When worlds converge: Art insider Angeliki Kim Jonsson explores the intersection of Fashion and Art
Meet Angeliki Kim Jonsson, An Independent Art Curator, Collector, Historian,Writer, Public Speaker and Advisory Owner…
Angeliki is an entrepreneurial go-getter and expert of the art world, with many impressive credentials to her name. Arguably one of her most notable achievements yet, is being the founder of an independent curating and art advisory, DYNAMISK.
Alongside this, Angeliki has also launched an exciting venture called “Give Me A Break: Dynamisk “In Conversation with..”, which consists of vibrant and unique conversations with pioneering individuals from the Art world. Even more impressively, she is also a Future Contemporaries member at the Serpentine galleries and part of a new generation of philanthropists.
Similarly to myself, Angeliki shares a strong passion and curiosity for two very mesmerising worlds; art and fashion. Critically, she also has a great sense of personal style, which like her artwork, is expertly curated, leading to numerous fashion publications such as WHO WHAT WEAR featuring her aspirational street style.
Since starting my role at MATCHESFASHION and assisting on the partnership with Frieze (a media events company, hosting international art fairs- coined the definitive resource for contemporary art and culture), the huge crossovers between art and fashion have become increasingly apparent.
In this interview, myself and Angeliki discuss the main links between the two industries, the influences they have on one another, key collaborations and start to imagine what the future possibilities could look like. I hope that from reading this, you feel encouraged to explore the offerings and derive inspiration from both art and fashion in your own creative work and personal style. After all, now more than ever before, I believe so many of us want to wear clothes that feel like art. We want a wardrobe that mirrors, communicates and presents to the world key messaging about who we are, what we love and what we believe in. Are you curious to learn how to artistically upgrade and curate your own wardrobe to show-off your best self? - You better keep reading!
By Hannah Tappin
Like many true creatives, Angeliki dosen’t restrict herself to a one dimensional skillset in just one creative realm. Prior to founding her business just one year after graduating with a double degree in Art History & Visual Culture, she immersed herself in a multitude of art forms. This has included attending music school, a professional dance school, moving to Milan to absorb the renowned Italian culture of fashion, design and art before then studying in Switzerland. She personifies the undeniable wisdom and wide spread cultural understanding of many well-travelled individuals, who have fearlessly leapt towards new and exciting opportunities that derive from living in numerous countries. Her passion for art is infectious and, as she tells me, has grown stronger than ever before since living in London - a city where you truly have the very best in art (galleries, museums, artist studios and independent art projects) right on your very door step.
‘Dynamisk, translates from Swedish into the English word dynamic; characterised by constant change, activity or progress’
Incase you were curious, the name of Angeliki’s art venture Dynamisk, translates from Swedish into the English word dynamic; characterised by constant change, activity or progress. Admirably consistent to her business ethos, Angeliki perfectly personifies a dynamic spirit; energetic, on the go and continuously on the road to self improvement.
‘Inspiration can be found everywhere, you just have to keep an open mind and look for it’
When describing what drives her relentless creativity she said: ‘People around me. I am a true observer and very attentive to detail. I think we often don’t give ourselves time to just let our thoughts drift off - this is when important work is done and when I connect the dots, I usually end up seeing things clearer. It is in this ‘state of mind’ that you can get really creative. Inspiration can be found everywhere, you just have to keep an open mind and look for it’…
Hannah : Could you talk a little bit about yourself, what your job entails and your journey into the art world?
Yoshitomo Nara Exhibition, Pace Gallery London
Angeliki: Of course! My name is Angeliki Kim Jonsson and as you mentioned, I’m the founder of Dynamisk Independent Curating & Art Advisory. I work as a curator and art advisor on a multitude of curatorial and art advisory projects, studio visits, workshops, art talks and tours. I also run Give Me A Break: Dynamisk “In Conversation with..” an ever growing series of vibrant and unique conversations with pioneering individuals from the Art world.
‘A curators work is about connecting the dots and the absolute best thing is that you get to work so close with the artists!’
