are the art director of.00:01:16.279
• 00:01:16.279
• When speaking about your collector's passion origin,00:01:19.892
• 00:01:19.892
• there's a story speaking about a doctor who brought you into the world.00:01:23.803
• 00:01:23.803
• He collected art and you got your first piece of art from his collection.00:01:33.275
• 00:01:33.275
• I would like to know how was your interest00:01:40.519
• 00:01:40.519
• in contemporary art of the 1980s shaped00:01:44.086
• 00:01:44.086
• and when you started to consider yourself to be a collector.00:01:48.434
• 00:01:48.434
• It wasn't easy to be well versed in contemporary art in the 1980s00:01:56.175
• 00:01:56.175
• because in the first half of the 1980s00:02:00.636
• 00:02:00.636
• the quality art was not exhibited at all.00:02:02.704
• 00:02:02.704
• In the second half it used to be exhibited only outside Prague.00:02:05.886
• 00:02:05.886
• I went to see Ivan Ouhel's exhibition to Roudnice nad Labem00:02:10.717
• 00:02:10.717
• as he didn't have any exhibitions in Prague.00:02:14.310
• 00:02:14.310
• Only in 1987 there was the first exhibition of00:02:16.530
• 00:02:16.530
• the art group Tvrdohlaví in Lidový dům in Vysočany.00:02:22.175
• 00:02:22.175
• I went to the exhibition and I was absolutely shocked at00:02:26.798
• 00:02:26.798
• what nonsense they painted and created.00:02:30.521
• 00:02:30.521
• My relation to art used to be the same as anyone else's00:02:33.984
• 00:02:33.984
• who came first to an exhibition.00:02:37.936
• 00:02:37.936
• I hadn't seen any post-modern before.00:02:40.229
• 00:02:40.229
• Of course I knew Ouhel, Sozanský, Novák or Rittstein00:02:43.239
• 00:02:43.239
• whose work I didn't like very much.00:02:49.167
• 00:02:49.167
• However I didn't know the coming generation of the 1980s00:02:51.962
• 00:02:51.962
• and I was shocked and thought they deliberately couldn't paint.00:02:58.005
• 00:02:58.005
• I went to the man selling the tickets for one crown00:03:03.977
• 00:03:03.977
• and asked him about the paintings' prices.00:03:10.726
• 00:03:10.726
• He told me the painters had wanted about 15 000,- for each00:03:14.456
• 00:03:14.456
• and I was so shocked as I knew I could normally buy00:03:17.690
• 00:03:17.690
• two Ouhel's paintings for such price.00:03:22.503
• 00:03:22.503
• But he said the painters had determined the price.00:03:25.036
• 00:03:25.036
• So I went home and told myself I would never00:03:27.138
• 00:03:27.138
• collect such art as it was absolutely crazy.00:03:29.451
• 00:03:29.451
• Ten or twelve years later Jiří David told me00:03:34.556
• 00:03:34.556
• they had been kidding about the price and00:03:38.489
• 00:03:38.489
• that he had sold his first painting00:03:42.176
• 00:03:42.176
• as an installment sale for one thousand crowns.00:03:44.745
• 00:03:44.745
• That painting was at the exhibition too and00:03:47.328
• 00:03:47.328
• I would have bought it if I had known it.00:03:49.143
• 00:03:49.143
• Nevertheless I had not.00:03:52.096
• 00:03:52.096
• Then I was trying to come closer to modern art and00:03:54.536
• 00:03:54.536
• Tvrdohlaví had an exhibition in ÚLUV where I went as well.00:04:00.165
• 00:04:00.165
• But I still couldn't understand why they painted such things.00:04:06.942
• 00:04:06.942
• As the situation was becoming eased I would00:04:09.352
• 00:04:09.352
• go to exhibitions organized by Mladá Fronta Gallery00:04:12.160
• 00:04:12.160
• in Spálená street and there I saw such an awful painting.00:04:17.546
• 00:04:17.546
• It was two pairs of shoes and it was so horrible,00:04:23.867
• 00:04:23.867
• the painter didn't know how to paint it,00:04:27.745
• 00:04:27.745
• I couldn't believe he displayed such thing.00:04:30.071
• 00:04:30.071
• Today the painting is in the Prague City Gallery00:04:34.582
• 00:04:34.582
• and I envy them very much.00:04:37.749
• 00:04:37.749
• It was painted by Střížek.00:04:39.634
• 00:04:39.634
• I found it totally absurd back then.00:04:41.319
• 00:04:41.319
• Then I went to Tomáš Císařovský exhibition again00:04:44.490
• 00:04:44.490
• in 1991 in Špálova Gallery and I told myself that was00:04:48.187
• 00:04:48.187
• the last straw and I gave up.00:04:52.281
• 00:04:52.281
• But in 1992 I went to the Litera Gallery in Karlín00:04:57.100
• 00:04:57.100
• to choose some mono types and collages by Jiří Sozanský.00:05:02.769
• 00:05:02.769
• He was a painter of the 1970 generation I found very close.00:05:07.268
• 00:05:07.268
• A young boy came to me and told me he was an artist too00:05:14.562
• 00:05:14.562
• and that I certainly didn't know him.00:05:20.365
