Elle Pérez Gets Personal with Next-Gen Collectors Changing Art World

How long have you been working with the Young Collectors Council? How has it been for you as one of the organizing curators for the Young Collectors Council, who works directly with the group to make acquisitions?

I’ve been working with the YCC since 2020. There’s just this fantastic energy in the group and a lot of that comes from the members themselves. They’re curious, they’re knowledgeable, they’re hungry. They want something new; they want to learn. They have perspectives’ they have great questions. In terms of what we acquire, it’s long been dedicated to emerging artists and it’s open to experimentation. We’re really thinking about artists engaged with what’s going on in the world, who are thinking about new manners of making work. And a lot of that sense of openness of pushing boundaries is complemented by the group’s appetite. I’m just happy to get to be around these people and to get to bring in these incredible works into the collection.

How would you characterize the priorities of young collectors today? What do they care about? What are you noticing that is maybe different from previous generations of collectors? And what possibilities do you see with this new vanguard of young collectors and supporters of the arts?

Elle, your second question is really hard. I don’t think that there’s necessarily one thing that really characterizes young collectors today. There’s such a diversity of perspectives, of priority, of areas of interest. But I do feel like actually that there’s a real openness to possibility throughout the group.

That said, we’re living in a moment where there are so many different possibilities for how work is created, what work can look like, how work can communicate, and the kinds of subject matter that work can take on. Collectors are feeling that plurality of possibilities. They’re responding to what really speaks to them now which is really individual and I think that creates a very interesting landscape. There’s not necessarily one dominant trend as we may have seen in decades past but a sense of individual personal engagement that creates more chances for intimacy within the collector base that I think is really thrilling.

Tell me a little bit about Voyager, your recent piece that just opened in Venice.

In Venice, I made a work that hypnotizes you. There are private  isolation booths, and when you enter and put on headphones, an AI voice speaks to you and hypnotizes you. 

Woah. So you are thinking of the mind itself as your material? 

I’m also currently working with neuroscientists doing experiments on my brain, and trying to figure out if we can make some art out of it. 

Congratulations Trevor!

Congratulations on tonight! Diane Severin Nguyen’s commissioned piece looks great. What was it like to put this year’s party together?

I’ve been one of the three co-chairs of the YCC this year, but I’ve been in the group for probably six years, and I’ve seen it really develop. I think this party, especially the partnership with LG Spotlit and with artists working in the digital space, has been so unique. And I’m such a mega fan of Diane. I think she did a fantastic job. The way that the music, the artist, the award, the whole aesthetics of the evening all came together is so seamless.

Obviously, the party is a big deal. But what happens during the rest of the year with the YCC?

We meet as a group twice a year, in the spring and fall. We make serious acquisitions and decide and vote on artists who enter the collection. It’s such a cool, transparent process: we attend a presentation from the curators, and often, we’ll have a studio visit with an artist so we really understand the behind-the-scenes. After having a professional working in a museum, seeing what it’s like to keep tabs on somebody, joining them in the studio when it’s the right time to acquire something, and we put it to a vote. The process feels like learning about the secret sauce. No other young group does anything like this.

Removing that kind of barrier to entry, is sort of like Pandora’s box is opened. You can really understand the inner workings of what the curatorial teams are thinking about when they bring somebody into the institution and how they see their responsibilities to the other artists in the collection that they’ll be in conversation with. That is definitely, to, what makes being a part of the group really stand out and shine. This is an amazing party, but those meetings are really what makes me stick around.

What’s the size of the group and many people are in those acquisition meetings? Have you made friends?

Yes, I definitely have made friends. I feel like we average around 50 people. The meeting is in a big auditorium. It feels on the intimate side. It’s the perfect size where we really have a dynamic dialogue around why we’re voting on certain things, or what we’re all falling in love with. We’ve even had debates where we disagree on collecting work and that’s always really interesting. Although normally, we’re a pretty aligned group.

What do you feel like the priorities of young collectors are? What are they thinking about right now and what are their hopes for the future?

Well that’s a big question. It’s hard for me to generalize. But you’re a photographer. I’ve always worked in photography. I used to work at Aperture. I started my collection with prints and photographs. 

Photographs and printmaking and the process—I mean Print Week and IFPDA have kind of blown up—show that the  way we think about mediums has kind of changed. These are just more accessible mediums for collecting. I know a lot of people who have started collecting photographs as their first entrypoint. 

