Founded in 2005 by Sylvain and Dominique Lévy - with later development undertaken by their daughter Karen Levy - the DSL Collection constitutes one of the rare Chinese contemporary art collections in France. Sylvain and Dominique Lévy were first interested in contemporary European artists and design, but in 2005 while they were travelling to Shanghai they had the chance to visit the abstract painter Ding Yi’s studio. This journey plunged themselves into a fervent passion for Chinese art.
The Dslcollection actively promotes the exploration and further study of Chinese contemporary art whilst also making use of cutting edge technologies. Tools such as the internet, interactive programs, virtual exhibitions and electronic books help Dslcollection to achieve greater visibility and provide the means to share the experience of contemporary culture.
The DSL Collection is deliberately composed of less than two hundreds artworks, ranging from performance to painting, from video to installation. In addition to these mediums, Sylvain and Dominique Lévy also own some of the biggest names in Chinese contemporary photography, such as Miao Xiaochun, Rongrong, Sheng Qi, Shi Guorui, Wang Qingsong, Yang Yongliang, and Zhang Dali to mention just a few examples. This interview was conducted on April 2013.
You were members of the Advisory Board for the first ART13 London fair. What were your impressions?
I think this art fair went very well. According to what I have heard a great number of visitors came, and as usual some galleries sold many artworks while other sold less. The most important thing was to prove an art fair can exist without the need to have big names in contemporary art, and to pinpoint that people are looking for something else.
Miao Xiaochun, Rongrong, Sheng Qi, Wang Qingsong among many other notorious names belong to your rich collection. Among the above-mentioned photographers, is there any that you like particularly?
I do not have any preference. What is important is that the artwork speaks for itself, that it conveys the artist’s courage, his/her creative capabilities, and the artwork’s relevance within the whole collection.
In your opinion, does Chinese photography play an important role in the art market?
I think that for now Chinese photography does not have much of an impact on today’s art market.
Do you believe that Chinese contemporary photography is characterized by certain peculiarities?
I do. In the beginning photography in China was used in order to record performances, which were very often imbued with political or social commentaries. Then photography evolved into aesthetic, which in my opinion is less powerful.
A fair number of personalities of the art world told me that Chinese contemporary art still needs time to reach its maturity. What do you think about this viewpoint?
I think it is true. Chinese contemporary art as we define it is less than thirty years old. This is a very complex art that mingles tradition and modernity, cultural specificities and globalisation. Besides, you have to take into account that Chinese contemporary art occurs in a highly difficult socio-political context.
What are DSL Collection’s prospects?
We are currently writing a new publication of the collection. It will highlight not only renown artists but also the young generation. Besides, we will do our utmost to remain as active as possible in social networks.