• 00:05:20.365
• I asked him about his name and he said he was Antonín Střížek.00:05:24.052
• 00:05:24.052
• And I said: "Of course I know you, the Shoes!"00:05:28.761
• 00:05:28.761
• And he was very pleased I knew the Shoes.00:05:32.206
• 00:05:32.206
• Of course I didn't tell him I found the painting silly.00:05:36.750
• 00:05:36.750
• He invited me to his studio and that was the turning point.00:05:39.779
• 00:05:39.779
• There I suddenly realized Střížek could paint and00:05:44.885
• 00:05:44.885
• as he was showing me his numerous paintings and drawings00:05:50.564
• 00:05:50.564
• I suddenly understood they were beautifully painted.00:05:57.784
• 00:05:57.784
• I realized it was beautiful art and my rejecting attitude00:06:01.525
• 00:06:01.525
• was not caused by the art but by my incomprehension.00:06:08.303
• 00:06:08.303
• That was the first meeting and then00:06:12.676
• 00:06:12.676
• I bought his drawing for one thousand crowns.00:06:14.678
• 00:06:14.678
• I asked him who would he recommend00:06:20.686
• 00:06:20.686
• from his generation and he suggested00:06:22.871
• 00:06:22.871
• Honza Merta whom I didn't know.00:06:24.950
• 00:06:24.950
• He told me to go the MXM Gallery to meet him.00:06:27.258
• 00:06:27.258
• So I went to the MXM Gallery and met Honza Merta.00:06:32.710
• 00:06:32.710
• You were evidently persistent in your interest although00:06:37.906
• 00:06:37.906
• you didn't go along with the work of Tvrdohlaví...00:06:42.762
• 00:06:42.762
• Frankly, I was shocked...00:06:49.073
• 00:06:49.073
• However something was driving you to carry on with your interest in art.00:06:50.918
• 00:06:50.918
• You said personal meetings had played a certain role.00:06:59.129
• 00:06:59.129
• I'd like to know what importance you assign to the personal meetings,00:07:04.387
• 00:07:04.387
• how important you find visiting artists in their studios00:07:10.943
• 00:07:10.943
• and how you select the particular work of art.00:07:16.741
• 00:07:16.741
• Is it at first sight or do you need some time00:07:20.856
• 00:07:20.856
• to get to know the artist and his work?00:07:25.257
• 00:07:25.257
• I would meet the artists mainly in pubs.00:07:30.453
• 00:07:30.453
• I paid for them in the pubs and00:07:35.186
• 00:07:35.186
• they would give me their drawings in return.00:07:37.725
• 00:07:37.725
• However my collector's passion has developed the most00:07:49.263
• 00:07:49.263
• in August 30th 1995 when I went to the MXM Gallery00:07:56.520
• 00:07:56.520
• to see an exhibition of Petr Písařík.00:08:02.982
• 00:08:02.982
• Before going there I called Marek Pokorný to Mladá Fronta00:08:07.627
• 00:08:07.627
• to ask if it's worth going there and he00:08:10.626
• 00:08:10.626
• told me I should go, so I went there and00:08:14.572
• 00:08:14.572
• took a bottle of Adamovka with me.00:08:17.668
• 00:08:17.668
• They called Adamovka a plum brandy I would always bring to the MXM Gallery.00:08:20.127
• 00:08:20.127
• Possibly a litre of apricot or pear brandy.00:08:24.314
• 00:08:24.314
• And I will tell you about my first meeting00:08:28.606
• 00:08:28.606
• with Petr Písařík as it's quite significant.00:08:32.421
• 00:08:32.421
• In the office there was a young bearded guy in sunglasses00:08:37.509
• 00:08:37.509
• and I came in, put the bottle on the table00:08:42.741
• 00:08:42.741
• he looked at me and said:00:08:45.709
• 00:08:45.709
• "I know it's none of my business but you should wear better clothes sir."00:08:48.061
• 00:08:48.061
• I asked him who he was and he said he was Petr Písařík00:08:53.836
• 00:08:53.836
• and that he would show me round the exhibition.00:08:56.781
• 00:08:56.781
• We came to the first painting and he said it was Armani.00:09:01.125
• 00:09:01.125
• And I said: Armani? Is it an Italian footballer?00:09:04.367
• 00:09:04.367
• And he asked me: You don't know Armani?00:09:08.283
• 00:09:08.283
• And I said I didn't.00:09:10.863
• 00:09:10.863
• "Well, okay, but you must know Calvin Klein," he said.00:09:12.329
• 00:09:12.329
• And I said: Calvin Klein? Well I know the architect00:09:16.692
• 00:09:16.692
• Oscar Niemeyer but who is Calvin Klein?"00:09:21.406
• 00:09:21.406
• And Písařík started to run around the MXM Gallery crying:00:09:24.126
• 00:09:24.126
• "I will never sell any of my paintings to a man who doesn't know Calvin Klein!"00:09:28.453
• 00:09:28.453
• Of course after drinking the bottle of plum brandy together00:09:36.269
• 00:09:36.269
• I bought the Calvin Klein.00:09:39.954
• 00:09:39.954
• The painting, not him of course.00:09:42.273