I think also ceramics, weaving, a lot of these different materials that might have transcended craft and are still entering the art market in a serious way. You can still buy really beautiful ceramics for under $5,000, under $2,000. Also, friends are supporting friends who are in the art world with trades. I’ve done so many trades, exchanging PR for art, which is totally my way of working.

It’s all about getting creative with what you have, whether it’s a skill or service that you can trade or actual coins.

I would trade with a lawyer!

How long have you been involved in the YCC, and what’s your favorite thing about it? 

I am going on year four. My favorite thing is that we get to acquire the works of emerging artists into the permanent collection. It’s not very common to do that across the different patron groups, so it’s allowed me to train my eye to become familiar with the excellent artists that are working on the ground, and to be plugged in.

How do you feel your ‘eye’ has grown?

One of the biggest things for me was being able to not just look at a work and interpret it for what I see, but also appreciating the context and how each work speaks to other works in a collection. And not just at an institutional level, but also thinking about a personal collection, like the one that I’m building for myself. I want my works to speak to each other at different points of my life, about what I am experiencing in my life at that moment. 

Is there an artwork or artist that you’re excited about having recently brought into your collection? 
I’m Trinidadian, and I went to Trinidad earlier this year and collected the work of a very young talented artist, Siegel Bascombe. She’s amazing! The work focuses on women that are in community with each other, relaxing together, and that’s a big theme in my life. I feel like I’m relaxing every time I look at it.

What brought you here, and what makes you excited about the YCC?

Whitney: This is my third year being involved in YCC and it’s been a wonderful community that supports local and global artists. We don’t live in New York so we don’t get to go to everything, but there are a lot of events within New York City, whether it’s studio visits or the openings of other institutions. It’s really nice to see that this program doesn’t just support what’s going on in the Guggenheim but they’re also supporting the arts community as a whole, which is unique. 

Where do you live if you don’t live in New York? Are you involved in institutions there?

I live in Fort Lauderdale with my husband, Matthew Lane, in Florida. Other institutions that we’re involved in are the NSU Art Museum in Fort Lauderdale, and the Institute of Contemporary Art in Miami.

Florida has such an incredible arts ecosystem. I went to MICA, and so many of the top artists in our school, like almost everybody who got full scholarships, came from schools like Dreyfoos, DASH (Design and Architecture Senior High) and New World School of the Arts. It was something that, honestly, as a kid from New York, I was a little bit surprised by, and maybe a little bit jealous of, but also felt it was amazing that there was so much investment in the arts and in that early of education.

Historically there was a small but mighty group of collectors in Florida who advocated for the Art Basel Fair to come to Miami when they were looking to expand outside of Basel. I believe that a lot of what has happened in Miami is related to Art Basel. In a way it has been the foundation for everything else that has grown in this city. So many businesses are moving there. A lot has changed, and I really feel that the seed was the arts.  

Are there any emerging artists you are particularly excited about right now? Name some names, shout some people out! 

Yes! One of the reasons I love YCC is their support for emerging artists. At the NSU Art Museum, we started a program called The Curator Circle that also, as part of the membership, involves emerging artists. One of those artists in the first year was Zoe Schweiger. She actually just got accepted into Yale so she’ll be going there in the fall. I’m giving a shoutout to her and I’m really proud and excited for her. Another painter that I’m really proud of is Thomas Bils, who is from New World in Miami. I’m looking forward to seeing his career skyrocket. And Susan Alvarez!

How did you come to join the Young Collectors Council?

I actually volunteered at the Guggenheim when I was in high school. I was working with kids, and it was an amazing way to engage a younger generation. I remember going to the museum with my parents and absolutely loving it, so I felt bringing kids into an exhibition in a way that they could understand was really important.

When I graduated college, I wanted to rejoin the Guggenheim community because I absolutely loved it. It’s my first few months in the YCC, and I’m sort of getting up to speed but loving all of the events so far. 

It’s just a really exciting time in art, especially with the rise of technology. We’re seeing people change how they see art, how they appreciate art, and how they are bringing new communities to appreciate art as well 

What artists are you excited about right now? 

I saw the Jasper Johns show Gagosian a couple months ago, and absolutely loved it. I’ve always loved his work. This Carol Bove exhibit is obviously the buzz right now and is absolutely amazing… I’ll let you know after the next few days if I discover any new artists!

