The influence of psychoanalysis: collecting the thoughts that dwell within us

HOW DO YOU CHOOSE THE WORKS FOR YOUR COLLECTION? DO YOU RELY ON GALLERY OWNERS OR CURATORS?

Our choices are never based on mere love at first sight: they are always the result of reflection and discussion within the couple. A work of art is regarded as a word which, when combined with another, forms a sentence that is structured to convey meaning. Taken together, these sentences take on the significance of a manifesto, a discourse on art itself and on everything that revolves around it. This is why we do not rely on curators or conservators, nor do we envisage involving a third party in our decisions. The collection is an extension of a reflection on the human condition, which has always been at the heart of our inquiries. We favour galleries where it is possible to engage in a debate of ideas: what is the artist telling us through their work? The question of meaning is ever-present in our discussions and is decisive in our decision to include a work in the collection.

THREE EMERGING ARTISTS TO WATCH AND THREE OVERLOOKED ARTISTS TO REDISCOVER.

Among the emerging artists whose works we have recently acquired are Carla Adra (Canadian), Fábio Colaço (Portuguese) and Oriol Vilanova (Spanish). As for lesser-known artists who deserve to be rediscovered, we are thinking of Michel Journiac (French), Stanley Brouwn (Surinamese) and Dan Graham (American). For us, art knows no boundaries.

“Rouge agricole par Valentine et Corona” (1990) e “Mars Black Picasso” (2005), di Bertrand Lavier.

TELL US ABOUT VIDEO ART: YOU WERE AMONG THE FIRST IN FRANCE TO COLLECT THIS MEDIUM AND TODAY YOU ARE A MEMBER OF THE COMMITTEE FOR LOOP BARCELONA, THE BARCELONA FAIR DEDICATED TO MOVING IMAGES.

Video art is one of the media used by the artists we are interested in, but not the only one. The performative dimension of video was already present in the work of conceptual artists from the 1960s onwards. For the artist, the video camera represents an extension of their gaze. This interest in video art led us, some fifteen years ago, to join the committee of LOOP Barcelona. In the eight years prior to that, Artissima had invited us to join its committee. It was a wonderful experience in a particularly fascinating city, to which we remain very attached.

“Untitled”(2002), di Philippe Parreno e Jorge Pardo, set di tre lampade in pvc.

ABOUT LA FABRIQUE: HOW DID THIS PROJECT COME ABOUT, AND HOW DID YOU TRANSFORM AN INDUSTRIAL SPINNERY INTO A HOUSE-MUSEUM AND MEETING PLACE?

It is frustrating to build up a collection that forms an organic whole, only to see that, when it outgrows the space available in a traditional home, it begins to be scattered amongst the storerooms and reserves of museums or art centres to which we frequently lend works. It therefore becomes necessary to secure a space capable of putting these works into context and presenting them with dignity, without any decorative or ornamental intent. La Fabrique, a 1930s building redeveloped by the architect Harald Sylvander, has been reimagined as a house-museum. Having been extended on two occasions, it has become a functional space for presenting works that require large areas, such as screenings and installations. As it receives no funding other than our own personal resources, it is open free of charge by appointment to art professionals, collectors, enthusiasts, associations and students. The residential area is used for discussions and educational reflection on the works that have raised questions during the visit, which lasts around three hours. This convivial exchange generally takes place over a drink in our ‘living room-library-media centre’.

“ZNS” (2006), installazione di Didier Fiúza Faustino.

YOU HAVE BEEN FOUNDING PATRONS OF CIMAM SINCE 2005: COULD YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR INVOLVEMENT WITH THIS IMPORTANT INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATION AND WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU?

CIMAM, of which we have been founding patrons for over twenty years, was chaired at the time by the director of the Centre Pompidou, Alfred Pacquement. Aware of our commitment to contemporary art and, in particular, to conceptual art – guided by a strict ethical code that involves refraining from speculating on artworks and always honouring verbal commitments made to artists, galleries and institutions – he invited us to join Count Giuseppe Panza di Biumo, Anton and Annick Herbert, and Erika Hoffmann as founding members of CIMAM. We agreed to support people in the art world at an international level with the resources available to a couple of doctors, because we believe that art must transcend nationalistic logic and not be exploited by financial or political power. For us, art is a catalyst for reflection, which must fulfil a humanistic function through awareness and thought. After all, is art not, first and foremost, a ‘mental construct’?’

“N.n…n..Nostalgie (Alchemy Box#29)” (2011), di Ryan Gander.

CAN YOU RECOMMEND YOUR FAVOURITE PLACES FOR A HOLIDAY IN MARSEILLE?

Marseille is a dynamic and vibrant city. As for hotels, we recommend the Sofitel Vieux Port, the InterContinental, Au bord de l’Eau, the C2 and Le Tuba; as for restaurants, Le Petit Nice Passedat, AM by Alexandre Mazzia, Sépia, Une Table au Sud, Auffo and Ourea. The city boasts a rich network of museums and cultural venues, such as the Mucem, the MAC, the Vieille Charité, the FRAC, the Musée Cantini and La Friche. You mustn’t miss a visit to iconic landmarks such as Notre-Dame de la Garde, the Corniche Kennedy, the Vieux-Port, Saint-Victor Abbey, Callelongue and the Route des Crêtes.

ARTISTS

Carla Adra, carlaadra.com. Stanley Brouwn, paulacoopergallery.com. Daniel Buren, danielburen.com. Maurizio Cattelan, @mauriziocattelan. Fábio Colaço, fabiocolaco.com. Didier Fiúza Faustino, @didier.faustino. Ryan Gander, @ryanjgander. Dan Graham, mariangoodman.com. Pierre Huyghe, mariangoodman.com. Michel Journiac, galeriegaillard.com. On Kawara, onkawara.co.uk. Joseph Kosuth, @josephkosuthstudio. Bertrand Lavier, xavierhufkens.com. Renato Leotta, renatoleotta.it. Jean-Luc Moulène, @atelierjeanlucmoulene. Gianni Motti, artecontinua.org. Roman Ondak, @romanondak. Jorge Pardo, jorgepardosculpture.com. Philippe Parreno, pilarcorrias.com. Gerhard Richter, @gerhard.richter; davidzwirner.com. Tino Sehgal, mariangoodman.com. Oriol Vilanova, oriolvilanova.com. Lawrence Weiner, lissongallery.com.

VISIT

La Fabrique, 11 rue Commandant Rolland. LOOP Barcelona, 17–19 November 2026, loop-barcelona.com. Mucem, mucem.org. MAC, 69 av. d’Haifa, Vieille Charité, vieille-charite-marseille.com. FRAC, fracsud.org. Musée Cantini, 19 rue Grignan. La Friche, lafriche.org.

WHERE TO EAT

AM by Alexandre Mazzia, alexandre-mazzia.com. Auffo, auffo-restaurant.com. Le Petit Nice Passedat, passedat.fr. Ourea, ourea-restaurant.com. Sépia, restaurant-sepia.fr. Une Table au Sud, unetableausud.com.