Manuela Wirth. A Family Affair
interview by Fatos Üstek
Art, for Manuela Wirth, is a family affair. With her mother, Ursula Hauser, and her husband, Iwan Wirth, 27 years ago she co-founded the contemporary art gallery Hauser & Wirth, currently counting outposts in seven different locations around the globe. Taking a closer look at the first exhibition of Ursula Hauser’s personal collection outside of Switzerland – featuring works by only female artists, assembled over the course of four decades – Fatos Üstek talks with Manuela Wirth about her mother’s extraordinary collection and a shared commitment to art.
“UNCONSCIOUS LANDSCAPE: WORKS FROM THE URSULA HAUSER COLLECTION,” HAUSER & WIRTH SOMERSET. MAY 25 – SEPTEMBER 8.
Manuela Wirth is co-owner of one of the most successful and internationally renowned contemporary art galleries in the world. Founded in 1992, Hauser & Wirth operates in eight cities on three continents, from Zurich to London, Hong Kong to Los Angeles and New York. With her husband Iwan Wirth, she not only guides the growth of Hauser & Wirth Gallery, but also oversees the Dursdale Farm, a site for artist residencies in Somerset, as well as the recently opened Fife Arms hotel in Scotland.
Mrs. Wirth sets out to nurture the artists the gallery represents, keeping a watchful eye on their careers and states of mind. At the same time, she cares for a large family and a farmhouse in Somerset. She is currently working on co-curating a non-selling exhibition of female artists’ works in Somerset, all drawn from the collection of Ursula Hauser, her mother and co-founder of the gallery together with Iwan and Manuela.
Ursula Hauser bought her first work when she was an 18-year-old trainee in the textile department of a store. Her collection now resembles a roll call of outstanding women artists, including Louise Bourgeois, Maria Lassnig, Alina Szapocznikow, Lee Lozano, Eva Hesse, Sylvia Sleigh, Carol Rama, Heidi Bucher, Meret Oppenheim, Sheila Hicks, and Sonia Gomes.
The exhibition at Hauser & Wirth Somerset is composed of seventy works, some being shown for the first time in the UK. Moreover, the show will be the first major presentation of this personally charged collection outside of Switzerland and marks the occasion of Ursula Hauser’s 80th birthday.
In our conversation, Manuela Wirth reflects on her own trajectory, on growing up with a passionate collection, her role in the success of Hauser & Wirth and coping with the demands of a prolific life spanning across continents.
FATOS ÜSTEK: Why do you think you were drawn to art?
MANUELA WIRTH: I was first exposed to contemporary art through my mother. She started collecting local Swiss artists in the 1960s; works by Ernst Tinner, Josef Ebnöther, Rolf Hauenstein, Carl Linner, Peter Spring and Hans Falk, among others. All fantastic artists who unfortunately were never recognized beyond their region. Over time my curiosity grew, and I saw what a privilege it was to work alongside the creative legacy of my mother and the artists she supported. The moment I was most drawn to art was an early visit to an artist’s studio, and ever since then I have thought of such visits as the most inspiring experience, to watch artists working and listen to them talk about their art.
What is a collection for you? How do you see the Ursula Hauser Collection? What are its strengths?
My mother has built an extraordinary collection of works by visionary artists, but she never set out to become a “collector.” The body of work grew out of the personal exchanges and relationships she had with the artists. There is a sense of depth and progression across the collection, as she collected many pieces by the same artists over time, which is one of the things I think makes it unique.
Her approach to collecting is deeply personal and intuitive. It has always avoided speculation or trends. She was also a very early supporter of women artists, who now make up the vast majority of the collection. This probably came from having a direct connection to the sensibilities, subjects and stories behind female artists’ work. It may also have been from a desire to find overlooked, complex or unappreciated artists like Carol Rama and Heidi Bucher.
Did you have any influence in the growth of the collection?
From early on we often went to galleries, museum shows and art fairs. Later this process extended to visiting artists’ studios together, and we would spend hours discussing what we had seen. But her approach to collecting new work is intensely personal, based on direct emotional connections. There is some overlap in the artists we admire, but no, I have not influenced the collection, it has always been led by my mother.
Which works do you love the most in the Ursula Hauser Collection?
My mother’s collection of works by Louise Bourgeois. The very first Bourgeois piece my mother bought was Legs (1989), which is now a central part of her collection – she had seen the installation in 1993 at the Venice Biennale and was transfixed by it. The legendary New York gallerist Pat Hearn found her an edition and the Legs got a new home at my mother’s house in Henau, where they still are today. Two legs just hanging in the air. We were both drawn to the material – they are made of rubber and when you touch them they vibrate. Bourgeois loved to explore different media; she never had an allegiance to one in particular. Seeing these abstract legs suspended in the air somehow counters their density and weight. It was shortly after this that my mother met Louise for the first time at her studio in Brooklyn, New York, which was probably one of the most profound moments in her life as a collector. There was a very strong connection between them, despite being a generation apart: both small in stature but strong in character, both with three children each and family backgrounds in textiles.
After Legs, another favorite of mine is Meret Oppenheim’s piece made with fur gloves with wooden fingers [Pelzhandschuhe, 1936]. This was an iconic piece of Surrealist work, but it also brings back personal memories for me. When she showed them to me for the first time, in front of her on the table, I saw that her hands were exactly the same size, quite petite, with an almost identical shade of red nail polish!
Does owning a collection come with responsibilities?
Owning artwork is a great privilege, but with that comes an obligation to make these works available to the public. Sharing her collection is very important to my mother and she loans many pieces of work every year for museum exhibitions. I’m very excited to now have this opportunity to bring so many of the works to Hauser & Wirth Somerset this summer.
Did you have a role model? Who inspires you most?
My mother is my role model. As a young woman I admired her style, independence, generosity and open mind. After her, I’m inspired by the artists we work with.
When are you happiest?
At home in Somerset, when the whole family is together, and we go for long walks with our six dogs (yes, six), then cook together and eat, with great conversation around the dining table.
How did Durslade products and the other gallery extensions come about?
Very naturally. Everything was triggered by Somerset, where we live and now have not only the gallery but also a restaurant, a guesthouse, a garden by Piet Oudolf, artists’ residencies, and art education programs with over 70 local schools. This has also become a model for our LA gallery. We love architecture and building, and the local environments often guide what we create there. That was what happened with our local artistinspired Durslade products.
All our projects beyond the traditional gallery are always an expression of our desire to support and nurture more artists, their art, and the communities where they live and work. They might be ways to bring local artists and communities into the gallery – as with Durslade products – or ways to bring our artists’ work to new audiences in new environments, like the Fife Arms, a 46-room inn in the Scottish Highlands that we recently restored.
Hauser & Wirth is operating globally with locations across Europe, America and Asia. Did you envision this success?
Our two guiding principles are that in everything we do quality is paramount, and that our artists should always come first. The artists have led the growth of the gallery. Our move out of Switzerland was primarily motivated by the need to bring them the opportunities they wanted and needed. Our expansion to Hong Kong last year was driven by the desire of our artists to have an exhibition space in Asia. And our Los Angeles gallery was created as a home for the many artists we represent who live and work there, who wanted more physical interaction with us and the public.
Would you describe yourself as organized? In other words, how do you choreograph the work-life balance?
You have to be very disciplined when you are involved with as many aspects of the business as we are. But we succeed with the help of the wonderful people around us.
What would be the three pieces of advice you would give to your younger self?
Be open-minded and curious. Be generous, and treat everyone with respect. Approach the world with a smile.
Fatos Üstek is director of the Liverpool Biennial.