The Gasunie building has been called the most beautiful building in the Netherlands. What few people know is that the Gasunie also boasts an art collection consisting of as many as 1,800 works by contemporary artists. Although these works are normally only on display for employees, we were given the rare opportunity to enter this special building. We spoke with Cees Pisuisse, chairman of the art committee.
‘We organise exhibitions four to five times a year, and from each exhibition we buy a work of art. We seek out artists ourselves for that. Of course, we sometimes choose based on recommendations, but we also visit galleries, and sometimes an artist's studio, ourselves. We also go to events such as Art Amsterdam and Art Rotterdam. Furthermore, we receive a lot of mail from artists showing their own interest. Multiples from editions have also been bought in the past: lithographs and screen prints. These also count towards the 1,800 works we have. Nowadays, we prefer to buy one sculpture or painting from an exhibition because everything is already full.’
WHY DO YOU BUY ART?
‘I think as a company rooted in society, you have to do certain social things. Among other things, the Gasunie has chosen to do this with regard to art. I think that's a good choice. We could also have been on FC Groningen shirts, but this is what we are doing. Besides, the building lends itself beautifully to it. We think it is good to open this building — which is otherwise a private space — to the public, at least during specific Sundays. Another reason we are doing this is that we want to introduce our own people to art. I don't think it's that much of an investment. We are not doing it for profit.’
"1,000 PEOPLE WORK HERE. I DON'T KNOW IF THE AVERAGE GALLERY GETS THAT NUMBER OF VISITORS’" Cees Pisuisse
HOW DO YOU CHOOSE ARTISTS THAT YOU WANT TO INCLUDE?
‘This is done through a fair democratic process. The art committee consists of five people, and we have to be careful not to only exhibit artists who suit our own tastes. We are a company, so of course there are a lot of different tastes within that company. We have to make sure we have one thing at one time and something completely different at another time. Sometimes that also means that there are exhibitions where people say: I don't like that much. And vice versa.’
‘The only real criterion for us is that the artists live and work in the Netherlands. We do this because we like to provide a platform for artists. We think this is good for our business and our image. We don't want to organise a retrospective of an artist who has already died, like you would in a museum. We are also careful not to choose shocking art. People are walking past it on their way to the lift and are not necessarily deliberately viewing art, as is the case in a museum or gallery.’
DO YOU HAVE AN ARTWORK IN YOUR OWN COLLECTION THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHOW TO THE WHOLE CITY?
‘I had an artwork in my room by Kees van Bohemen for many years. I was very fond of it. We sometimes see people getting so attached to a particular piece of art that they want to buy it when they retire. But if we start doing that, then it will never end.’
IS THE ART IN THE BUILDING MAINLY FOR EMBELLISHMENT OR DOES IT ALSO HAVE ANOTHER FUNCTION?
‘That's a good question. I never really like those lofty stories that you couldn't work well without art. But it is certainly true that a pleasant working environment helps people's wellbeing and functioning, and art can help with that, I think.’
DON'T YOU THINK IT'S A SHAME THAT THE ART REMAINS BEHIND CLOSED DOORS?
‘Yes, maybe that's a shame, but I don't think there's anything to be done about that. I think that is less of a problem than the benefit of presenting employees with art. A thousand people work here. I don't know if the average gallery gets that number of visitors. Then there is also the fact that we offer artists a platform. And that when we purchase works, we make an artist very happy.