In A City Of Perennial Pleasures: Q&A with Philip Hewat-Jaboor, Chairman, Masterpiece London
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The fair chairman on his favorite drinks & restaurants, must-visit museums, and London’s lesser-known gems.MASTERPIECE LONDON, (June 28-July 4) is the self-described “cross-collecting” art fair at which visitors can peruse and purchase great works oIn A City Of Perennial Pleasures: Q&A with Philip Hewat-Jaboor, Chairman, Masterpiece London
The fair chairman on his favorite drinks & restaurants, must-visit museums, and London’s lesser-known gems.MASTERPIECE LONDON, (June 28-July 4) is the self-described “cross-collecting” art fair at which visitors can peruse and purchase great works of art, design, furniture, and jewelry. Of the 160 exhibitors, many are from London, but the fair is truly global, with galleries coming from Geneva to Montreal, Hong Kong to Delhi. Each participant is vetted by a committee of international specialists drawn from academia, auction houses, and museums.Last year, a dedicated large-scale exhibition space called “Masterpiece Presents” debuted, welcoming an immersive work of art by the Chilean artist Ivan Navarro.This year, the showcase will feature a new experimental work, produced in Madrid, by Marina Abramovic: namely a set of alabaster portraits merging performance, light, and sculpture titled “Five Stages of Maya Dance.”BLOUIN ARTINFO spoke to Philip Hewat-Jaboor, Chairman of Masterpiece London, about where he likes to dine solo and his fondness for Sir John Soane.How long have you been a Londoner?I started working for Sotheby’s in 1972 and have remained in London ever since, although I now reside more often in the Channel Island of Jersey.What are your “can’t leave without seeing this” recommendations for the city?The Weston Tower, the extraordinary new addition to Westminster Abbey by Ptolemy Dean, and the gallery to which it leads, should not be missed. The Sir John Soane’s Museum — the architect’s house museum — has been influential from the beginning, and now has newly opened spaces and a really imaginative exhibition program.What is the most overrated thing to see or visit in London?Musicals.What restaurants and/or cafes would you recommend (and what makes them unique)?My all-time favorite has to be the Caprice, which I started going to after its reopening in 1981. The food is consistent and superb, in excellent and comfortable surroundings. The River Cafe opened by Ruth Rogers (Sir Richard Rogers’ wife) and Rose Gray with their pioneering modern cooking, idyllically placed by the side of the River Thames, is also fantastic. They grow much of their own produce and aside from superb food have nurtured a new generation of cooks.What would you do if you had a free morning or afternoon in London?I would probably take myself to the Wallace Collection and wander serendipitously through their collections of French 18th century decorative arts, master paintings and extraordinary arms and armor. Endlessly stimulating.Where would you head for the best shopping?St James’s and Mayfair.What’s an authentic item you could buy locally?Violet and rose cream chocolates from Charbonnel et Walker.Where would you recommend people stay when they visit?It is always best to stay centrally in any city and I would choose Duke’s Hotel tucked away in St. James’s. It is comfortable and has one of the finest bars in London — indeed, the only place for a serious martini or a piscine [most commonly, champagne served with plenty of ice].What are the best venues to check out exhibitions or collections in the city?The obvious museums — The Victoria and Albert, and British Museums, Tate Modern — are essential visiting but perhaps slightly less well known might be the Courtauld Gallery with its remarkable collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings and the Dulwich Picture Gallery with its master painting collection displayed in a marvelous neo-classical building designed by Sir John Soane for the collection. Both of these galleries are the collections of individual and philanthropic private collectors.What are the best places to buy art?Art should be always bought from dealers and galleries with whom a relationship of trust is built. Masterpiece is the perfect place for the less well acquainted to buy a great variety of works in all disciplines, offered for sale by highly respected international dealers.What are your favorite bars to relax in after spending the day at the fair?I usually finish very late and if I have no dinner to attend I like to eat on my own at Le Caprice, which is almost adjacent to Boodle’s, the club where I stay in London.What are you most looking forward to about this newest edition of Masterpiece London?June is the highlight of the summer season and a visit to Masterpiece is of course essential. I am very excited about Masterpiece Presents — our new dedicated exhibition space — this year we present a sensational new work by Marina Abramovic, “Five Stages of Maya Dance.”What never ceases to excite me, however, is the extraordinary range of beautiful works of art in all disciplines, drawn from all over the world, that our passionate exhibitors bring to Masterpiece to astonish, delight and tempt.http://www.blouinartinfo.comFounder: Louise Blouin Read more