• 00:09:42.273
• So this meeting was crucial as for00:09:49.884
• 00:09:49.884
• my acquisitions of the 1990s generation.00:09:52.279
• 00:09:52.279
• Then I reserved some work by Vosecký and Pastrňák but finally00:09:58.866
• 00:09:58.866
• I didn't buy anything because it was too expensive for me.00:10:03.058
• 00:10:03.058
• However I always liked meeting painters in pubs.00:10:07.558
• 00:10:07.558
• For example the first painting by Jiří Černický...00:10:14.748
• 00:10:14.748
• I saw him for the first time in 1997 at the Academy of Fine Arts00:10:18.543
• 00:10:18.543
• and I liked his work very much.00:10:23.227
• 00:10:23.227
• It was these yellow paintings.00:10:25.474
• 00:10:25.474
• We arranged a meeting and he was waiting at a tram stop,00:10:27.632
• 00:10:27.632
• we introduced to each other and he said we would go to his studio.00:10:33.416
• 00:10:33.416
• And I said it was needless and that we would go to a wine bar.00:10:38.822
• 00:10:38.822
• He had photos of his paintings with him so I selected them from the pictures.00:10:42.448
• 00:10:42.448
• Which is horrible of course!00:10:45.890
• 00:10:45.890
• But we drank a bottle of wine or two and we had a very nice time.00:10:49.032
• 00:10:49.032
• But this is not my way of selecting paintings of course.00:10:54.725
• 00:10:54.725
• You have to see the paintings.00:10:59.526
• 00:10:59.526
• It can't be replaced by a computer.00:11:01.533
• 00:11:01.533
• There were no computers at that time anyway.00:11:05.406
• 00:11:05.406
• You need to have a direct contact with the piece.00:11:07.729
• 00:11:07.729
• When selecting drawings, they shouldn't be under glass.00:11:11.453
• 00:11:11.453
• Thereby you lose the direct contact with the drawing.00:11:15.414
• 00:11:15.414
• I chose paintings very simply.00:11:21.966
• 00:11:21.966
• I look at them for the first time,00:11:25.294
• 00:11:25.294
• my brain absorbs the information the painting gives out,00:11:27.845
• 00:11:27.845
• but it still doesn't evaluate anything.00:11:36.628
• 00:11:36.628
• Then I have to look for the second time,00:11:39.517
• 00:11:39.517
• about five minutes later and I make my final decision.00:11:41.827
• 00:11:41.827
• As well as at exhibitions, I have to see it twice.00:11:45.734
• 00:11:45.734
• Then my opinion is firm, I don't change it and I stand for it.00:11:52.602
• 00:11:52.602
• Your collection was presented for the first time at a public exhibition in 2004.00:12:02.564
• 00:12:02.564
• At the same time you met the businessman Miroslav Lekeš.00:12:08.842
• 00:12:08.842
• Why is public presentation of the collection so important00:12:13.187
• 00:12:13.187
• for you and how does the co-operation within00:12:17.948
• 00:12:17.948
• Wannieck Gallery or Richard Adam Gallery work?00:12:21.690
• 00:12:21.690
• Well, as for the public presentation...00:12:28.271
• 00:12:28.271
• In my collection I gathered a selection00:12:33.446
• 00:12:33.446
• of the best work of the 1980s generation,00:12:37.164
• 00:12:37.164
• the whole 1990s generation, although the conceptualists00:12:41.671
• 00:12:41.671
• Jan Nálevka or Jaromír Novotný are missing there,00:12:45.629
• 00:12:45.629
• there is also majority of the 2000s generation.00:12:50.384
• 00:12:50.384
• My desire was to open the collection to public.00:12:54.886
• 00:12:54.886
• To show what the painters have achieved, not me.00:13:01.537
• 00:13:01.537
• The collection could have been selected00:13:06.844
• 00:13:06.844
• and completed by anybody else.00:13:10.211
• 00:13:10.211
• I wanted to present the results of creative activity00:13:14.297
• 00:13:14.297
• of not only Czech artists to public.00:13:19.715
• 00:13:19.715
• It's rather a need for art work presentation.00:13:26.517
• 00:13:26.517
• As for the co-operation, do you mean my co-operation with Mr Lekeš?00:13:32.513
• 00:13:32.513
• -Yes.00:13:36.537
• 00:13:36.537
• When we met in 2004 I said I would love to00:13:38.105
• 00:13:38.105
• collect art with bigger financial possibilities.00:13:44.325
• 00:13:44.325
• Although my financial possibilities were limited,00:13:53.313
• 00:13:53.313
• the painters were always very helpful and00:13:56.500
• 00:13:56.500
• apart from the fact they drank Adamovka,00:14:01.692
• 00:14:01.692
• they would offer Adam-friendly prices00:14:03.324
• 00:14:03.324
• and these prices were completely different.00:14:05.818
• 00:14:05.818
• Well, it's hard to judge the prices when there were00:14:08.744
• 00:14:08.744
• no other prices apart from the Adam-friendly ones.00:14:11.788
• 00:14:11.788
