The art bunker

Fifty-seven-year-old Christian Boros is a media entrepreneur and publisher, but art is his true passion. At the age of 18, he bought his first work of art and today he owns one of the largest contemporary art collections in Germany. In addition, he owns his own gallery which is unique in its own right. Boros bought the World War II era Reichsbahn bunker in Berlin’s Mitte district in 2003 and had it converted into a world-famous art gallery. 

Starting in 2008, he has showcased a changing selection of works from his collection spread across the 3000 square metres of space. In addition, Boros sits on the Board of Trustees of Freunde der Nationalgalerie (Friends of the National Gallery) in Berlin and serves as a member of the Grimme Institute’s advisory board, the Foundation Beyeler’s Committee of Patrons and Art Basel’s Global Patrons Council. 

For Boros, art appreciation is multi-layered and requires great thought. Art for Christian is an outlook.

“Before the Renaissance, artists were primarily regarded as skilled craftsmen. From the 15th century onwards, art was increasingly prized for its originality rather than as a quality product,” he says.

“I believe the key questions we should ask about art are ‘what does an artist think? What’s uppermost in their minds? What’s their perspective on things?’”

“A work’s conceptual power, its meaning and ideological position, together with the artist’s ability to execute their ideas determine its relevance.”

That of course means that more often than not, art is incomprehensible any first.

“The public at large has always failed to understand an artist’s work at the time of its creation. That’s because art breaks with convention to create something truly new. Consequently, it cannot be measured against familiar aesthetic standards. It’s scandalous and provocative because that’s the only way to push back perceptual boundaries and innovate.“

It follows then that good art is subjective.

“As a work’s originator, an artist puts their stamp on it by signing it. They are bold enough to say ‘that’s me’. No artist deals in truths or objective statements. Artists are free and answer to no one except themselves,” says Boros.

“We can learn from the way artists perceive things. An open society can gain new insights into the present by engaging with different artists’ diverse subjectivities. That’s what I mean by ‘learning’ and expanding our personal horizons.”

As a result, art need not be ‘beautiful’ or art as some form of ‘decoration’ says Boros.

“Art is not supposed to beautify the environment, your home or a museum. Art is neither a decorative item nor a means of prettifying life. And it is not a handicraft. First and foremost, art is an outlook on the present and an artist’s individual way of expressing that through various different media. We may experience the way an artist gives expression to their outlook as uplifting, grating, mind-blowing, stimulating or moving – but it’s never merely beautiful.”

At the end of the day though, Boros insists that art must always be truthful.

“Art shouldn’t be a slave to fashions or trends,” he says. 

“Instead, it must confine itself to presenting and visualising an artist’s statement in a credible and unique way. That’s the only way for art to enrich society, help push back boundaries and provide real insights – today and tomorrow.”