Herman Heinsbroek

Herman Heinbroek, who grew up in Rotterdam, is a former diplomat who later worked for CBS Music and Sony Music in New York, and later became vice president of CBS in the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg region. In the 1980s, he left CBS to become chief executive of Arcade, an English owned record company. He later bought the company and turned the company into a media and entertainment conglomerate, with operations in Europe and the U.S., including television and radio stations. He also served as the Minister of Economic Affairs in Netherlands. He is now a collector of Chinese contemporary art, holding works by Zhang Xiaogang, Zeng Fanzhi, Yue Minjun, Wang Guangyi and others. ArtZineChina interviewed Mr. Heinsbroek, who frequently travels to China, about his new passion: Chinese contemporary art.

ArtzineChina: Please tell us how you got involved in collecting Chinese contemporary art and when?

Herman: I have always been an art collector and two years ago, so only in the beginning of 2006, an art gallery owner I know in the Netherlands phoned me that he had a painting by Zhang Xiaogang for sale. If I was interested? I had never heard of Zhang but answered that I would like to see the work.

He asked a substantial sum of money for it.

The moment I saw the work I was struck by its beauty and the social/cultural impact it had on me. I like art that says something, that has some sort of political engagement. It told me about family ties in China and I also felt the pain people in China must have felt during the Mao-regime. It was very well painted. The eyes, the expression on the face. I was quite impressed.

 Yue Mingjue

You must not forget that to us in Europe, China had been closed for 50 years or so and only slowly after 1989 it became clear what really happened during the repressive communistic years. Here I saw a work by an artist that told me a lot in a very subtle way. I bought it on the spot and started to read about Chinese Contemporary Art and artists and searched the net.

ArtzineChina: What artists have you collected so far? How large is the collection?

Herman:I quickly found out that Zhang Xiaogang was not the only one that had something to say with his paintings. I was also struck by the work of Yue Minjun, Zeng Fanzhi, Fang Lijun and many others. Today I have several pieces by Zhang Xiaogang, Fang Lijun, Yang Shaobin and Yue Minjun in my collection but also from the new generation like Shi Xinning, Feng Zhengjie, Lin Hairong en Mu Jun to name some. So my collection is quite substantial by now, I own at least pieces of some 16 Chinese Contemporary Artists. Some very cutting edge.

ArtzineChina: Where do you keep the works?

Herman:I own several houses, but most of my paintings are hanging on the walls of my main residence in the Netherlands. Some in my house in the South of France.I'd like to look at them every day when I can.

Zhang Xiaogang

ArtzineChina: Had you collected art before? How do you approach collecting art in China?

Herman:As said I have collected art before, basically pop-art and contemporary art from Europe and the US, like Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, Arman, Yves Klein, Peter Buechler etc.

I have always been involved with art. To me art is more than just paintings or sculptures. Music, architectual design, even some haute couture fashion pieces I regard as art. I grew up in the Sixties and made a career in the music business because I love music. Music used to say a lot to in those days.

Collecting Contemporary Art from China is not easy if you have a small budget.Even the prices for young and totally unknown artists are going through the roof these days, everybody jumps on it and there is a lot of crap for sale.

When I have the time I visit art fairs, openings at well known and reliable art galleries, look at internet sites and of course I keep a close eye on what is happening at the auction houses.

Quite some of people in the international art world know me by now and that I am a serious collector. So they offer me pieces but one has to be careful. I see more and more fakes being offered by dark dealers.

I preferably buy from the artist directly (that is the best and most reliable provenance) but that unfortunately is not always possible anymore.

ArtzineChina: Can you tell us a little about your favorite artists here?

Herman:I have visited most of the famous Chinese Contemporary artists and almost all from the new generation that I have work of. They all have very pleasant personalities and are very open. No arrogance or boredom whatsoever when you talk about the big names. On the contrary.When properly introduced they welcome you with open arms to talk about their art and show you their studios. The younger generation sometimes has to work under tough conditions but they never complain. I have never met a Chinese artist that complained about anything whatsoever.They are all very friendly people.

ArtzineChina: Are you planning to show your works? Hold exhibitions?

Herman:Yes, I am planning to show my works and hold exhibitions. I have a big building on the grounds where I live in the Netherlands, a few minutes from Amsterdam and a large part of that is now being converted into a museum/exhibition space. I designed it myself. The other part serves as a studio to my wife. She is a successful sculptress. I would like to introduce other people to Chinese Art and since I am well known in this country I think that should attract a lot of people. I am also working on a television show on contemporary art. Talking with collectors and artists.

ArtzineChina: What's your next step in collecting?

Herman:I have only just begun. I still don't own work by Chinese artists that I like such as Yan Pei Ming and a large family

portrait by Zhang Xioagang. Sometimes I sell a work if I can get hold of a better one. I like early nineties work and even eighties.

I basically buy according to the following two rules and in that order:

a) Do I like it, does it do something to me/with me

b) When very expensive, is it a good investment. I don't by to sell. I only sell when I can improve.

I look at India and Russia, South Korea. But so far with any art fair I visit I end up with the Chinese. I like them the most.

ArtzineChina: How do you do research on those you're seeking to collect? Do you read anything? Consult with any galleries or experts?

Herman:When I buy from a renowned art gallery I receive a certificate of authenticity with the invoice and it is a matter of trust. If from an auction house it depends on which one.Sotheby’s, Christies and Philips de Pury usually do their homework. If from any other source I try to check with the artist or when deceased an expert. I never buy in the blind.If it is an early work I also check the literature and I have a very close look at the piece myself when possible.Front, back, frame, colors, signature, the way it is painted. I have seen so many, you start to create a feeling for it. I visited a cocktail the other day and spotted two fakes immediately. But in general it is ridiculous that there is no waterproof authenticity system for art.

Art is expensive, quite often very expensive and by many people regarded as an investment. I think it would be in the advantage of everyone involved that such a system would be invented. I am working on that.

How do you know that a Jean-Michel Basquiat or Yue Minjun is real? I'll come up with a waterproof answer I think. Within short.

ArtzineChina: Do you buy at auction or directly from galleries and artists?

Herman:You'll find the best deal at auctions is my experience, but quite often you pay too much. It takes a lot of time and research. Preferably though from the artist directly.

ArtzineChina: How are the skyrocketing prices affecting you? Is it making you reluctant to collect, or more excited about collecting?

Herman:The skyrocketing prices affect everyone but it is also exciting. It does not put me off. You simply have to be smarter than someone else to find bargains or good deals.I think that the big names will become even far more expensive than they are now. Besides there is the new generation. Although they also tend to be too expensive, but you can negotiate strongly.

ArtzineChina: How often do you travel to China? And is collecting going to bring you to China more often or do you have any business or projets here?

Herman:More often than I used to. Yes, collecting is bringing me to China and happily so.It is also exciting to see and feel how China is developing into a world economic power.

ArtzineChina: Is there anything you see in the Chinese art scene that is missing? Or are there things you think should be changed or improved in Chinese art itself and around the art?

Herman:I think I have implicitely answered this question.