• Because nobody else was buying it.00:14:15.060
• 00:14:15.060
• So I was happy to supplement and extend my collection which had about00:14:17.845
• 00:14:17.845
• 00:14:27.451
• drawings at that time.00:14:27.451
• 00:14:27.451
• I told him I would like to have a free hand in selecting artists,00:14:37.045
• 00:14:37.045
• and their works which he agreed with.00:14:41.684
• 00:14:41.684
• So I was selecting in my opinion the most interesting artworks.00:14:46.584
• 00:14:46.584
• The collectors Šoltés, Herout, Dvořák and Babíček who collected00:14:53.910
• 00:14:53.910
• the 1980s generation didn't carry on to collect the 1990s generation.00:15:00.509
• 00:15:00.509
• At that time nobody collected the 1990s generation00:15:10.698
• 00:15:10.698
• as new collectors came only after year 2000.00:15:15.268
• 00:15:15.268
• So I appeared in the middle of a field ploughed by painters00:15:21.602
• 00:15:21.602
• as the only one collector and I could choose anything.00:15:27.763
• 00:15:27.763
• I dare say without any doubt that00:15:33.747
• 00:15:33.747
• the collection embodies everything significant created00:15:37.574
• 00:15:37.574
• between 1995 and00:15:41.930
• 00:15:41.930
• 00:15:41.930
• Of course later another collectors appeared00:15:50.373
• 00:15:50.373
• from who we borrowed about fifteen paintings for the current exhibition.00:15:53.124
• 00:15:53.124
• But I have to say the cooperation with Mr Lekeš is very good.00:16:02.549
• 00:16:02.549
• We can call you the heart of the collection and00:16:13.764
• 00:16:13.764
• in charge of acquisitions and Mr Lekeš is your financial partner.00:16:17.103
• 00:16:17.103
• Yes, but his and his wife's relation to art is very positive00:16:32.195
• 00:16:32.195
• and I even dare say he understands it.00:16:39.472
• 00:16:39.472
• We have already spoken about your interest and contact00:16:42.593
• 00:16:42.593
• with artists who started in the 1980s and 1990s.00:16:45.913
• 00:16:45.913
• The collection of that period is really representative00:16:50.987
• 00:16:50.987
• and very significant in the Czech context.00:16:59.727
• 00:16:59.727
• Are you interested in the00:17:03.463
• 00:17:03.463
• 00:17:03.463
• and do you follow their current work?00:17:07.856
• 00:17:07.856
• I do, but I don't buy them any more.00:17:11.498
• 00:17:11.498
• I have always had a tendency to collect authors from the youngest00:17:14.891
• 00:17:14.891
• generation, students or fresh graduates.00:17:18.337
• 00:17:18.337
• I don't even collect much from the 2000 generation,00:17:22.468
• 00:17:22.468
• although there are few artists whose work I have to add to the collection.00:17:27.411
• 00:17:27.411
• But this collection is completed to a certain extent.00:17:31.637
• 00:17:31.637
• Currently I occasionally focus on the 2010 generation.00:17:36.552
• 00:17:36.552
• But the generations are being shaped in the middle of the decade,00:17:44.206
• 00:17:44.206
• the 1990s generation presented themselves for the first time at00:17:50.566
• 00:17:50.566
• the exhibition Test Run in 1995 and at the Czech Abstraction.00:17:55.504
• 00:17:55.504
• The same goes for the 2000 generation.00:18:03.988
• 00:18:03.988
• Which means the 2010 generation has still one year.00:18:06.988
• 00:18:06.988
• I follow the work of students or fresh graduates and select.00:18:10.260
• 00:18:10.260
• As for the concern with the youngest generation,00:18:17.119
• 00:18:17.119
• you never know whether the student00:18:22.752
• 00:18:22.752
• is going to carry on with painting.00:18:28.162
• 00:18:28.162
• My interest affected them rather retrospectively.00:18:32.136
• 00:18:32.136
• I guess they wanted to sell me another piece as they had already sold me one,00:18:36.574
• 00:18:36.574
• and may have tried to paint it better00:18:40.922
• 00:18:40.922
• or maybe they just told themselves:00:18:42.683
• 00:18:42.683
• "What an idiot, he's coming again."00:18:45.305
• 00:18:45.305
• So me as the idiot came again and he tried his best00:18:48.632
• 00:18:48.632
• and went on painting and created new things,00:18:53.455
• 00:18:53.455
• because without the collector's interest00:18:58.245
• 00:18:58.245
• he may have quitted and ended up in advertising.00:19:01.187
• 00:19:01.187
• So it's really very important.00:19:07.288
• 00:19:07.288
• I assume I can tell who is talented and who is not.00:19:10.624
• 00:19:10.624
• I don't go to anyone who is not talented.00:19:17.933
• 00:19:17.933
• These people can end up in advertising00:19:20.504
• 00:19:20.504
• and they will never achieve anything.00:19:22.509
