“The mission of Salon is to transform the experience of collecting, from something that’s a solitary pursuit into something that’s collaborative, community-centric and strategic. And, can borrow from multiple perspectives to make decisions that are better informed than the decisions that we could make on our own.”
Series 001/17: in conversation with Jordan Huelskamp Forman
Jordan Huelskamp Forman is the founder of Salon, a community-oriented and member managed contemporary art collection, based in New York City.
The role and persona of the art collector has shifted and accessibility has widened. We discuss what choices are available to build a collection of art, that offers space for expressive dialogue, whilst being a discerning financial investment. With shared ownership, commitments to long-term acquisition is more accessible through a model forged by Salon. Through collaboration in decision making, members contribute to building a future legacy, a time-stamp of a culture, which for Salon is reflected in a co-owned portfolio of blue-chip contemporary art.
After graduating with a Masters in Journalism from Columbia University, Jordan found herself embedded in the art world, serving as Curatorial Lead at Artsy, a leading digital marketplace for art. Here, Jordan finely tuned her curatorial tastes, acumen and ‘art world’ savvy, which bolstered her creative vision and strategic planning for Salon’s evolving success.
Jordan reflects on how the relationship to an artwork develops, the moments of connection to an artists work, both imbued through the artists act and the storytelling that is reflected through living and being with art in our personal spaces. Jordan shares her ongoing joy and experiences with, Broom Eater, a personal acquisition, by Japanese-American artist Kikuo Saito. And, we discuss the approaching and possibly unnerving conversation that is taking place around Artificial intelligence and its role in art. Jordan shares her unanswered feelings towards rumors of a robot that paints! What impact do these shifts have on the artist and an the value of the maker, when acquiring a work of art? Jordan’s fluid perspectives of the art world and emerging technologies, has allowed her to be a leading voice in contemporary art collecting. You will find Jordan deep within a rabbit hole or wandering through an Art Fair in New York City.
Interview by Emily Nam