In the beginning, it is unlikely that a new collector has a grand plan or a clear picture of what their collection may look like in 20 years. How a collection develops is strongly linked to the identity of the collector, says Eric Landolt, the head of UBS’s art advisory department in Switzerland: ‘The spirit of a collection – when someone truly has a passion for collecting – is deeply rooted in the individual’s personality. It intuitively brings certain traits to the surface – and from there, a narrative reveals itself.’ The focus then becomes about finding the pieces that will enhance the collection, perhaps adding to a narrative or closing a gap.
For some seasoned collectors, it will always remain a private passion; for others, collection management and curation progress to institutional levels. Even without a public space of their own, leading collectors can have a profound impact. They acquire and lend works that museums cannot afford, fill gaps in public collections, and join acquisition boards.
Many museums rely on the eye – and generosity – of a collector to fund new acquisitions. ‘Collectors can really move the needle with what they are doing,’ says Wiese. ‘This is what makes them so important – and even thought leaders. They can help to shape the narrative of institutions on a global scale.’
One of the defining shifts in collections over the last decade has been the integration of under-recognized artists – particularly women – often through the combined efforts of institutions, galleries, and collectors.
In 2022, two Venice shows – Peggy Guggenheim Collection’s ‘Surrealism and Magic: Enchanted Modernity’ and Cecilia Alemani’s Biennale exhibition ‘The Milk of Dreams’ – moved the dial for recognition of female Surrealists such as Leonora Carrington, Remedios Varo, and Dorothea Tanning.
Seminal artists working today, whose careers unfolded largely outside the spotlight, are also now broader institutional and market attention. Examples include the 91-year-old British painter Rose Wylie, who will have a solo exhibition at the Royal Academy, London, in early 2026; 82-year-old American artist Howardena Pindell, who had her first major survey at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago in 2018; and the 85-year old painter Martha Jungwirth.