• 00:19:22.509
• I my opinion, schools might be interesting but they make no odds.00:19:25.709
• 00:19:25.709
• Take Skrepl and Kovanda for example.00:19:32.784
• 00:19:32.784
• Kovanda is an apprenticed mason howbeit his wife00:19:36.859
• 00:19:36.859
• always added he had passed A levels.00:19:40.787
• 00:19:40.787
• Skrepl studied philosophy. He never attended any art school.00:19:43.690
• 00:19:43.690
• Important is to be talented, to break through and to create.00:19:49.008
• 00:19:49.008
• Talent is just a particular part of an individuality,00:19:56.437
• 00:19:56.437
• but essential is diligence and not to give it up after the first failure.00:20:00.493
• 00:20:00.493
• You have to overcome obstacles and try hard.00:20:10.129
• 00:20:10.129
• With all this you can become an outstanding artist00:20:14.293
• 00:20:14.293
• whether you have art schools or not.00:20:20.941
• 00:20:20.941
• However art schools are important for young artists in this country,00:20:23.486
• 00:20:23.486
• because it's hard to sell however great the work is.00:20:30.064
• 00:20:30.064
• Most collectors are not able to tell the quality.00:20:36.287
• 00:20:36.287
• The university degree is determining for most of them.00:20:45.549
• 00:20:45.549
• In this respect it is important to have degree but00:20:52.230
• 00:20:52.230
• from the quality point of view it doesn't matter.00:20:57.946
• 00:20:57.946
• You pointed out it was very important to be00:21:05.034
• 00:21:05.034
• in a continual contact with young art and current art platform.00:21:08.338
• 00:21:08.338
• But when we look at the portfolio or the list of authors' names on your00:21:17.502
• 00:21:17.502
• website Richard Adam Gallery, the youngest generation is represented00:21:21.480
• 00:21:21.480
• by the ones who are already over thirty,00:21:27.853
• 00:21:27.853
• for example Jakub and Anežka Hoškovi, Vasil Artamonov, Jan Vytiska.00:21:31.568
• 00:21:31.568
• I would like to know who from the fresh graduates has appealed to you recently00:21:39.925
• 00:21:39.925
• and if you really go to see the final exam presentations or00:21:49.709
• 00:21:49.709
• the Critics' Choice Awards for young painters.00:21:57.176
• 00:21:57.176
• How do you explore the youngest generation?00:22:01.130
• 00:22:01.130
• Well, it's quite simple.00:22:06.115
• 00:22:06.115
• First of all I know all the professors teaching them.00:22:08.899
• 00:22:08.899
• I usually ask Vladimír Skrepl if he has accepted anybody interesting and00:22:12.363
• 00:22:12.363
• he usually gives me a tip. That's one thing.00:22:17.132
• 00:22:17.132
• But of course I go to final exam presentations00:22:22.504
• 00:22:22.504
• and studios at the Academy.00:22:28.293
• 00:22:28.293
• Luděk Rathouský often tells me if there is somebody interesting,00:22:33.057
• 00:22:33.057
• for example Marika Volfová, I showed her drawings to Mr Ther.00:22:38.504
• 00:22:38.504
• So I try to establish the contacts at academy or shortly after graduation.00:22:46.031
• 00:22:46.031
• Of course I go to final exams and diploma work exhibitions and so on.00:22:56.251
• 00:22:56.251
• Until 2006 I was in Prague and I could often go to artists' studios,00:23:05.593
• 00:23:05.593
• but now I am mainly in Brno and when I come to Prague,00:23:16.447
• 00:23:16.447
• I have absolutely no time for exhibitions,00:23:20.538
• 00:23:20.538
• I run around studios I need to visit and00:23:23.285
• 00:23:23.285
• it's not easy. I have to admit I am losing the contact.00:23:31.876
• 00:23:31.876
• In Brno I am in touch with students studying00:23:41.450
• 00:23:41.450
• under Kvíčala, Stratil or Rathouský00:23:45.430
• 00:23:45.430
• but I am losing contact with Prague.00:23:48.596
• 00:23:48.596
• I try very hard to catch up with my interest in young painters00:23:52.206
• 00:23:52.206
• but as for the videos and objects I have no chance.00:24:04.887
• 00:24:04.887
• When did you start collecting and following the Central European art?00:24:12.603
• 00:24:12.603
• Well I wouldn't call it Central European as a whole as00:24:20.082
• 00:24:20.082
• we have never got to Hungarian or Austrian art.00:24:24.186
• 00:24:24.186
• Although I went with Pavel Hájek to visit Thomas Zipp or00:24:31.484
• 00:24:31.484
• Andrea Lehmann, an interesting conceptualist,00:24:37.241
• 00:24:37.241
• took us to her friends artists,00:24:44.170
• 00:24:44.170
• it all fell through in the end unfortunately.00:24:46.868
• 00:24:46.868
• We used to collect Slovak and German paintings.00:24:52.826
• 00:24:52.826
