We curate art to tell your story
We source
art from a mix of established and emerging artists to choose works which convey the identities of our clients
We commission
art to create a unique look for our clients that can become an experience in itself
We curate
collections to breathe new life into existing collections and ensure they move with the times
We curate art to unite your corporate identity, the language of the architecture, and the artist’s vision to produce strikingly vivid spatial stories – even experiences.
Each project is an opportunity to see the world with different eyes, challenging accepted truths, and shaping your vision. It is an invitation to take part in a conversation about an idea, a value, or a connection. You might be inspired. You might be provoked.
Let your art engage staff, get people talking, attract talent, promote creativity and even increase productivity.
Exhibitions
Christie’s Classic Week Auctions
Artphilia collaborated with AirParfum in a pioneering, multisensorial exhibition – the first of its kind in the UK – re-imagining scent elements from Ships in distress off a rocky coast, by 17th-century Dutch artist Julius Porcellis during Christie’s “New meets Old” Classic Week auctions.
On display between December 1st and 7th, 2023 the olfactory exhibition represented a new way of making sense of Old Masters, inviting the audience to dive deeply into the seascape painting with their sense of smell.
Three unique scents were developed by perfumer Camille Latron associated with pictorial references within Porcellis’s painting. The perfumes, named The Tempest, Caught in Ocean’s Grip and Rocky Shore each captured a different element of the seascape painting.
About Us
Artphilia was founded by Antje Kiewell in 2018 to tell companies’ corporate identities through art.
Having spent years visiting offices with “art collections” that were simply decorative in nature, from formulaic prints of fruit, to commercial tourist images of whatever city the office was in, with an assortment of mass-produced abstract work in between, Antje realised there was a real opportunity to work with companies to create an office environment that would excite and engage staff and clients alike.
Drawing from her curation studies at the Sotheby’s Institute of Art, her marketing experience, and her previous work with other arts organisations, Antje uses her background as a storyteller to help companies use art to tell their stories.
She works with organisations of all sizes, from boutique firms with a single office, to large global corporations with diverse staff dispersed across multiple locations. She has deep connections with galleries and artists, allowing her to work with ease between the different spheres.
Stories We've Told With Art
Celebrating Individual Uniqueness
We are working with a financial services provider to revitalise their art collection, expanding it to include a greater variety of artists that help reflect the company’s diverse people. We recognise that a representative collection means more than just a 50/50 male/female split (though that in itself is a commendable goal for many collections).
In order for a company to attract more diverse talent and retain its existing talent, it needs to ensure it offers an environment that demonstrates these values. We sourced art from a broad spectrum of artists to fulfil this ambition, gathering works from around the globe that reflected age, gender and race.
Inspiring Connections
When a global professional services firm called upon us to help them find a dramatic piece of work to be displayed in their reception area, we knew that this project had the potential to bring the culture of the organisation to life in a truly new and surprising way.
We believed it was important not to choose a work solely based on aesthetic appearance, but to commission a work that truly reflected the space and the people. We explored with employees the company’s values and ambitions in order to achieve this.
One of the key messages that emerged was the importance of human interactions, the personal exchanges and connections, that occur day in day out. So we commissioned a bespoke installation from award-winning artist Cerith Wyn Evans, who constructed the piece from 260 separate neon elements. The mix of straight lines, sweeping curves, and spiralling forms are a direct response to the design of the building and to the company’s global network of connections.
Embracing Change
Can art be not only an inspiration, but also create curiosity or help overcome reservations? One of our clients wanted to alert their employers to the history, the experiences, the surprises that could be discovered beyond the office walls when moving to a new borough in London. As often seen when having to move location, employees were reluctant to change.
We asked employees what they liked and disliked about the current office location. We then researched and scouted the new location and discovered many little-known nuggets and parallels sparked by the insights we had discovered. They became the curatorial concept for the new office, selecting art works that resonated with the new location and the employees’ interests. For example, many employees were dedicated readers, so we highlighted the proximity to Bloomsbury, London’s literary centre and publishing hub, by including Phil Shaw’s bookshelf prints into the collection.
Renewing Curiosity
A company with an existing art collection turned to us for help to invigorate the collection and engage their employees with it. They knew from feedback that many of their staff members had an interest in art, yet few interacted with the collection, which was mainly displayed in meeting rooms.
We surveyed the collection, identifying gaps that needed to be filled, sourced new works, and then hung the updated collection in a way that enriched everyone’s working environment, while still allowing for some works to live in meeting rooms.
Continuing the engagement, we produced a catalogue for both staff and visitors to the office to keep, which documents the collection and shares a mix of information about the artworks and staff members’ contributions on what the art works signify to them. We also developed a series of talks to engage staff further with the collection.
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Artphilia Podcast
Episode 1: Lisa Noris & I talk Stephane Villafane
Lisa Norris and I talk the works of French artist Stephane Villafane. Villafane trained as an architect and as a result, his works have the ability to open up walls, to connect the inside with the outside, to lift our view up and beyond.
Episode 2: Eberhard Ross
I talk with Lisa Norris about the abstract works of German artist Eberhard Ross, who like Boetti is hooked on working with a biro.
Episode 3: David Cass
Scottish artist David Cass and I are talking his ‘Rising Horizon’ series in which he paints the sea on alternative surfaces to convey an environmental message. Equally raising awareness and paying homage to the restorative powers of the sea.
Get in Touch
Want to get in touch? We’d love to hear from you. Here’s how you can reach us…
Call us on:
+44 (0)7816 679 828
or email:
antje@artphilia.co
Galleries we work with
