In this episode of "Voices on Art", I talk to Daniel Hug, Artistic Director of Art Cologne. Dan’s story is deeply rooted in art and culture — born into a Swiss and American family, growing up in an academic and artistic household as grandson of the legendary László Moholy-Nagy, one of the key figures of the Bauhaus.
Our conversation flows from his upbringing and personal connections to art, through to his sharp observations of how the art market has developed since the 1980s. We talk about the cycles of the market — the ups and downs that are not necessarily signs of crisis, but part of a normal rhythm — and how galleries have evolved in response to shifting times.
Dan shares a wealth of knowledge and experience, and we both bring in plenty of personal reflections and opinions — about what’s changed, what remains, and why Art Cologne continues to play such a vital role in the German art landscape.
Dan also announces the new Art Palma de Mallorca, which will be inaugurated in April 2025.
A rich and honest conversation about art, passion, and the ever-changing world they take place.
As always, I end with a book recommendation: "Out of This Century – Confessions of an Art Addict" by Peggy Guggenheim — a fascinating and fearless account of a life entirely devoted to art.
Links:
https://www.artcologne.com/
https://www.moholy-nagy.org/
https://van-horn.net/
'Die Kunst gehört allen' | ‘Art belongs to everyone’
In this episode, I talk to Reinhard Ernst – entrepreneur,philanthropist, art collector and founder of the Reinhard Ernst Museum in Wiesbaden.
We follow his journey: from humble beginnings to building a successful business to the years-long project of planning and realising his own museum.
This raises some interesting questions:
How do you get into art if it wasn't part of your family environment?
When does buying individual works turn into a real passion for collecting?
And why would you ultimately make your private collection available to the public in your own museum?
Reinhard Ernst speaks very openly about his attitude towards art, society and his role as a benefactor. His guiding principle, ‘You are not alone in the world,’ runs through everything he does. Together with his wife Sonja, he has established a foundation that supports childrenand the elderly, preserves historical monuments, and promotes art and culture. For both of them, this is not just a financial commitment, but a conviction to strengthen the values they personally hold dear.
His great passion is abstract art – from the post-war period to the present day. Particularly noteworthy is his collection of 52 works by Helen Frankenthaler, the largest privately owned collection in the world. For him, abstract art opens up the freedom to decide for yourself what to see. Colours and forms have an effect without guidelines, leaving room for one's own thoughts, feelings and memories.
We also talk about his close relationship with Japan and his friendship with architect Fumihiko Maki, which gave rise to the vision for a museum that not only offers state-of-the-art architecture, but above all space for people. A house for art – and for encounters.
At the end of the conversation, I will give you a bookrecommendation. This time, it is the book ‘Moral Ambition’ by Rutger Bregman.
Published in German by Rowohlt Verlag.
rutgerbregman.com/
As always, you can find the conversation on your podcast platform of choice and, starting with this episode, on our YouTube channel @vanhorngallery.
Feel free to follow us on Instagram @voicesonart and@van_horn_duesseldorf and subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcast or your platform of choice. We appreciate good reviews.
The conversation with Reinhard Ernst was recorded on 21 July 2025, in German, 49 min.
Further information here:
museum-re.de/de/
www.ernst-stiftung.de/
van-horn.net/podcast-1/
„Collecting with the female side“
In this episode, I speak with Belgian art collector Walter Vanhaerents, who began collecting art in the mid-1970s and was named one of the top 200 collectors of our time by artnews. What started as a personal passion has evolved into a dynamic, multigenerational project. Over the decades, the collection has undergone several realignments, reflecting not only shifts in the art world but also Walter's own life journey, his individual attitude towards collecting and his deep knowledge about contemporary art.
After the early death of his brother, Walter had to step into the family’s construction business at a very young age. Art became a transformative space for him - one that connected him with his emotional and spiritual side, allowing for deeper self-discovery. He collects intuitively, guided by passion and sensitivity.
Since 2007, the Vanhaerents Art Collection has been housed in a repurposed industrial building in the heart of Brussels, presenting regularly changing exhibitions. In recent years,Walter's children Els and Joost have taken on increasingly active roles, bringing fresh perspectives and new energy into the collection.
We talk about personal development, spirituality, and the emotional core of collecting, as well as the evolution of a family legacy shaped by three distinct voices.
Recorded March 10, 2025, language english, 35 min.
We're recording via the internet, glitches in sound quality may occur.
Portrait of Walter in front of the work "The death of James Lee Byars", photo by Karel Duerinckx
More information here:
https://vanhaerentsartcollection.com
https://www.artbasel.com/stories/why-i-collect-art-walter-vanhaerents?lang=de
https://initiartmagazine.com/2011/04/26/walter-vanhaerents/
https://www.artnews.com/art-collectors/top-200-profiles/walter-vanhaerents/
„Buy What You Love“
This is Episode 94 of the Voices On Art Podcast, created in cooperation with the Independent New York.
Susan and Michael Hort have been collecting contemporary art for 40 years, with a focus on young artists, whom they follow in depth. They often buy early in an artist’s career and usually acquire at least five to seven pieces by any given artist.