• From the Slovakian art we gathered a selection of the most interesting work,00:24:59.747
• 00:24:59.747
• we picked about sixty paintings there,00:25:06.997
• 00:25:06.997
• it sounds as if we found them in the street but of course we went to studios.00:25:09.028
• 00:25:09.028
• In Autumn 2008 I reserved another paintings but in the end00:25:19.152
• 00:25:19.152
• we didn't buy them, because the crisis which affected America00:25:24.728
• 00:25:24.728
• and the whole world had an impact here as well.00:25:29.334
• 00:25:29.334
• So the Slovakian art we have is interesting but not complex.00:25:35.414
• 00:25:35.414
• Ruda Sikora invited me to come and select from00:25:43.205
• 00:25:43.205
• his early work from the00:25:50.059
• 00:25:50.059
• 00:25:50.059
• Or Laco Teren told me he still had some work from the 1980s00:25:56.234
• 00:25:56.234
• I could choose from, but I didn't make it as well.00:26:01.957
• 00:26:01.957
• So the Slovakian collection is completed from three quarters.00:26:08.173
• 00:26:08.173
• And after 2009 we didn't buy anything.00:26:15.213
• 00:26:15.213
• As for the German art, I have to pay compliments to00:26:19.433
• 00:26:19.433
• the famous gallerist and collector from Brno Karel Tutsch.00:26:23.545
• 00:26:23.545
• After 1989 he discovered interesting Berlin artists.00:26:29.162
• 00:26:29.162
• And not only from Berlin.00:26:42.695
• 00:26:42.695
• Then he organized an exhibition in the Brno House of Arts where00:26:46.334
• 00:26:46.334
• he presented Butzer, Selg, Helbig, Heinzmann, Tomas Zipp and others.00:26:50.407
• 00:26:50.407
• It was a very representative exhibition.00:26:59.450
• 00:26:59.450
• He would often organize their exhibitions at his gallery Na Bidýlku.00:27:02.434
• 00:27:02.434
• Adrew Gilbert had one as well.00:27:06.250
• 00:27:06.250
• In fact I continued in his contacts.00:27:10.005
• 00:27:10.005
• In 2006 we went to Berlin with Pavel Hájek and the gallerist Petr Novotný,00:27:17.232
• 00:27:17.232
• we stayed overnight at Markus Selg and00:27:24.485
• 00:27:24.485
• he took us to Baudach, but as it was in August,00:27:29.565
• 00:27:29.565
• he was closed so I told myself it had no sense but00:27:33.311
• 00:27:33.311
• after considering it further I went to Mr Lekeš00:27:38.483
• 00:27:38.483
• and told him we should buy some German artists' work.00:27:44.221
• 00:27:44.221
• And he said: "Ok, let's go there."00:27:49.805
• 00:27:49.805
• So we went there and Baudach took us to all the artists except00:27:51.869
• 00:27:51.869
• for Jonathan Meese he didn't have in portfolio,00:27:57.363
• 00:27:57.363
• he was in contemporary fine art.00:28:00.880
• 00:28:00.880
• We bought the best from the middle generation.00:28:03.885
• 00:28:03.885
• I also reserved a painting at André Butzer and when00:28:15.360
• 00:28:15.360
• I came with Mr Lekeš, he told me he had bad news00:28:24.449
• 00:28:24.449
• because Saatchi had bought the painting.00:28:30.971
• 00:28:30.971
• And I said: "Saatchi? Where did he buy it?"00:28:35.127
• 00:28:35.127
• And he said he had bought it in Russia.00:28:37.101
• 00:28:37.101
• I was surprised Saatchi was buying art in Russia.00:28:39.205
• 00:28:39.205
• And he said there was a prestigious gallery in Moscow00:28:41.758
• 00:28:41.758
• where Saatchi was buying paintings.00:28:43.925
• 00:28:43.925
• But he said it didn't matter and that we would give me a better one.00:28:46.401
• 00:28:46.401
• And he really gave me a better one.00:28:50.526
• 00:28:50.526
• So I have a better painting than Saatchi,00:28:53.366
• 00:28:53.366
• but on the other hand he has more of them.00:28:55.441
• 00:28:55.441
• We have just about ten including the drawing over there.00:28:57.494
• 00:28:57.494
• But after 2008 we didn't buy anything,00:29:01.597
• 00:29:01.597
• although I had arranged with Contemporary fine arts to00:29:05.485
• 00:29:05.485
• buy Jonathan Meese or Thomas Zipp,00:29:09.144
• 00:29:09.144
• or Andreas Hofer, we just couldn't make it.00:29:12.486
• 00:29:12.486
• But we have about sixty German works.00:29:17.085
• 00:29:17.085
• It was in the times when the gallery wasn't so often rented,00:29:22.611
• 00:29:22.611
• so we could also buy sculptures.00:29:26.904
• 00:29:26.904
• We have got two big sculptures by Marcus Selg00:29:30.440
• 00:29:30.440
• and many sculptures by Thomas Helbig.00:29:34.046
• 00:29:34.046
• But then we stopped buying sculptures as well, because we00:29:38.692
• 00:29:38.692
• have to pay monthly rent for the gallery.00:29:43.737
• 00:29:43.737
• It belongs to the City of Brno and00:29:49.806
• 00:29:49.806
