re: view
In Hong Kong, face value is worth more than gold. It's probably the reason why, despite the economic downturn, I have spotted no shortage of BMW X5 sport utility vehicles on the streets and waiting lists for Hermes Birkin bags aren't getting shorter.
But when it comes to acquiring art, however, the story is different. It takes a lot more justification for a company to spend $100,000 on a painting to decorate a lift lobby, and fat-salaried executives are crossing art off their lists as their bonus cheques shrink faster than a deflating balloon.
But two vivacious New Zealand women are coming to the rescue - when it comes to art anyway. Belinda Kruger and Nicole Jelicich started Art-lease two years ago and it has become the corporate world's best-kept secret. Next time you walk into a legal chamber, airline lounge or bank boardroom and see amazing works on the wall, don't assume they are part of the company collection. They might just be classy 'rentals', courtesy of Art-lease.
I dropped by the company's stunning harbour-view office at the Bank of China Building, filled with framed artwork and sculpture samples. They are a dream team - Kruger has 10 years' experience in real estate and Jelicich is a painter and art consultant. Theirs is truly a one-stop shop. They work with more than 100 individual artists and popular galleries such as Chouinard, Schoeni, Alisan and Grotto Fine Arts (each with a great roster of painters). Clients simply drop by and go through an extensive catalogue, pick what they like, and the women will do the rest - measure, frame, hang and organise the right insurance.
There is also something for every budget from Andy Warhols to Wang Yidong to Yue Min Jun (above). Kruger says leasing makes sense because the monthly instalments are from $500 to $5,000 (averaging $1,000) so clients can still show off their taste without huge outlays. Lease terms range from six months to three years with an option to buy, and the women are touting a growing purchase rate because 'people do fall in love with the works'. If a client can't find what they want, they can commission something.
