In a fi eld where an abiding question is, “Why are there no young collectors?” Javier Peres stands out, not only as a remarkably active collector who is in his early forties, but as an individual who is unusually passionate about African art. His contemporary art gallery, Peres Projects, is currently based in Berlin but has a presence at just about every art fair of any consequence. This grew from smaller spaces, fi rst in San Francisco and then in Los Angeles, New York, and Athens. Wherever his base of operations has been, Peres has made a splash on the international art scene with his bold selection of artists and artworks and his hardcore style as a gallerist. Over the years his stable of artists has included such names as Terence Koh, Bruce LaBruce, assume 120 vivid astro focus, Joe Bradley, Dan Colen, Dash Snow, Agathe Snow, Kirstine Roepstorff, Alex Israel, David Ostrowski, Brent Wadden, Leo Gabin, and Mark Flood. His artists’ works have been included in such prestigious juried events as the Venice Biennale, the Whitney Biennial, the Tate Triennial, and the São Paulo Biennial, to name just a few of their accolades. While his work with contemporary art is famous and even infamous in the art world, his relationship with African art has been little discussed but has long been a major part of his life and his aesthetic perception. We recently paid a visit to his beautiful Berlin apartment, had a cup of tea in a Peter Shire mug, and talked about the truly remarkable collection of African art around us, which comfortably shared the space with large canvases by major-name contemporary painters, many of whose notable careers he helped build. Tribal Art Magazine: The Instagram account for your contemporary art gallery (@peresprojects) features quite a lot of African art objects, many with the hashtag #obsessed. This is eloquent in its brevity, but how would you defi ne your relationship with African art for those not versed in social media? Javier Peres: I use #obsessed when a work of art blows me away. I think the fi rst time I used it was for the Urhobo maternity at the Louvre. That sculpture is one of my favorite artworks of all time. It’s so dynamic, powerful, and sweet—all at once. I’ve never seen anything else like it and I’ve even dreamed about it. African art has long been a commanding force in my life. It’s a powerful attraction and living with the works I collect makes me very happy. African art also has long infl uenced my aesthetics, including what interests me in contemporary art. Some of the contemporary artists who I fi rst championed, such as TRIBAL people #OBSESSED JAVIER PERES and African Art Interview by Jonathan Fogel FIG. 1: Javier Peres, Berlin, 2015. Photo: Andrea Rossetti. All contemporary artworks pictured courtesy of Peres Projects, Berlin. Terence Koh and Joe Bradley, made works that resonated with various African traditions, like the Punu of Gabon in the case of Koh and the Dogon/Tellem with Bradley. But I kept my interest in African art and my contemporary art business separate, and it’s only in recent years that I’ve decided to bring these parts of me together. I fi nd that social media allows me to bring African art to a broader audience that is already interested in material culture, and through it I can share with them how I integrate these art traditions. T. A. M.: You’ve garnered substantial fame as a contemporary art gallerist, and you’ve used this to promote your perceptions of African art in some of your gallery shows and in non-commercial exhibitions. How do you feel African art relates to contemporary art? And how do contemporary art collectors respond to your installations?
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