• everybody thinks we pay just one crown00:29:52.231
• 00:29:52.231
• and I always say: "No, we pay 150 000 times more."00:29:54.487
• 00:29:54.487
• And they say: "You can't be serious!"00:29:58.450
• 00:29:58.450
• And I reply: "Well, unfortunately, I am."00:30:03.946
• 00:30:03.946
• To keep the gallery going and to bear all the costs,00:30:07.363
• 00:30:07.363
• because heating and water is very expensive00:30:11.809
• 00:30:11.809
• in such huge space, we have to lease it.00:30:15.652
• 00:30:15.652
• And whenever we rent the gallery to get money for its operation,00:30:28.087
• 00:30:28.087
• we have to move everything out.00:30:37.158
• 00:30:37.158
• And when you move Markus Selg's sculptures for lets say fifth time,00:30:39.697
• 00:30:39.697
• they start to crumble because they are made from plaster.00:30:50.189
• 00:30:50.189
• We bought interesting Czech objects by Písařík or Hlavina,00:30:55.279
• 00:30:55.279
• but then we gave it up,00:31:01.878
• 00:31:01.878
• because firstly we don't have space as our depositories are very small00:31:05.781
• 00:31:05.781
• but the main reason is we can't run the risk the sculptures will fall apart00:31:10.019
• 00:31:10.019
• after moving them for so many times.00:31:15.077
• 00:31:15.077
• So until 2009 we collected the central European art,00:31:19.953
• 00:31:19.953
• German and Slovakian art and then we stopped.00:31:25.109
• 00:31:25.109
• You are interested mainly in paintings and works on paper,00:31:32.818
• 00:31:32.818
• but you've also mentioned purchasing sculptures.00:31:38.770
• 00:31:38.770
• Have you ever considered expanding your interest onto photographs or video art,00:31:42.811
• 00:31:42.811
• new media which is not so problematic to deposit unlike the sculptures?00:31:49.677
• 00:31:49.677
• I would also like to know what potential do you currently00:32:02.725
• 00:32:02.725
• see in painting with respect to its further development?00:32:07.347
• 00:32:07.347
• I will start with the painting. It's very simple.00:32:16.767
• 00:32:16.767
• There are no common tendencies in contemporary painting any more.00:32:26.725
• 00:32:26.725
• For the last time it was with the 1980s generation00:32:30.579
• 00:32:30.579
• when the post-modern attitude predominated.00:32:34.380
• 00:32:34.380
• Then it started to disperse until it disappeared completely.00:32:38.175
• 00:32:38.175
• The potential is the only criterion which stands.00:32:44.091
• 00:32:44.091
• If the painting is good or bad.00:32:50.721
• 00:32:50.721
• No matter if it's hyper-realism, which I really hate...00:32:53.295
• 00:32:53.295
• Once I went to Rudolfinum to see English hyper-realist painters00:32:58.305
• 00:32:58.305
• and I ran away in disgust.00:33:05.530
• 00:33:05.530
• And this happens to me rarely.00:33:10.065
• 00:33:10.065
• I usually walk round the exhibition one more time and find it interesting.00:33:11.886
• 00:33:11.886
• But there it was different, I didn't even like Chapman's00:33:15.570
• 00:33:15.570
• or Brown's work and I wondered why they painted so hyper-realistically.00:33:18.940
• 00:33:18.940
• They can paint perfectly but there is nothing more beyond.00:33:24.566
• 00:33:24.566
• Well, I guess paintings will be always assessed by their quality.00:33:34.686
• 00:33:34.686
• And the art tendencies are provided additionally by critics.00:33:47.645
• 00:33:47.645
• Because when painters paint they don't know00:33:52.738
• 00:33:52.738
• what they are painting and thereby they create00:33:55.879
• 00:33:55.879
• interesting things. The principle is still the same.00:33:59.394
• 00:33:59.394
• As for the...00:34:07.747
• 00:34:07.747
• What did you ask me about?00:34:11.546
• 00:34:11.546
• About the new media.00:34:13.685
• 00:34:13.685
• Well, as for the new media, it's a fundamental issue.00:34:16.190
• 00:34:16.190
• But back to the photography.00:34:21.849
• 00:34:21.849
• Mr Lekeš has got a collection of photographs,00:34:26.929
• 00:34:26.929
• numbering about two thousand photographs.00:34:29.234
• 00:34:29.234
• We used to go to Birgus for advice00:34:31.964
• 00:34:31.964
• and he would say there were00:34:38.501
• 00:34:38.501
• two big collections of photographs - PPF and Lekeš.00:34:40.569
• 00:34:40.569
• However I think it would meaningful to collect00:34:44.914
• 00:34:44.914
• Jasanský, Polák, Othová, Kocmanová, Bromová00:34:50.621
• 00:34:50.621
• but also Nikl, Vosecký and so on,00:34:56.755
• 00:34:56.755
• but I guess it could wait because the paintings are more important.00:35:01.147
• 00:35:01.147
