Art of Making Home
Writings
Hauser & Wirth: The Outsiders' Love Letter to Artists
In the glittering world of high art, legacy often begins in the cultural capitals of New York, London, or Paris. “We were outsiders to begin with,” Iwan Wirth reflects, recalling Hauser & Wirth’s distinctive origins in the art-loving cities of Switzerland. Founded in 1992 in Zurich by Iwan Wirth, Manuela Wirth, and Ursula Hauser, and later joined by Marc Payot at the end of 1999, the gallery has since grown into one of the very few global mega-galleries. My interviews with their three Presidents, Iwan, Manuela, and Marc, for the latest edition of the Global Leadership Conversation series hinted at something deeper, more complex. Would it be a blend of idealism, strategy, and moments that blur the line between their love for artists, commercial ambition, and something much greater above all?
Does Your City Have a Sustainable Future?
Real estate in cities has often been seen as mere assets with price tags, rather than human-centered environments designed to meet the needs of residents. This is changing.
The pace of urbanization worldwide is increasing and is only expected to accelerate to 70% of the global population through 2050, by which point some 7 billion people are expected to be living in cities. How can the world manage this influx in a sustainable way that ultimately leads to a better quality of life for humanity? In the latest episode of the Global Leadership Conversation Series, I spoke with three key voices from the Bloomberg New Economy Dynamic Cities Coalition—Mikkel Bülow-Lehnsby, co-founder and chairperson of Urban Partners; Dr. Lola Woetzel, senior partner emerita of McKinsey & Company and a former director of the McKinsey Global Institute; and Elizabeth Gonzalez, director of community innovation at Bloomberg—to discuss the future of urban development.
How the Met's Embodiment of 'Universality' Made It the World's Premier Cultural Destination
In the latest Global Leadership Conversation Series feature, I had the pleasure of speaking with Max Hollein, Director and CEO of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. "The museum is basically the home away from home for all these different communities," he explained. This strong sense of inclusivity has been the heartbeat of the Met since its inception. It is a place where past and present converge in a celebration of cultural unity by embracing multiple narratives of our shared story. We must listen to each other, even when we disagree, with open hearts and empathy. Although challenging, this openness can lead to profound healing, learning, and transformation.
Max discussed the museum's ambitious investment in updating not only its infrastructure but also the intangible assets of curatorial and academic understanding, the nuanced presentation of exhibitions, and the thoughtful design of collections—all encapsulated within the museum's architectural framework. This includes a monumental $2 billion investment to transform a quarter of the museum's gallery space. They recently raised $550 million in private donations for the new Wing for Modern and Contemporary Art, named after the lead donor couple Oscar L. Tang and H.M. Agnes Hsu-Tang, which is being designed by Frida Escobedo, the first woman to design a wing in the museum’s 154-year history.
How the Morgan Library & Museum Exquisitely Heart-Awakens Without Being Political
Within its walls at the heart of New York City, the Morgan Library & Museum houses an exquisite collection of manuscripts, rare books, and works of art, encompassing not only visual art but also literature, history, and music—interdisciplinary humanities of the highest level.
Towards the end of 2022, I wandered through its elegant galleries, immersed in the raw energy of contemporary German artist Georg Baselitz's drawings, which contrasted beautifully with the powerful ancient verses of the female poet Enheduanna, the earliest named author in world literature, dating back to third millennium B.C. Mesopotamia. This mesmerizing visual dialogue between eras, cultures, and artistic expressions returned to me vividly during my recent discussion with the Morgan's Director, Dr. Colin Bailey, for the Global Leadership Conversation Series.
Colin discusses museums' nuanced role in shaping societal narratives, "Our role is not to support certain ideas, political or social, but to show the best of humanity and the highest achievements of humanity, which must be an arc towards equality, progress, and fairness."
Reimagining the Museum Experience Through Love: The Broad's New Visions
Philanthropy, born from the Greek words "philos" for love and "anthropos" for humanity, manifests "love of humanity" at its very heart. In this edition of the Global Leadership Conversation Series, I was joined by Joanne Heyler, Founding Director and President of The Broad, a contemporary art museum founded by philanthropists Eli and Edythe Broad in downtown Los Angeles.
