What We Do

Having worked with collectors for 15 years, we pride ourselves in an educational and intellectually-minded approach to art acquisition. The explosion of the contemporary art market in the past twenty years has brought with it a plethora of art advisors whose qualifications are minimal and whose business acumen revolves around chasing fads and hot names rather than developing an in-depth understanding of art history and the dynamics that govern the market and its cycles. In contrast, we build collections that stand the test of time through rigorous due dilligence and a deep network of relationships with artists, galleries and auction houses. As one of two art consultants for the Frieze Art Fair franchise, a lecturer of five years on contemporary art and its markets at Christie's Education and a pundit for Al Jazeera on contemporary art deals, Nico has spent his entire professional career helping individuals and organisations better understand contemporary art and the works that they should add to their collection (as well as what they shouldn't be!). This includes a range of private collectors along with, secondarily, hotel and real estate projects who require collection building services. We support a limited number of collectors and families with a rigorous and unbiased approach, working exclusively on their side to assist in acquisitions, collection-management and de-accessioning. 

Cultural organisations and galleries are the places where art is met by the public. They are core, civil meeting points for discovery and discussion, however they are often underfunded and under pressure to perform with limited resources. We envision a world where resilient business planning and robust fundraising strategies allow cultural organisations to thrive and focus on their programming and impact. Our strategic growth method –  developed with our partner Arts Ideas Realised – follows the components of a business plan to develop a unique value proposition, an attractive giving scheme, systems and processes to drive success, organisational structure, and a resource plan to ensure lasting growth.

Having worked in various Development teams at leading cultural organisations such as MoMA PS1 in New York, the Serpentine Galleries and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, Julia Loves making missions possible. Julia  built various patrons programmes, most notably the Young Patrons’ Programme at the V&A, the corporate membership scheme at MoMA PS1, and most recently the Patrons and Corporate Schemes at the Black Cultural Archives in London as part of a strategic development consultancy. She is in midst of working with Camden Art Centre to establish a more nuanced patrons offer as part of a larger strategic piece to increase their income generation avenues. Philanthropy and patrons programmes are Julia’s particular sweet spot.

We work with philanthropists interested in supporting the cultural and environmental space with a value-led strategy to giving, creating a legacy while having a portfolio of causes that truly make an impact. With Julia’s experience in the NextGen giving, we also work on value alignments to support generational transfers of family foundations. Our methods include long-term thinking, visioning and value alignment as well as positioning strategies. 

The arts industry is oftentimes daunting and opaque with numerous barriers to entry. Per application, we work with vision-driven artists and creatives on positioning and project conceptualisation / delivery. We want our knowledge and connections to be used for great art and creative endeavours to find the widest possible audience. This area specifically pertains to projects with an ecological angle and creatives from the Global South.