Ahead of the upcoming publication of the Art Basel and UBS Survey of Global Collecting on October 23rd 2025, collectors from Brazil, Germany and Hong Kong share their insights on what drives their passion for collecting.
Ahead of the upcoming publication of the Art Basel and UBS Survey of Global Collecting on October 23rd 2025, collectors from Brazil, Germany and Hong Kong share their insights on what drives their passion for collecting.
For some, collecting begins with a single encounter—an artwork that sparks curiosity and slowly unfolds into a lifelong pursuit. For others, it is an instinctive rhythm, an unplanned journey that takes shape over decades. What unites collectors across generations, however, is the deep belief that art is not only about ownership but about fostering dialogue and community.
Pedro Barbosa, who began collecting in Brazil in the early 2000s, exemplifies a contextual approach rooted in politics and conceptual inquiry. “I don’t see artworks as assets,” he explains. “I see them as rights granted to me by artists—trust to preserve and keep the work alive.” His collection, shaped by collaborations with curators and a focus on conceptual, performative and time-based practices, resists materiality in favor of ideas. For Pedro, art is less about property than intellectual challenge, less about permanence than exchange.
In contrast, for Manuela Alexejew, who began collecting in 1978 with her husband, instinct and emotion remain central. “Buying art is mostly a love affair,” she reflects. “You don’t find art—art finds you.” Over four decades, the couple’s shared taste has allowed their collection to evolve harmoniously, anchored by joy and discovery rather than speculation. “Art doesn’t make you rich,” she says, “but it keeps you happy.” For Manuela, the act of collecting is as much about sustaining a lifelong companionship with art as it is about building a legacy.
Alan Lo represents a younger generation of collectors who bridge passion with philanthropy. Beginning collecting with his wife amid Hong Kong’s art boom in 2008, their journey has shifted toward diasporic Asian voices, reflecting broader questions of identity and belonging. “The best way to support artists is to buy their work,” he notes, though he increasingly emphasizes impact beyond acquisition—funding residencies, supporting institutional collections, and nurturing platforms for emerging voices. For him, the act of collecting extends outward, seeking to “make small impacts” that ripple across the cultural ecosystem.
Together, these perspectives illuminate the multiple ways collectors engage with art today: as guardians of ideas, as seekers of creativity, and as catalysts for change. Whether driven by instinct, intellect, or intention, what binds them is a shared conviction that art is not static. It lives through conversation, care, and connection—shaped as much by those who preserve it as by those who create it.