'The Story Can Be Almost As Important As The Piece Itself': Philanthropist Christian Levett On His Approach To Collecting The Art Newspaper International Art News And Events

At TEFAF, collecting is emerging as more than a matter of acquisition. A set of recent interviews and previews points to a market shaped by personal narrative, institutional ambition, and a sharper awareness of how art is framed for the public.

At the center is Christian Levett, the philanthropist and founder of the Mougins Museum of Classical Art in France. Levett left investment management to devote more time to collecting, and his taste has moved from Old Masters toward Modern art. His approach suggests a collector's eye that is guided not only by connoisseurship, but by the story a work carries and the meaning it can accumulate over time.

That emphasis on narrative runs through the broader TEFAF conversation. Joël Kremer, for example, created a VR museum that placed his parents' art collection online, extending the private collection into a digital public space. Nanne Dekking, meanwhile, has argued that art fairs need less secrecy, a position that reflects growing pressure for openness in a market long defined by discretion.

The TEFAF New York 2025 preview adds another layer: tariff confusion under Donald Trump created uncertainty for exhibitors, with the fair acknowledging significant impacts. In that context, collecting and exhibiting are not separate worlds. They are increasingly shaped by policy, logistics, and the conditions under which art crosses borders.

Paul Arnhold's collection offers a final contrast. The New Yorker's holdings span centuries, from ancient Etruscan stone works to paintings by Salman Toor, underscoring how contemporary collecting can move fluidly between antiquity and the present.

Taken together, the TEFAF interviews and previews point to a market in which taste is still personal, but the terms around it are changing. Story, access, and transparency now sit closer to the center of the conversation than they once did.

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