Susan and Michael are also the creators of the Rema Hort Mann Foundation, established in honor of their daughter Rema, who passed away from cancer at the age of 30 in 1995. The foundation funds travel and accommodations for families of cancer patients and also provides grants for emerging artists. Very recently the foundation supports young Los Angeles artists, who lost their studios in the fires.
Once a year Susan and Michael open their house for the public and share their love for art with the public.
In 2026 they plan to open their own museum space on the premises of the Art Omi Pavilions, with the intention to show some of the art that can't be shown in their house, but also to present artists that they collected early on, who deserve to be rediscovered.
Susan and Michael share their joy in collecting art, in connecting with the people of the art community and the hope to inspire the audience to start collecting themselves.
We're talking the love for art, how it can be reflected in an art collection and how art can fuel life in a powerful way. We talk past, present and future, their early beginnings as collectors, the differences in the art world and art community then and now, how they support artists and how much they value the friendships with artists and gallerists. Being connected to the art world keeps them going, let's them stay young and in tune with what's going on.
Recorded February 7, 2025. 39 min., language english.
Photo by Linda Farwell
We’re recording via the internet, please excuse any glitches in sound quality.
Links:
2024:https://news.artnet.com/art-world/the-legacy-of-susan-and-michael-hort-2574473
2002:https://fineartmultiple.com/blog/collector-interviews-susan-and-michael-hort/
2016:https://www.vulture.com/2016/02/art-collectors-who-live-in-their-own-museum.html
This episode is created in cooperation with the Independent 20th Century. It will be part of the fairs OVR.
Thiago Gomide is a founding partner of Gomide&Co, a gallery based in São Paulo, Brazil.
Artists Julia Isídrez, Paraguay and Maria Lira Marques, Brazil, will feature jointly in a presentation by Gomide&Co at Independent 20th Century this September.
Interested in art since his childhood, Thiago first followed another passion by studying architecture. Having to make a living in Brazil this seemed to cover basic needs and interests. His career in the art world started at the age of 20 with founding a small gallery for modern Brazilian furniture in his hometown Belo Horizonte, following an agreement with his mother. Out of sheer curiosity he contacted collector Bernardo Paz, started working for him and was deeply involved in the creation and construction of the Inhotim, a world famous collection of contemporary art. After 7 years he felt it was time to move on, so he moved to São Paulo, where he created the contemporary art and photography department at the renowned auction house Bolsa de Arte. In 2013, Thiago co-founded his own gallery. Thiago talks his diverse stations of working and learning, the special situation in Brazil, his personal relations with the art community and the influence of the big international art fairs.
He talks in depth about the two artists Julia and Maria Lira, whose works Gomide&Co. will show for the first time at the Independent 20th Century. Thiago follows his own insights, his need to grow and develop and his passionate interest for art, design and architecture. In this he paved his own path from Brazil into the international markets and vice versa. He never forgets his community, the people that follow and support the gallery, and always invents new ideas and approaches to accommodate artists and collectors and to enhance and extend these profound relations into the future.
41 min., Recorded August 13, 2024, language english
https://www.independenthq.com/ https://gomide.co/
Your host:
https://van-horn.net
Instagram: @independent_hq @gomide.co @thiagogomide @voicesonart @van_horn_duesseldorf
#VoicesOnArt #Independent20thCentury #IndependentHQ #artfair #Podcast #Talk #storytelling #DanielaSteinfeld #VoicesOnArt #VanHornGallery #ThiagoGomide #GomideCo #Gallery #SaoPaulo #Brazil
Book recommendation:
Brazilian Modern Design | Móvel Moderno Brasileiro
by Alberto Vicente, Marcelo Vasconcellos, Maria Cecilia Loschiavo Dos Santos
ISBN-13 978-8562114755
This episode is created in cooperation with the Independent 20th Century art fair. It will be part of the fairs OVR.
Brad Kahlhamer is an artist of indigenous descent, adopted by German-American parents. Being a free spirit, a wanderer and a person with unquenchable curiosity, profoundly shaped his multidisciplinary work. Kahlhamer's art often incorporates themes and imagery from indigenous cultures of the Pacific Northwest and Southwest, aiming to modernize traditional forms and present them in a contemporary context. In the early 1990s, he used materials like inner tube rubber for sculptures and later transitioned to oil paintings, characterized by thick layers, song lyrics, and primitive figures. His integration of ledger drawings, viewed by him as America’s first graphic novels, is a significant aspect of his work.
Growing up in Arizona, Brad enjoyed a childhood filled with freedom and outdoor adventures, which later fueled his creative expression. Music was integral to his early life, and he pursued it alongside visual arts, deeply influenced by differents bands and musical styles from rock, beat and soul to punk.
In the early 1980s, Kahlhamer moved to New York to immerse himself in the vibrant art scene. There, he worked at Topps Chewing Gum, where he met Art Spiegelman and became involved in the underground comic scene.
Currently, Kahlhamer is working on the Nomadic Studio project, creating a series of 100 Moleskine notebooks filled with drawings and ideas.