I am also currently co-writing my first book and I’m based in London, UK. I moved here as a transfer student from Switzerland and I graduated in 2017 holding a degree in Art History and Visual Culture. I knew early on that I wanted to be a curator, after studying art history between two universities, it just felt like the passion for curating grew. It’s such an important role because as a curator you become the link between the artist, art work, space, gallery and collector. A curators work is about connecting the dots and the absolute best thing is that you get to work so close with the artists!
Hannah: You founded Dynamisk, back in 2018, what inspired this idea? What was the starting process for you? And was your emphasis in showcasing mostly female artwork intentional?
Chloe Wise - Featured as one of Angeliki’s Monday Muses
‘As a young women working in the arts (apologies- in fact as a young women in general!) I think there’s a lack of girl power, women supporting women, collaborations and celebrations of female peers and it is definitely something I want to change’
Angeliki: Founding Dynamisk was a way for me to collect and categorize what I do. I guess in simple terms you can place my practice into three main sections; curating, advising and the conversation series.
I started working as an advisor before I graduated University and during my last year of studies, I collaborated with the Soho House Group. I’ve hosted talks and workshops at various locations around and outside London. So, I think the way I look at it is that my role both as a curator and advisor organically grew into becoming Dynamisk, then founding Dynamisk was a way to collect all my previous experience and projects as well as set new goals and take on new exciting ones.
I’ve recently launched a new website which explains in closer detail what I do and the various services I offer. There are examples of my previous projects and conversations so please stop by and have a closer look at www.dynamisk.co. It is regularly updated and soon my podcast and conversation series will also be available there!
I started #MondayMuse sometime ago and it is simply a hashtag that I use to celebrate female artists that I post on my page every week. As a young women working in the arts (apologies- in fact as a young women in general!) I think there’s a lack of girl power, women supporting women, collaborations and celebrations of female peers and it is definitely something I want to change. As well as this, there is an extreme under representation of female artists in the art world, so I guess highlighting them has been my way to contribute that to change. However,I must also be completely honest, that when I like a piece of art, it is not solely pending on the gender of the artist.
Hannah: What art speaks to you most, are there key qualities in artwork that you look out for?
The artist dedicated his entirety to the square, painting them over and over again. - Joseph Albers
Navot Miller, one of my selected artist for the 14th volume of FOA
‘The artists that are most successful are those who follow their own trajectory and are connected with their time, meaning they have a distinct and unique voice but they also have a consistent style’.
Angeliki: A unique and consistent voice.
Looking back on art history, the artists that are most successful are those who follow their own trajectory and are connected with their time, meaning they have a distinct and unique voice but they also have a consistent style.
I’ve recently juried for the 14th Volume of FOA and in my curatorial statement I wrote: “Figures, abstraction, colours, forms, brush strokes, consumerism, pop culture, cartoons, space, power, gender, race, nudity, sexual identity and what it means to be human. The selected nine artists are united in the diversity of subjects, mediums and their very own style of contemporary story telling. Ultimately, all representing a part of the contemporary art world today although everyone in their own unique and different way. I selected these artists because they all have a strong voice and I am very much looking forward to seeing them grow and to follow them closely on their journeys.”
I have a game I play with myself at art fairs, I look at how many artists I can recognise from afar without having to approach the gallery to ask to confirm the name or reading the wall label. It’s rewarding to get them right and the ones I don’t, actually prompt interesting conversations as to why I thought it was another artist, and how the artists’ in question are similar vs different in their own practice etc.
So yet again a unique, consistent and relevant style is what I am looking for in the artist I work with and collect myself.
Fashion is art! In front of a wall of collectible Fendi bags in Lugano Switzerland.
Hannah: How would you describe your taste in art vs your fashion sense? – Are there crossovers?
‘As well as both in art and fashion I like the shock factor, what pushes the boundaries and ultimately stands out’
Angeliki: Juxtaposition, the fact of two things being seen or placed close together with contrasting effect. I think that is what attracts me in both art and fashion. Colour blocks or all black, minimal but always with a statement.
Hannah: As someone closely linked to art & fashion, how do you think the two industries inspire one another?
Artist Dan Flavin, Gallery: Art Basel, Basel 2021
Angeliki: Both of them are about communication.
