Collecting Works: art collectors on passion and purpose, is a new series of video interviews with leading art collectors. We ask them what drives their passion and purpose, and how they create an impact within the artworld and beyond.
First to share their perspective are collectors David and Indrė Roberts, whose longstanding engagement with contemporary art is the force behind a remarkable private collection, as well as the foundation they set up to share it with the wider world. The next initiative from the Roberts Institute of Art (RIA) will be a residency, based in the grounds of the couple’s historic home in Angus, Scotland. Eschewing a rigid formula, this program is tailored around the needs of each individual artist and aims to encourage exploration, experimentation and curiosity.
The residency’s ethos chimes with the Roberts’ own collecting philosophy: focused on the serendipity of the journey rather than the destination, they see the evolution of their collection as part of their personal growth. “The journey is not always predictable and it's not always planned,” David Roberts says –– “I think it'd be pretty terrible if it was.” Indrė Roberts, who is herself an artist, adds, “Part of a collection is to grow with it, and I think that's why we try not to focus it too much, because that would stop us growing.”
Born into a family who worked in the shipyards with no prior grounding in the arts, David Roberts describes his first encounters with contemporary art as a snowball effect of organic discovery, meeting artists “through student shows and small galleries outside London”, as well as thanks to the suggestions and introductions of his friends. Now, as active players in the artworld, the Roberts place a strong emphasis on active lending and on collaborating with UK-wide institutions to create exhibitions. They are spurred on by the opportunity to play a role in “trying to get art outside of London into major cities or towns in the UK.”
They are also driven by a passion for presenting performance art, which RIA has been commissioning for well over a decade now. “Performance art is exciting because you never quite know what's actually going to happen,” remarks Indrė. “It suits our personalities.”
For the Roberts, the journey of building a collection is full of surprises and challenges, and they continue to embrace this unpredictability. “We have a general direction,” David says, “but it is possible to go off down different paths, because it’s more fun.”
