In September 2016 I was invited to attend a private opening of the Telegraph Gallery in Olomouc as part of a special program Robert had organised for the Tate Eastern European Plus Acquisition Committee. Having worked and advised Robert for many years on his wonderful European painting collection, this was an opportunity to show both the raw space that was destined to become the Telegraph Gallery as well as some highlights from Robert's collection. Now, eight years later, it is amazing to see what Robert has achieved with the Telegraph Gallery which has become a major international art destination within Europe that has helped place Olomouc on the international art map. The building itself is really great example of progressive architecture, the perfect expression of a creative agit-prop aesthetic which stands as a testament to Robert's inclusive support of art and artists combined.
I first met Robert and his partner Milo in London back in 2012. Together they were interested in the work of Jonathan Wateridge who was one of the artists I represented through my Directorship of All Visual Arts. Jonathan had recently been included in a show at the Galerie Rudolfinum in Prague as part of the Beyond Reality: British Painting Today show earlier that same year and Robert acquired a wonderful painting from me by Johnny entitled Boy on Wall which has since became a key work in his collection. Since 2012, and in collaboration with my friend and colleague the curator Jane Neal, I have continued to work closely with Robert on developing his interest in European painters and I believe his collection is now one of the best European painter's collections anywhere in the world. It is truly inspiring to see how Robert's support of the arts has progressed. A real example to every collector on what you can achieve if you put your mind to it.
Jake Chapman and I go back 30 years all the way back to my time as the Arts Director for Dazed & Confused magazine. Back in the 1990s Jake and his brother Dinos were almost my fellow editors on this magazine as I included them pretty much in every issue. One of my favourite works was the Chapman Brothers resitting their GCSE art exams with Jake getting a B+ and Dinos being awarded a B- for their efforts. Jake and I also once made up an artists called Bruce Louden, a South African performance artist who cut pieces of his body off and displayed them as art. The article was entitled Cut Out & Keep and caused a real storm in the London art world at the time. I believe if you do an internet search you can still find articles on Bruce Louden and his antics. Now, 25 years later, it is great fun to be working with Jake again on his Flotsam and Jetsam show for the Telegraph Gallery in Olomouc. I think this Accelerationist inspired show will for sure raise some eyebrows in the Czech Republic, especially the Neoliberalithic paintings and sculptures and of course the Trabant car entitled Accelerate or Die!
