Valeria Rodnianski, a Kyiv-born collector, discusses her art collection and the philosophy behind it in an interview with The Art Newspaper. Her collection includes works by blue-chip artists like Anselm Kiefer and lesser-known figures such as Ukrainian artist Pavlo Makov. The first public exhibition of her collection, titled 'Art from War to War: Chasing Butterflies on the Verge of a Cliff,' opened at Beck & Eggeling gallery in Düsseldorf and runs until August 15. The show features postwar German artists alongside artists from the former Soviet Union, spanning from the building of the Berlin Wall in 1961 to Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, aiming to foster dialogue between German and Eastern European artistic positions.
The interview matters because it offers insight into the personal motivations and decision-making processes of a contemporary art collector, highlighting how collections are shaped by both acquisitions and missed opportunities. Rodnianski's focus on bridging Eastern European and German art, as well as her advocacy for undervalued artists like Pavlo Makov, underscores broader trends in the art world toward diversifying narratives and recognizing overlooked artistic traditions. Her reflections on instinct, regret, and discovery provide a rare, intimate look at the collector's role in shaping cultural memory and dialogue.