”No one believes that all artists hail from the same mold. The field is so diverse that only some people called artists genuinely are, not even those who label themselves as such (but some are artists without themselves or others knowing it). However, what most genuine artists have in common is that they persist. Similarly, this is the case with art collectors. What is an art collector if not someone who also strives? At least, I believe that applied to Tom Böttiger; he just persisted. …

Böttiger had the means to support, and he did so wildly and unrestrainedly. Someone might have said he was a bold buyer, but the question is whether he wasn't primarily a passionate buyer, passionate in a way that is a good foundation for free artistic creation. So, if one insists on labeling Böttiger as a collector, perhaps he was a freely creating collector, someone who followed his path, perhaps not because he wanted to, but because he had no other option. It honors him, amidst the atmosphere of deals and speculation that otherwise burdens the art world. He didn't brush off the scattered and intricate consequences of his actions, they probably never truly caught up with him until his very last moment. Art kept Tom Böttiger alive, and he, alone, kept the art alive, out of concern.”
Authored by the artist Dan Wolgers Read more