Do you have a favorite piece from the Bove show?

My favorite part about Bove’s works is the fact that at first glance you think it’s quite fluid. Then when you go closer you realize that it’s created out of this very strong material. I think that juxtaposition is really beautiful, and it really mirrors what we see in everyday life and in the world right now. Hopefully it can inspire a lot of people to see the nuances in what is out there.

How have you been developing your approach to collecting art?

I’m trying to collect from my friends. I’m an architect, and I feel like in architecture school you take a lot of other classes that are not the main studio course, classes that make you do a lot of exercises and small drawings. At school I used to ask my friends, “You’re done with your assignment, right? What are you going to do with your drawing?” and they’d say “Oh I don’t know, I’m just going to leave it.” and I’d be like, “Wow! Let me keep it.“ 

Do you have a recent favorite piece you have brought into your collection?

My most recent favorite? Well, my boyfriend got me these wooden sculptures inspired by Taino craftwork from the Dominican Republic. I feel like that’s very close to my heart.

We love your work! 

The collage work that the YCC collected from me is one that a lot of collectors have had a hard time with because it is a mixed media work. It isn’t behind glass, so it can seem a bit vulnerable. A few years ago, I was at an opening and a couple—they might have been in their early 60s—came up to me. They were like, “Love the collages, but call us when you finally put glass on them.” I was like, “If I put glass on them, the whole experience would be ruined!”

So, after that experience, I felt it was really cool that the YCC voted to put money toward a collage. And it was especially meaningful because Devotions II (2018–23) is one of the pieces that was transformational in my own practice. Collecting ‘difficult’ or ‘unruly’ work sends positive signals to other institutions, as well. 

What about the YCC makes that possible?

Valeria: I feel that [is possible because] we are the future of art. Future curators, future museum directors, future collectors—if we’re lucky and if we work hard enough! 

Who are some artists you are really excited about right now?

Victoria: I really like the Storefront for Art and Architecture program in Nolita. I think they’re doing amazing things, especially with emerging artists and architects. I just saw a show there called “Black Fire!” by artist Thandi Loewenson. She’s a Zimbabwean artist who is exploring UFOs in Africa. I also really enjoyed the show that just closed, “Perforation, Ellipse,” by Allison Nguyen. She’s based in New York. She’s incredible! I love their program. They have very amazing work. I always learn every time I go there.

Thanks for letting me take your picture! 

Photography was actually my entry into the art world, and I remember trying to take photos of people, and just being like, “Oh my gosh, you guys are so stiff!” and thinking “how do you make them relax and look good on camera?” So me, being the stiff one with you taking photos, I’m like, “I know you’re the artist because you’re good at that and professional and incredible. That’s why I’m the art advisor and not the artist!“

Haha, thank you! Tell me more about being an art advisor—who do you advise, and what are you telling them to look at?

I work for an advisory firm that’s LA and New York based, Victoria Burns Art Advisory. This [Frieze week] is the most fun week for us because we just get to go around and see everything, chat with people, talk to artists, and show our collectors what is exciting to us right now.

My favorite booth at Frieze this year was the Antoni Miralda booth at Galerie Champ Lacombe because it was this piece of cultural history that I knew nothing about. This artist was promoting unity and love and dreaming up what would happen if two big public monuments got married, which is so whimsical and silly. It really does speak to the moment that we live in: Let’s come together and celebrate love and cross-cultural connection. In the 80s, he did these parades in New York, that were showing us something new and fresh and that made me excited. 

There’s all this talk these days about where to find young collectors. Where are they?

I think the young collectors are at the Guggenheim and at all of our institutions. That’s the beautiful thing about living in New York: there are so many institutions to support. 

Are there any other institutions that you support? 

On top of being an art advisor, I’m mostly involved in the Guggenheim. But I will say that I hope to join the Jewish Museum’s Young Patrons Group. I love that museum. I think the Joan Semmel show is amazing so everyone should go see it!

I need to get more involved, I guess! But I think the Guggenheim Young Collectors Council is really special because you feel like you’re making a real impact. We have an acquisition fund and get to acquire emerging artists. We get to feel like the institution is moving into the future. We’re young and involved and looking at the artists of your generation, who are going to have a legacy for many decades to come. 

What’s been the best part of your night so far? 