• Photographs can be made in four or five copies00:35:06.220
• 00:35:06.220
• whereas the painting is just one original.00:35:09.644
• 00:35:09.644
• So I have put it off a bit but I still have it in reserve,00:35:13.310
• 00:35:13.310
• but the problem is lack of money.00:35:18.083
• 00:35:18.083
• In fact I saw just one interesting exhibition of Czech photography00:35:30.192
• 00:35:30.192
• in Rudolfinum about three or four years ago.00:35:35.240
• 00:35:35.240
• I wondered why Vančát displayed00:35:38.782
• 00:35:38.782
• Střížek's painting and not a photograph,00:35:41.003
• 00:35:41.003
• but he doesn't like his photographs and00:35:43.854
• 00:35:43.854
• they were destroyed during floods anyway.00:35:47.217
• 00:35:47.217
• The avant-garde photographers...00:35:53.856
• 00:35:53.856
• I like photographs by artists who can't take pictures,00:35:59.367
• 00:35:59.367
• when you look at their photographs and say:00:36:02.187
• 00:36:02.187
• "The artists don't know how to take pictures let alone focus!"00:36:09.329
• 00:36:09.329
• So exactly these photos I'd love to buy.00:36:13.815
• 00:36:13.815
• But there is still fourth and fifth copy remaining00:36:17.615
• 00:36:17.615
• so it may come about one day.00:36:22.628
• 00:36:22.628
• As for the video, I have to admit that00:36:28.022
• 00:36:28.022
• I am conservative and I love old art.00:36:30.975
• 00:36:30.975
• It doesn't have to be Rembrandt,00:36:36.574
• 00:36:36.574
• it can be Střížek, Písařík or Meduna,00:36:38.387
• 00:36:38.387
• but it is classic painting and I hate00:36:43.130
• 00:36:43.130
• the opinion that painting is dead.00:36:46.654
• 00:36:46.654
• It's such a nonsense.00:36:51.340
• 00:36:51.340
• Painting is the basics of fine art and only00:36:53.639
• 00:36:53.639
• critics who don't understand painting00:36:57.943
• 00:36:57.943
• can state something like that.00:37:01.277
• 00:37:01.277
• Painting will be always the basics.00:37:04.120
• 00:37:04.120
• Always. As well as sculpture.00:37:05.949
• 00:37:05.949
• Important is of course the way00:37:07.925
• 00:37:07.925
• the sculpture is made or the painting painted.00:37:09.590
• 00:37:09.590
• Video is interesting, I've seen interesting videos00:37:11.921
• 00:37:11.921
• by Pěchouček for example, but it leaves me cold.00:37:18.593
• 00:37:18.593
• But when I see a beautiful painting I go crazy,00:37:28.327
• 00:37:28.327
• I skitter around, the painter thinks00:37:31.589
• 00:37:31.589
• I went completely mad and I tell him:00:37:34.171
• 00:37:34.171
• "Of course I went mad, shall we speak about the price?"00:37:36.191
• 00:37:36.191
• And the painter feels uncomfortable about00:37:39.982
• 00:37:39.982
• speaking the price and he wants me to make an offer.00:37:42.188
• 00:37:42.188
• And I say: "OK, so I want it for free then."00:37:45.609
• 00:37:45.609
• And he says: "But wait, that's impossible,00:37:48.710
• 00:37:48.710
• I must get something for it."00:37:51.818
• 00:37:51.818
• And I reply: "Well, I made my offer and now it's your turn."00:37:53.729
• 00:37:53.729
• So the videos...00:37:57.662
• 00:37:57.662
• ...they are different field from the one I am familiar with.00:38:03.888
• 00:38:03.888
• As for the installations, I'd love to have them here,00:38:08.507
• 00:38:08.507
• but it's still the same problem.00:38:12.314
• 00:38:12.314
• If we took apart an installation by Eva Koťátková for example,00:38:15.304
• 00:38:15.304
• it would be impossible for us to put it back together00:38:19.597
• 00:38:19.597
• unless she came herself and made it again.00:38:23.203
• 00:38:23.203
• Or by Lang...00:38:25.028
• 00:38:25.028
• It's such a shame. If I had the gallery...00:38:26.434
• 00:38:26.434
• Once we even considered exhibiting installations00:38:30.262
• 00:38:30.262
• and I called Edith Jeřábková as I assumed00:38:35.013
• 00:38:35.013
• she was quite at home in this field.00:38:38.374
• 00:38:38.374
• We met and drank some whisky,00:38:43.196
• 00:38:43.196
• well just one or two shots each00:38:45.006
• 00:38:45.006
• and we wrote down who to display.00:38:48.817
• 00:38:48.817
• I discovered I had a good track too but when we00:38:50.468
• 00:38:50.468
• started to think about the installation itself,00:38:55.375
• 00:38:55.375
• where to place Lang and where Koťátková,00:38:59.881
• 00:38:59.881
• we found out it was technically impossible.00:39:02.624
• 00:39:02.624
• It is technically feasible to install the exhibition,00:39:06.288
• 00:39:06.288
• but not to deinstall it ten times...00:39:09.546

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