‘More and more we can see crossovers between art and fashion and there are some great collaborations out there. World leading brands such as Dior and Louis Vuitton are great examples on how art and fashion brands collaborates and inspire each other’
My way to dress is definitely a way for me to express myself and many times also to make a statement. On a more general level, it comes down to a lifestyle, it is all interconnected, art, fashion, design. A passionate art collector usually has a great interest in interior design because the two are intertwined. More and more we can see crossovers between art and fashion and there are some great collaborations out there. World leading brands such as Dior and Louis Vuitton are great examples of how art and fashion brands collaborates and inspire each other.
Hannah: Which upcoming fashion designers/labels are you most excited about?
Artist: Szabolcs Bozo Gallery: Carl Kostyal London
‘I’m a major fan of vintage (not only because its green fashion and totally makes sense) but because it’s so rewarding to get an item that is truly unique, it also allows you to travel back in time which I really enjoy as I’m a hopeless fan of especially 70’s and 80’s fashion. In London, for my vintage fix I like Annie’s Ibiza and Lime Green Bow’
Angeliki: I used to live in Milan and my fiancé is Italian, so I have to admit I am a major fan of The Attico I think their designs are amazing, extravagant but at the same time laid back.
I also really like Gilda Ambrosio as a persona, she has a cool attitude and great sense of style. I use MATCHESFASHION to discover new designers and I love their Innovators section, so I would really recommend that.
As for the traditional brands, I love Bottega Veneta, Fendi and Prada. Lastly I’m a major fan of vintage (not only because its green fashion and totally makes sense) but because it’s so rewarding to get an item that is truly unique, it also allows you to travel back in time which I really enjoy as I’m a hopeless fan, especially of 70’s and 80’s fashion. In London, for my vintage fix I like Annie’s Ibiza and Lime Green Bow.
Hannah: As an art insider, what upcoming exhibitions, shows and events are you most looking forward to in the coming months?
Angeliki’s favourite colour is green, can you tell? - Photographed at Frieze with her dear friend Joseph Awuah-Darko.
Angeliki: Pace gallery recently opened a new space in central London, their inaugural exhibition was on Mark Rothko and Torkwase Dyson.
The Barbican have an exhibition celebrating the Japanese American sculptor, Isamu Noguchi. I went recently and it was an absolutely stunning show, especially because I am a major fan of his work.
I recently visited The Hayward Gallery ‘Mixing it up: painting today’ it is a mixture between established and emerging artists I truly enjoyed this show.
White Cube Bermondsey is showing ‘That Which Binds Us’ an exhibition of new paintings by Tunji Adeniyi-Jones and his first with the gallery.
Hauser & Wirth are showing George Condo across both their London galleries in Mayfair, Definitely a must see! At the countryside in Somerset, they have an exhibition of Thomas J Price that’s running until January 2022. It’s worth visiting because the space is so wonderful and perfectly situated in the English countryside. Whenever I go I intend to make a full day out of it so it’s definitely something to keep in mind for the weekend! After seeing the exhibition they have the cutest cafe and restaurant which operates on a ‘Farm to Table’ concept.
Hannah: What innovative new ways would you like to see art and fashion work more closely together in the future?
‘Both fashion and art are major industries with a large voice, within them we can really make a difference. Global warming is a pressing issue and we only have one world and it has to be in everyone’s interest to save it. It can only be done by all industries coming together and collectively striving towards a more sustainable way of living by making a change that starts today. So that is a growing initiative I would like to see!’
Angeliki: On a very personal level, as I’m very passionate about both art and fashion, I’m always happy to learn about new projects and ways that the two collaborate.
The contemporary artist Sterling Ruby, that’s represented by Gagosian gallery, became the first American in over a decade to debut a haute couture fashion collection in Paris earlier this year.
Moreover, the Maison Valentino fall/winter haute couture show in Venice was inspired by art. The creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli believes that painting is to contemporary art what haute couture is to fashion. So, to build a community of makers around Maison Valentino, he brought together an eclectic group of inspiring painters of all ages, backgrounds and aesthetics into his atelier.
However on a more serious matter, both fashion and art are major industries with a large voice, within them we can really make a difference. Global warming is a pressing issue and we only have one world and it has to be in everyone’s interest to save it. It can only be done by all industries coming together and collectively striving towards a more sustainable way of living by making a change that starts today. So that is a growing initiative I would like to see!