Grace: It’s actually one of the best museum parties to meet people. We were just talking to a couple of strangers upstairs. I just met Henry, who’s in fashion, and he’s also part of the YCC. He was just telling us how he spent all day today on the Upper East Side at TAFEF and at the Frick collection, and now is at the YCC party tonight. 

Ask Nat. He’ll have a funny answer. 

Nat: I’ve been really excited to see the Carole Bove show. Her work is so sexy! The sculptures are just so supple, and the way that it makes you imagine the techniques behind it, the materials, the logistics…  

It also just, in a very intuitive way, hits you immediately without any need for explanation whatsoever. Carol’s work is just unbelievable, and she’s everywhere. She rules Queens. We live in Long Island City and she’s over at the Sculpture Center on the board, making a presence where we live as well. 

Shoutout to Queens!

What are you wearing tonight? 

I’m wearing a vintage Dior 1970’s suit that I found in Glasgow for a deal. I think it was made for me in a past life.

What was the last piece of art that you bought? Feel free to lie.

A Klimt! Just Kidding. My most recent purchase was a piece from Morag Keil, a Glasgow based artist.

When did you get involved in the Young Collectors Council? Have you been involved for a long time?

A year ago I was starting to think about how I could become more involved with art groups in the city, specifically ones that are involved in influencing and shaping collections themselves. 

I have some friends who are part of other groups around the city, for example, MoMA’s Black Arts Council, etc. So we were also kind of thinking collectively, “how can we diversify and make sure we’re making an impact?” Like, first and foremost, let’s be strategic here! [Laughs]

Was that strategy part of why you chose the YCC specifically? 

One thing I did notice was that, at least as far as I know, the Guggenheim doesn’t necessarily have a dedicated Black-specific group. I’d heard a lot of great things, but I was also thinking, “how can I become part of something that at least helps to add a voice into the things that they are acquiring?” That was when I decided to join YCC specifically.

Also, the fact that you can literally bring forward the names of artists you’re following is absolutely fabulous. You get to be able to bring them forward and start a conversation that maybe they wouldn’t have had before, even if it’s just an initial conversation. 

That was also part of what drew me to YCC: there is a big educational element. You can ask a lot of questions of the curatorial team and learn so much from them about how and why they choose certain things, and how it fits not only with an artist’s work but also within the broader body of the Guggenheim collection and the network of museums. 

Do you have your own collection? 

I literally just started collecting maybe a year or two ago!

What brought you to collecting art?

I’ve been interested in the arts since I was very little. My mom always used to take us to museums on Saturdays growing up. I grew up in Massachusetts and we would always be like, “Let’s go to a museum!” For a long time, I’ve been going to art fairs and then finally, I started to buy some stuff a couple of years ago at the Affordable Art Fair, where you can literally begin with $100. It’s a very accessible entry point. I started to do that and started to attend more things to understand: What is ‘my taste’? What are the things that are speaking to me? What are the things I want to see more of or learn more about?

I started with the Affordable Art Fair and then from there, found other upcoming artists, like Valerie Prosper in Toronto, who’s become a dear friend of mine and does incredible work. She’s a Haitian American artist doing work around fertility and motherhood and her view of womanhood while dealing with longer-term illness. She works in literally all types of mediums, everything from collage, painting, sculptures, embroidery, textiles, and she’s just so talented and so cool. 

It’s really important to me to have in my apartment, especially if that art is of people, of figures, who are minorities. I want to see and have black and brown art on my walls!

At midnight, the party committee headed over to the official afterparty at Casa Tua to continue celebrating. The vibe was warm, easily conversational, and friendly.

So, what are the Gen Z collector’s priorities? After a night of interviews, I’ll do my best to characterize:

Young collectors are hungry to be involved in institutional decision making. They are ambitious, thoughtful, and passionate. They have a deep desire for knowledge, and want to learn as much about a work’s context and art history as they can. They want o find and listen to artists and To support ‘difficult’ work, including mediums like photography and ceramics and artists from historically underrepresented communities. 

This new vanguard of collectors doesn’t just want to sustain the art world as it is. They don’t want to leave the future up to the whims of the ‘unseen forces’ in the world. They want to use their growing power, influence, and capital to make big moves. They want to actively shape the future of art. They want to make the art world a genuinely better place for artists and audiences. 

After a night of glimpsing the future, I found myself eager for it to arrive.