Floris Kappelle
Interviewer Tableau Fine Arts Magazine

Title
From collection to connection

Parts of the interview:

By setting up two artist-in-residencies, the passionate collector Ali Keles – Founder of the Lakeside Collection and Chairman of the Netherlands Association of Corporate Art Collections - added a new impulse to collecting. At two unique locations he offers artists a temporary home to fully concentrate on research, new work and preparation for exhibitions.

What does this success do with you?

Caja Boogers: I put my full attention and all my time in my work. I already did that at the academy. It is an independent route with long days. Those are sacrifices I like to make. And apparently, I am om the right track given the confirmation I am getting. Then you feel connection and interest. By the way that does not reduce my doubts when I am solely standing in front of my work.

Tomáš Libertíny: Ali became direct captivated by the magical concept with the bees and my love for literature that is reflected in my work. We became friends and he started purchasing my work. In sixteen years, however, I had only been able to make twenty works and we wondered how there could be more. Ali then suggested the idea for a natural workshop on the park-like grounds of the Lakeside Collection: a true bee home. A beekeeper was hired and the rest is history.

The Founder of Lakeside Collection Ali Keles sees his collaboration with Libertíny as a logical corollary of the landscape at its headquarters. Also from the circular thought the bees are important.

Ali Keles: This is the third season and he has already produced eighteen works this year. This is progress and it fits well within our philosophy of sustainability. The other residency is related to our art prize which has now existed for four years. That prize is an encouragement for young artists and consists of a stipendium, a workplace for ten months and an exhibition in our compartment in the Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen.

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