Kahlhamer's art uniquely fuses his personal history, and a wide array of cultural influences, making it both deeply personal and broadly resonant. His work spans various media, including monumental paintings, intricate sculptures, installations, and drawings, drawing inspiration from cartoons, pop art, graphic novels, indigenous art, and his prolific sketchbooks.
Brad will showcase paintings and drawings from the 1990s at the Independent 20th Century with Venus Over Manhattan and has a solo show planned with the gallery in 2025.
Recorded July 23, 2024, 32 min., language english, artist portrait Doug Miles
https://www.independenthq.com/ https://bradkahlhamer.net/
https://www.venusovermanhattan.com/artists/brad-kahlhamer Your host: https://van-horn.net Instagram: @independent_hq @bradkahlhamer
@v_over_m @voicesonart @van_horn_duesseldorf #VoicesOnArt #Independent20thCentury #IndependentHQ #artfair #Podcast #Talk #storytelling #DanielaSteinfeld #VoicesOnArt 'VanHornGallery #BradKahlhamer #artist #musician #painting #sculpture #drawing #VenusOverManhattan
Janis Provisor is a New Yorker, residing between Connecticut and New York City.
Janis is an accomplished artist with a vast career in the arts, showing in galleries all over the world as well as having her work in many museum collections. Janis will be having a solo-presentation of her work with Halsey McKay at the Independent 2024.
Now in her seventies Janis gathered a lot of experience in art and life and shares her wisdom in our talk.
Being very young she was taken to Museums by Family members. She already felt then she wanted to be an artist, not knowing at all what that was about. She studied at the San Francisco Art Institute, right after the Summer of Love, receiving her MFA in 1971. Although the 70s were a great time for experimenting and going new ways in the arts and society, it was not a great time for women resp. women artists. Janis reflects on how the status of women has changed in the past decades and how much there is still to do.
In 1989, along with her husband and son, she left New York for an adventure in China and Hong Kong, they ended up staying for nine years, running their own company Fort Street Studios in China in the 1990s, designing, manufacturing, and selling hand-knotted silk carpets. Through all these years she constantly developed and experimented, which helped her finding her individual voice as artist and woman.
Janis often starts her paintings with writing and putting her thoughts, her feelings out on the canvas. In the process of painting those words often get obscured and a physical and emotional process starts, in which Janis let's loose and allows her body to paint the way it needs to. Being jewish, she now processes and expresses her torn feelings about the war and the humanitarian crisis in the near east.
For the presentation at the Independent she is now creating a new body of work, which will be as free and open as possible, while still being very concentrated and essential to fit the format of a fair presentation.
41 min., recorded February 21, 2024, language english
https://www.independenthq.com/
artist website:
https://www.janisprovisorstudio.com/
artist history:
https://fortstreetstudio.com/founders/
https://www.rizzoliusa.com/book/9788891829627/
Gallery:
https://www.halseymckay.com/artists/janis-provisor
Your host:
https://van-horn.net
Instagram:
@independent_hq
@janisprovisor
@halseymckaygallery
@voicesonart
@van_horn_duesseldorf
#VoicesOnArt #IndependentSpecial #IndependentHQ #Podcast #Talk #storytelling #DanielaSteinfeld #VoicesOnArt #JanisProvisor #Artist #HalseyMacKayGallery
My guest for this special Independent art fair Episode is Nina Johnson, who runs her eponymous gallery in Miami since more than 15 years. Nina was born into a family of business owners on the maternal side, dealing being a part of her DNA. As a child she developed a deep interest in the history and charging of objects and the stories that could be told through them. She decided to become an art dealer and knew, to excell in that field, she needed a deeper understanding of the way artists make work. From her teenage years on she learned and worked at galleries, while through studying art she got the deep knowledge she desired. Nina discusses the importance of personal, long lasting relationships and her dedication to find "her people". For her, place and space of a gallery have to be interrelated and match the hosting City and it's local indvidual characteristics - Nature, Architecture, Neighborhood. She shares her take on art fairs and explores her special admiration for the Independent, where she will show a solo-presentation by artist Rob Davis.
38 min., recorded March 8, 2023, Portrait photo by Gesi Schilling
Shownotes:
https://www.independenthq.com/
https://ninajohnson.com/gallery/
About
Founded by Nina Johnson in 2007, the eponymous Nina Johnson gallery is both a pillar of Miami’s contemporary art community and an internationally recognized art space known for its eclectic and intuitive program. The gallery has produced renowned exhibitions by a diverse range of emerging and established artists from around the world, including Judy Chicago, Awol Erizku, Rochelle Feinstein, Derek Fordjour, Emmett Moore, Woody De Othello, and Katie Stout. Nina Johnson is dedicated to the discovery of hidden pockets of talent and divergence in the art world, priding itself on artist-driven relationships that center on authenticity and variety. #IndependentArtFair #IndependentNewYork #Independent2023 #NinaJohnson #Miami #VoicesOnArt #VanHornGallery #DanielaSteinfeld #Podcast #Talk #Storytelling
