23/01/2014 25' 32''
English

Sylvain and Dominique Levy are the founders of the DSL Collection, which focuses primarily on contemporary Chinese art and includes painting, sculpture, video, photography and installations.

The husband-and-wife team decided to embark on what they see as a 'personal adventure' after a trip to Shanghai in 2005, where they found themselves deeply fascinated by Chinese culture and had the opportunity to come into contact with figures from the local art scene. Lorenz Helbling, founder of ShanghART Gallery, introduced them to the current scene in China, and the artist Ding Yi opened the doors of his studio to them. Ever since then, they have been passionate about studying and disseminating the country’s contemporary art and culture.

Their collection includes works by artists such as Ding Yi, Zhou Tiehai, Zhang Huan, Yang Jiechang and Martina Köppel-Yang as well as collectives like Big Tail Elephant Working Group and Yangjiang Group. With a strong online presence, the DSL Collection aims to tear down borders, expand its reach, and acquire its own distinctive style based on the creative potential of new technologies.

SON[I]A talks to Sylvain Levy about the new roles that collectors and museums are taking on in times of crisis, about the motivations behind the collection, and about the Chinese contemporary art ecosystem today.

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