Zooming in: From Private Collecting to Public Engagement

What is that leads collectors to commit to curatorial processes, apart from the will to pay justice to the artists beyond the market? Indeed, whether in the form of foundations or other sorts of creative projects, very often collections promote specific agendas by being opened to public enjoyment. In these cases, they evolve into vital platforms, aimed at exploring the social and at fostering the participation of either local and international communities. Accordingly and by encompassing different and international realities (the London-based not for profit Delfina Foundation; Kadist, a visual arts organisation and collection based in Paris and San Francisco; the private collection and foundation Leal Rios in Lisbon) this conversation thus addresses the shift from private acquisition to public commitment, while also exploring the role of collections as catalysts for artistic and social change.