In conversation · The Capitalyst ·
“I collect what I really like and the narrative then develops itself”
On art collecting, cultural entrepreneurship and building bridges between India and the Netherlands
Marie Claire van Schooten is an Amsterdam-based art professional, collector and curator, and the founder of FINE DE CLAIRE. She chairs Swapna Foundation, which supports girls’ education in Jaipur. In this interview with The Capitalyst she looks back on a life shaped by art, antiques and India. Below are seven of her answers, in her own words.
How does Marie Claire van Schooten collect art?
Her collection runs from Chinese porcelain and Indian miniatures to Zero Gruppe works first collected by her parents. There is no single thread, and she says that is the point.
“I collect what I really like and the narrative then develops itself. For me the narrative lays more in where I bought a piece, how I felt, meeting an artist, understanding the craft and importance of supporting centuries old crafts in India.”
Marie Claire van Schooten
Where should a first-time art buyer start?
With looking. She says the hesitation of first-time buyers has not changed over the years, and the advice that worked for her still works.
“Start looking and it all begins with the emotion: ‘do I like what I see’, that also still works for me personally today.”
Marie Claire van Schooten
Is art a good investment?
At a dinner at a contemporary art gallery in Amsterdam this summer, a table of young women in finance asked her exactly this.
“The answer was very clear, collecting art should not be a way of investment.”
Marie Claire van Schooten
Why India?
It began at the family kitchen table, where her mother showed what she had found on her trips to India: the weight of the pieces, the stories of villages and people. Thirty years on, India is the centre of her work.
“I always told myself: one day India will show me what my role and business will be. I trusted the process and here I am today.”
Marie Claire van Schooten
Why Swapna Foundation, and why girls’ education?
Giving back to the country that has given the family so much was, she says, imperative. The focus on education follows from the example of her mother, who built her own market for Indian jewellery in Europe. A first fundraiser in India, in Jaipur, is planned with Laalee.
“We are not changing the world, we are raising [those] who will.”
Marie Claire van Schooten
What does a connector do differently from an art advisor?
She describes her role as opening her network in India and beyond to artists and projects she believes in.
“I am a networker so indeed a connector which is different than an art advisor or gallery owner. […] Most importantly you have to give an artist or a project a chance.”
Marie Claire van Schooten
What is next?
A project she has wanted to launch for some time: bringing a Dutch artist duo to India, for the first time ever.
“A labour of love of which I am convinced will one day happen.”
Marie Claire van Schooten
Work with Marie Claire
Curated art experiences, bespoke travel, consultancy and fundraising: the work she describes above.