Joanne’s leadership at The Broad exemplifies a powerful blend of love, strength, and genuine care—“a real human level of care”. Through her work, Joanne not only leads the team to curate a space for contemporary art but also to nurture an environment where love—understood as an active engagement with and for the community—drives innovation and inclusivity.
This summer, The Broad is set to unveil a globally touring exhibition "Mickalene Thomas: All About Love"—a profound exploration of care, healing, and reconciliation within communities. Thomas's work, known for challenging conventional norms and bringing to light the stories of historically underrepresented groups, aligns perfectly with The Broad's commitment to inclusivity and dialogue. This collaboration and the exhibition's focus were inspired by the intersection of Thomas's art and the themes of bell hooks' seminal work, "All About Love".
bell hooks reminds us in All About Love: New Visions that “Turning away we risk moving into a wilderness of spirit so intense we may never find our way home again. I write of love to bear witness both to the danger in this movement, and to call for a return to love.”
Getty: America's "Home of Art for All" that Helps Preserve Dunhuang
In the latest feature of the Global Leadership Conversation Series, I spoke with Dr. Katherine E. Fleming, President and CEO of the J. Paul Getty Trust.
As one of the most influential cultural and philanthropic organizations in the world, this iconic institution led by Katherine is dedicated to preserving and propagating the world's artistic and cultural heritage for the benefit of all humanity.
Considering its esteemed historical legacy, Katherine refers Getty as a luxury cultural brand, dedicated to offering visitors with a rich and contemporary experience. Whether through the physical beauty of its architecture or the digital exploration of its collections, the luxury Getty embodies is a shared experience that’s universally accessible and inclusive, evolving from a family legacy to “a home of art for all”.
How Do Large Banks Intersect with Art Collecting?
Why collect art? In this episode of the global leadership conversation series on Financial Times (Chinese), my guest is Fotini Xydas, the Co-head of Art Advisory & Finance at Citi Private Bank. Working alongside some of the world's top collectors to assemble art collections of museum quality that endure and inspire across generations, Fotini derives immense joy from both the art itself and from the clients who are driven by a deep passion for art and the desire to create a lasting legacy.
Through my conversation with Fotini, it became evident that the collectors she works with view their collections not merely as financial assets but as vital elements of cultural legacy. They understand these collections as key contributors to a legacy that goes beyond personal gratification and investment. This perspective accentuates the significance of art as a fundamental cultural asset, essential in both safeguarding and molding our shared cultural heritage.
Christie's Deputy Chairman Dr. Dirk Boll: We are Entering “Another Golden Age for Contemporary Art”
The art market is both an economic system and a distribution system, with the core goal of meeting the needs of collectors and artists. Where is the art market heading after 2024?
As 2023 concluded and we turned our gaze towards the new year, the art market continues to evolve in response to cultural, technological, and societal changes, shaped by key themes such as Generational Change, Digital Transformation, and a growing commitment to Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (E, D & I). I invited Professor Dr. Dirk Boll, Christie's Deputy Chairman of 20th and 21st Century Art, to share his insight about the main developments of the art markets we have been facing in the past few years.
One thing remains certain – the transformative power of art to reflect, challenge, and inspire. The evolution of the art market not only acknowledges its broader societal impact but also highlights its potential to drive meaningful change.
Art as a Strategic ESG Asset: In the Case of RBC
During the recently concluded Art Basel Miami Beach, discussions about art as an asset were abundant. Banks undoubtedly played a crucial role in sponsoring the arts. I recently had a conversation with Corrie Jackson, Senior Curator at the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), exploring how the bank's support for the arts integrates into its ESG strategy.
In the evolving landscape of business valuation, the paradigm shift from traditional balance sheets to a more comprehensive 'value sheet' has brought forth the prominence of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) considerations. This transition signifies a holistic approach to business practices, where companies recognize the interconnectedness of financial performance with environmental and societal impacts. Increasingly, the intersection of art and ESG emerges as a powerful catalyst. Arguably, art becomes a strategic ESG asset.
COP28: ESG real assets and the gap in achieving Paris Agreement goals
The article explores how ESG principles intersect with real assets, particularly real estate and infrastructure, in the context of achieving the goals outlined in the Paris Agreement. It raises considerations, outlines a pathway, and offers examples that underscore the potential impact and contribution of ESG principles to value creation.
OpenAI & Sam Altman: The enigma of business and social responsibility
This article explores Sam Altman’s vertically integrated business blueprint for Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) and the nuanced equilibrium between achieving business success and upholding social responsibility in the context of the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) era.
