Cover Double Portrait (1988-90) by Lucian Freud
Double Portrait (1988-90) by Lucian Freud
1 / 1
Mary Rozell, the global head of the UBS Art Collection, discusses the Swiss bank’s approach to collecting art and supporting artists
In Lucian Freud’s Double Portrait (1988-90), the Freud family dog Pluto is depicted together with his daughter, Bella. Painted in the British artist’s expressionist style, the masterpiece is one of the more than 50 works, comprising Freud’s landscapes, portraits and nudes, featured in an ongoing exhibition, Lucian Freud: Works from the UBS Art Collection, at the UBS Art Gallery located in the global financial institution’s New York headquarters.
“This is an example of one of the notable pockets of depth in the [UBS Art] Collection,” says Mary Rozell, the global head of the UBS Art Collection, “which demonstrates our ongoing commitment to supporting an artist’s work. We have 54 works by Lucian Freud, most of them his etchings, and the centrepiece of the show is this incredible oil painting, which is very valuable.”
One of the major figurative painters of the 20th century, Freud’s art was characterised by a realistic and often crude approach to the human body, meticulously capturing every wrinkle of skin, every crease of material, every play of light. While he was best known as a painter, his etchings were an integral part of his work. Many of his late etchings, created over a period of nearly two decades from 1982 to 2000, are featured in the exhibition—and through the boldness of the art, one would notice the multilayered dimensions of his subjects.
Read more: Art SG 2024: A vibrant showcase of Southeast Asia’s visual arts scene
Above UBS Art Collection global head Mary Rozell
UBS Art Collection global head Mary Rozell
1 / 1
This is the first time that the collection of works is being shown in the US, after two previous iterations of the exhibition were held in 2015 at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Humlebaek, Denmark, and in 2017 at the Martin-Gropius‑Bau in Berlin, Germany. “We are pleased to share with the public this exceptional body of work, which defies perceived norms of corporate collecting,” says Rozell. “Like most of Freud’s oeuvre, the artworks on display are uncompromising and challenging to view, and we hope they will spark both conversation and introspection.”
Sharing such works of art with the public is a cornerstone of the UBS Art Collection. Considered one of the world’s most significant corporate collections of contemporary art, it features over 30,000 artworks, including paintings, works on paper, photographs, sculptures, videos and installations, by some of the most influential artists of our time. And with UBS’s acquisition of Credit Suisse last year, more than 10,000 works will be added from the latter’s art collection.
“Besides the stewardship of the collection, from the framing to the installation of the art in our offices around the world, there’s also something that we refer to as activations—what are we doing with the art beyond hanging them on the wall? A big focus [for us] has been about sharing the collection more widely with the bigger public,” says Rozell. “[And we do this through the exhibitions and commissions] at the public art space in New York, which opened in 2019, as well as UBS Lounges globally. We also make regular loans to museums and cultural institutions, as well as produce art publications.”
Above An installation view
of Lucian Freud:
Works from the
UBS Art Collection.
An installation view of Lucian Freud: Works from the UBS Art Collection.
1 / 1
UBS has been collecting contemporary art since the 1960s, integrating various individual art collections, notably from the merger of Union Bank of Switzerland and Swiss Bank Corporation, as well as the acquisition of US investment bank PaineWebber. “The collection is now a global collection, because it’s a global business. We are the world’s largest wealth manager, and many of our clients collect art,” Rozell expounds. “A big part of my job is interacting with these clients; I don’t advise them because that’s a different department, but we talk about art and cultivate a real connection. I think our clients appreciate having their wealth manager share the same passion space and understand where they are putting their money.”
An art lawyer with a master’s in modern art from the Courtauld Institute of Art, Rozell was formerly the director of art business at Sotheby’s Institute of Art. She is the author of The Art Collector’s Handbook: The Definitive Guide to Acquiring and Owning Art.
UBS continues to acquire works by emerging and established artists with an international reach, alongside the company’s growth in key markets such as Latin America and Asia. The Swiss bank also has a history of commissioning works, something Rozell hopes to explore more of “because it’s a very different experience to work with an artist on a specific project, and not just buying art from a gallery and putting them on the wall. It’s also about engaging with these artists and cultivating long‑term relationships”.
Above Nugroho’s
Guarding Sunrise
in Mind (2023) in
the UBS Lounge
at Art SG 2024
Nugroho’s Guarding Sunrise in Mind (2023) in the UBS Lounge at Art SG 2024
1 / 1
At Art SG earlier this year, where UBS was founding and lead partner, the UBS Art Collection presented a commissioned installation Guarding Sunrise in Mind (2023) by Indonesian artist Eko Nugroho, in collaboration with the local communities in Yogyakarta in Indonesia, as part of the display at the UBS Lounge. The embroidered painting looks at welcoming the future with a new spirit of optimism. Also on display was another of Nugroho’s embroidered paintings, Love #2 (2019), from the UBS Art Collection, which depicts two figures holding hands under the moonlight, radiating love and optimism.
The works reflect the UBS Art Collection’s commitment to supporting artists who are exploring the most pressing issues today, from exploring the power of community to environmental protection. Such similar themes resonate with many of the artists in the collection, including French-Swiss artist Julian Charrière, whose work bridges the realms of environmental science and cultural history, and American sculptor and installation artist Liz Larner, whose creations are informed by theories of environmental sustainability.
UBS has a long history in supporting contemporary art and artists. Besides Art SG, it has partnerships with art fairs such as Art Basel, Taipei Dangdai and West Bund Art & Design. It also maintains strong ties with the region through recent commissions by Singaporean artists Hilmi Johandi and Dawn Ng, whose works take pride of place in the UBS office in Singapore alongside artworks by internationally renowned artists, including Christine Ay Tjoe, Lee Bul and Rirkrit Tiravanija.
Above Love #2 (2019 by
Indonesian artist
Eko Nugroho
from the UBS
Art Collection.
Love #2 (2019 by Indonesian artist Eko Nugroho from the UBS Art Collection.
1 / 1
When it comes to acquiring art for the UBS Art Collection, Rozell says, “we only buy in the primary market, which means the artist and the gallery, in most cases, get the commission. That’s our purpose, in the way we are supporting the community. I know that in a lot of cases, it has made a difference.”
Based in New York, Rozell is supported by a global team located in Zurich, London, New York and Hong Kong. “Every team member is always looking at the art in their region, and elsewhere, on a daily basis. There’s also an exchange of ideas. We don’t buy art just for the sake of buying, we need to have a purpose.”
Furthermore, “we’re not buying art at a blue-chip level, so you have to find that sweet spot where you’re not paying too much [for an artwork]”, shares Rozell. “The fun part about acquiring art is putting on the brakes when the market gets heated. There are many times where we have an artist we love, but if we don’t catch them at the right moment, all of a sudden their prices go up. And we’re not buying emerging artists right out of art school; we’re watching them until they reach a critical basis with a few shows under their belt. But it’s fun to identify an artist before they peak.”
NOW READ
Topics
As Senior Editor of Tatler Singapore, Hashirin champions and refines the storytelling across platforms—curating and crafting compelling profiles, cover stories and features that spotlight visionaries shaping culture, business and impact. Driven by curiosity, she draws inspiration from the artists, changemakers and trailblazers she encounters through her work. Beyond the pages of Tatler, she is an avid supporter of local theatre and delights in seeking out art in every city she visits.
