Swiss lawyer and collector Gitti Hug, president of the friends of the Kunsthaus Zürich, discusses her art collection in an interview with The Art Newspaper. She began collecting in the mid-1990s with Christopher Wool's "Bad Dog," purchased at auction in 1994 for $4,500, and her most recent acquisition is a drawing by Philip Guston. Hug specializes in intellectual property law with a focus on the international art market and is a fan of Abstract Expressionists like Mark Rothko and Philip Guston. She shares her favorite Basel destinations, including the Fondation Beyeler and Kunsthalle Basel, and offers tips for first-time visitors.
This profile matters because it offers an intimate glimpse into the collecting habits and motivations of a prominent Swiss art collector and museum supporter. Hug's reflections on instinct versus due diligence, her regret over passing on a Rothko at auction, and her choice of a dream artwork—Rothko's "No. 5 (Reds)" at Berlin's Neue Nationalgalerie—illuminate the personal and emotional dimensions of art collecting. The interview also highlights the role of collectors in the art ecosystem, particularly those who serve as institutional leaders like Hug's presidency at the friends of the Kunsthaus Zürich.