Prioritizing mental well-being amid conflict aligns with ESG values
A myriad of challenges saturates the news and social media, occasionally fracturing political stances. These challenges encompass the tolls of war, the aftermath of the pandemic, recurring natural disasters, and societal unrest.
While causing profound trauma for those directly impacted, they also pose the risk of indirect trauma for anyone. Amidst these events, numerous individuals diligently strive to offer mental health support, transcending cultural and geographical boundaries, driven by a shared mission for universal well-being.
Art + technology is a powerful combination to address mental health
Mental health, according to the World Health Organization, is an integral component of health and well-being that underpins our individual and collective abilities to make decisions, build relationships and shape the world we live in.
Art and technology present a powerful combination to enhance mental health and wellness in cities. A greater understanding of how health-oriented digital art can improve lives and create economic gains can set incentives for scaling up such interventions.
Building Trust in our Connected World
The market for connected, electronic devices is rapidly expanding: The consumer internet of things (CIoT) is predicted to grow from $45 billion to $154 billion by 2028, and already accounts for 60% of all IoT-connected devices.
Who is responsible and accountable for safeguarding the connected future? This requires stakeholders across the value chain (businesses, regulators and consumers) to think collectively and holistically about the widespread impact of CIoT on the world.
Connected Homes for Everyone
The social housing sector could benefit from the opportunities of internet of things (IoT) technologies. Smart systems could empower residents, lower costs to organizations and increase energy efficiency. A new World Economic Forum report shows how we can come together to realize the social benefits of a connected world.
It is time for us to collaborate on a global scale to harness the benefits of interconnectedness towards a shared reality in which technology becomes a driver for social, economic and environmental sustainability in our connected future.
New Homes for a New Era
Here’s how smart construction could transform home-building after COVID-19.
We are currently in the middle of a global health crisis. Infection outbreaks are frequently associated with low-income, high-deprivation clusters of high-occupancy homes, often with many generations of the same families living together. Alleviating this risk by providing high-quality homes must become an urgent priority for governments everywhere.
The key is to collaborate on a global scale, and share the best solutions so we can all advance together, create a pool of talent, research and development, and make use of economies of scale. Technology has helped many of us weather the crisis. Now is the time to tap its potential in the construction sector, putting humans at the center to make a positive impact on communities all over the world.
Closing the housing gap: how industry can help
The housing sector has a far-reaching impact on our global economy - linking suppliers with economic sectors, product and service providers and operators, to the demand side of financing and homeownership throughout the housing value chain. Creating a sustainable market to fill the multi-trillion dollar global affordable housing gap requires an eco-systematic paradigm shift. How can global corporate leaders, from legacy industries to big tech companies, all contribute to this new paradigm at profit and at scale?
How 5G can connect the affordable homes of the future
“2019 will be a critical year in the evolution of 5G as global roll-out pilots will shape the landscape and specifications will start to be formalized. Intelligent connectivity, enabled by 5G, will be the catalyst for the social-economic growth that the 4IR (4th Industrial Revolution) could bring.” – World Economic Forum
Despite the current financial, operational and regulatory barriers for inclusive implementation of 5G at a global scale, we see affordable home delivery as one of the low-hanging fruit application areas to make an environmental and societal impact without taking on significant technical or business risk.
Energy Efficiency For All
Energy efficiency for all: Affordable energy efficient solutions for low income households.
The low income housing sector is huge, if we could address this performance gap by reconstructing the low income housing value chain, it would have a tremendous environmental impact at a significant scale. It is through scale that the net zero energy use and zero emission demonstration homes that we see today will become affordable for the masses.
Revisiting Cooperative Business Model for Community Development
Building a sustainable future with vibrant, equitable, resilient communities and cities is a universal quest, where large private corporations can play vital roles in leading the change. It is not only possible but critical to establish a global consensus to engage large corporations as anchor institutions in cooperation with innovation-driven small businesses, education, research & development institutions, and public sectors to jointly tackle the world’s most pressing issues in an impactful way.
What I study Architecture for
Three passions, simple but overwhelmingly strong, have led me to the kingdom of architecture: the longing for our outer habitat, the search for our inner dwelling, and unbearable pity for the suffering of us mankind as well as nature.