by way of presentation
Beyond presenting a representative collection of contemporary Brazilian art, this selection of texts is a reflection on art and its role. It does so philosophically, as can be seen in the essay written by German philosopher Christoph Türcke, and with the market in mind, as is clear in Dutch sociologist Olav Velthuis’s contribution. In fact, in the transition from philosophical to sociological thought, German critic and curator Diedrich Diederichsen’s essay presents an innovative Marxist reflection on art today.
In addition to this series of more inclusive texts, the lines presented here are more directly concerned with the Calmon-Stock Collection, whether they maintain a philosophical point of view, found within the writings offered by Markus Gabriel, Nina Saroldi, and Paulo César Duque-Estrada; press on the market’s point of view, in both Alexandre Ribenboim’s and Daniele Dal Col’s texts; or overtly surrender to lyricism, albeit of an analytical kind – as we saw in previous pages – in those written by curators Omar Solomon and Fernando de La Rocque.
Therefore, adding to images that are worth a thousand words, we find lines that can evoke a thousand images, and create the foundation for a philosophical, mercantile and lyrical reflection on contemporary art. All of this based on a collection which, in the words of Evangelina Seiler, is also a confession, and grants collectors the power of artists. Because that is what this is about: Roberto Calmon and André Stock are artist-collectors who make a collage of sorts out of the works of several other artists, and the stage on which they present this is the definitely non-white cube, filled with affection, of their own home.