Hannah: You’ve featured in numerous fashion publications for your street style, what inspires your street style and what brands and pieces are your go-to’s?
‘Style is not about money it’s about having a good eye and selecting the right things and combining them in a way that makes you feel good and shine’
Angeliki: I’m definitely a mix and match and DIY sort of person, I think I’ve always been. I love shoes and handbags, but I also have a weakness for leather jackets and I have a collection of them.
‘I love a designer bag, a good statement vintage piece, always good shoes (they say never to go cheap when it comes to shoes and our bed, because in life if we’re not in one were in the other!)’
I love the mixture of high and low brow culture in general, so I guess that’s how I dress as well. I love a designer bag, a good statement vintage piece, always good shoes (they say never to go cheap when it comes to shoes and our bed, because in life if were not in one were in the other!), combined with something from the high street like Zara or H&M.
Style is not about money, it’s about having a good eye and selecting the right things and combining them in a way that makes you feel good and shine.
Bag: Bottega Veneta & Top: ZARA
Hannah: Linking on from this, as a regular attendee of Frieze Art Fairs over the years, what have you worn, and do you have any fashion tips for attendees?
Angeliki: Frieze week in October is definitely the most important weeks in London for the arts. There is so much going on other than the art fair itself, including the art galleries put their best foot forward, the museums and institutions always plan great exhibitions for the month of October and not to mention the many open artist studios, gallery dinners, parties and openings.
The city lights up and becomes booming and vibrant. I think the energy was extra special this year due to Covid as we had missed out on a full year of art fairing. Frieze week is an extremely busy and hectic for me, as there are so many people, gallerists, fellow curators, art advisors and collectors, who all travel into London from all over the Globe. Hence, being organised is extremely important so my fashion tips are these:
1) Always wear comfortable shoes, I never wear high heels during the day time because I am always on my feet and always on my way to the next meeting. So my to-go-to comfortable shoe options are cool sneakers or for a more dressed up professional look, I go with boots. I’m addicted to boots and I have to admit, I have a boots collection from the likes of Bottega Veneta, Prada, The Attico, Balmain, YSL and Isabel Marant - to mention a few!
2) Plan ahead, I think it is extremely important to dress accordingly to the occasion, so if you’re stressed and tight on time, there is no time to stare into the closet hoping that creativity will come to you. Plan your outfits ahead of time, it saves time and like that you can quickly swap your outfits and always feel and look your best. During Frieze week I sometimes get changed up to three times a day depending on my commitments, that might sound like a lot but it’s not if you are well planned beforehand.
Lastly, this might not be a fashion advice as such, but my other three top things on my check list during Frieze week are: a note book, a map of the Fair (that I use to cross out the galleries I’ve visited and to make notes) and a phone charger or just use a battery pack, that’s what I use and I promise you I am never without battery on my phone so when I say you can reach me 24/7, I really do mean it!
Hannah: Who is your fashion muse and most loved designer?
Angeliki: Favourite muse must be Cher, Elton John and fellow Swede Elsa Hosk. There are so many designers but if I would need to pick one... it would probably be YSL and anything from their 80’s collection!
Hannah: Finally, I would love to know what advice you would give to your younger self and to those less familiar with the art world but wanting to learn more?
‘What I am trying to say is that if you come in with a genuine approach, be open to learn, not afraid to ask questions and take advice as well as criticism, you will already be ahead to succeed’
Angeliki: Don’t be afraid to ask!
When I lived in Milan I picked up Italian and became fluent in under less than a year, because I wasn’t afraid to make mistakes (in the beginning I said ‘Gracias’ as in Spanish, but I quickly learnt it was ‘Grazie’ in Italy). What I am trying to say is that if you come in with a genuine approach and are open to learn, not afraid to ask questions and take advice as well as criticism you will already be ahead to succeed.
A piece of advice I would give my younger self, is probably to do more by doing less, I’ve always been a multitasker so it comes natural that I want to be a helping hand, which is great, but it is also why my life ends up being so hectic. So I’ve made a promise to myself and that is to focus on fewer projects next year and prioritise quality over quantity.