Living with Art: Why Collecting Is the New Cultural Currency
Apr 21, 2025How private art collections are shaping the future of luxury travel, identity, and meaningful living.
In a world flooded with visuals, owning something truly meaningful has become the ultimate luxury.
From a cosy chalet in the Scottish Highlands, to a modern New York City apartment or a luxurious summer escape in Saint-Tropez, art is now playing a central role in how we shape, experience, and connect with the places we call home — whether for a week or a lifetime.
These private spaces are no longer just homes or holiday destinations. They’ve become personal cultural environments — curated reflections of taste, emotion, and worldview.
Pumkin sculpture by Yayoi Kusama. Photo credit: The Art Trotter. © Artist/BONO
The Rise of Private Cultural Spaces
We’re witnessing a quiet revolution in how the world’s most refined individuals engage with art. No longer confined to museums and institutions, museum-level works now find their way into living rooms, bedrooms, and gardens — not simply as decoration, but as conversation, statement, and soul.
In homes across Europe and beyond, the presence of art is redefining how we perceive luxury. It’s not just about aesthetics or status. It’s about stimulation, inspiration, and the deep sense of connection one feels when living with something that resonates — something that challenges, comforts, or speaks to who we are.
A meticulous early 20th-century recreation of an ancient Greek villa, built from the ground up as a winter residence on the French Riviera for a German collector. Villa Kérylos, Beaulieu-sur-Mer. Photo credit: The Art Trotter
The Collector as Narrator
Art isn’t just about beauty. It is intellectual.
For some, collecting begins with safe choices — familiar names, blue-chip works; in other words, the Picassos of today, as I like to call them — bold, confident, and culturally established.
For others, it’s about discovering the next generation: the future Picassos — a deeply stimulating pursuit where curiosity meets vision, and each acquisition becomes part of a broader cultural and historical dialogue.
But regardless of the path, what remains constant is this: collecting is about crafting a personal narrative. One that evolves over time. One that reflects identity, curiosity, and aspiration.
This is why advising is never just about introducing artworks. It’s about listening. About understanding the collector’s inner dialogue, motivations, hesitations, and tastes — sometimes even helping define them.
Through this process, collecting becomes an incredibly rewarding journey — and often, a lifelong passion that leads to new insights, new encounters, and friendships that transcend the art world itself.
Artwork by Vlad Kulkov. Photo credit: The Art Trotter. © Artist/BONO
The Role of the Advisor: Shaping Taste, Not Just Transactions
In my work with private collectors and culturally sophisticated individuals, I act not only as a curator and advisor, but also as a cultural interpreter.
Yes, I open doors — to artists, to galleries, to works that are often difficult to access. But more importantly, I guide the journey with discretion and sensitivity. I help shape collections that are not only beautiful, but meaningful — collections that reflect the mind as much as the eye.
There is a soft element of education in every step — helping clients articulate what moves them, what they respond to, and what kind of legacy they want their collection to express.
This is where collecting transforms: from a series of acquisitions to a rich, evolving narrative.
Artwork by Magne Foruholmen. Photo credit: The Art Trotter. © Artist/BONO
A New Kind of Travel: Immersive, Cultural, Personal
Whether it’s a ski chalet defined by Nordic minimalism and bold B&W photography, a Provençal manor blending antique tapestries with curated mid-century design, or a beachfront villa showcasing contemporary sculpture across its outdoor spaces, today’s luxury travellers are drawn to more than just comfort.
They are seeking connection. They want places that feel lived-in, intentional, expressive. Homes with identity — where every object has a story, every painting – a presence. Travel, in this sense, becomes not just leisure, but immersion.
Reflexes by Helidon Xhixha, in Tuscany, Italy. Photo credit: The Art Trotter. © Artist/BONO
Culture as Legacy
In a time when trends fade fast and tastes shift even faster, art offers something remarkably enduring. It can provoke. It can soothe. It can inspire. And it can become part of one’s personal evolution — a mirror of the journey within.
To collect art is to collect ideas, influences, and emotions. It is to create and preserve memories. It is an investment not only in the external, but in the internal. And ultimately, it is to shape a legacy not just of what one owns, but of what one values.
Next to a sculpture of Joan Miro, part of the Miro Labyrinth, Fondation Maeght, Saint-Paul-de-Vence. France. Photo credit: The Art Trotter. © Artist/BONO
Alisa is an international art advisor, curator, and founder of The Art Trotter. She works with private collectors and culturally sophisticated individuals to shape meaningful relationships with art — curating collections, advising on acquisitions, and creating immersive art experiences across Europe and beyond.
If you’re looking to build a collection, curate a unique art experience, or simply explore the world of art with a trusted art companion, I am here to support and guide you. You can reach me by sending an e-mail to [email protected]
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