Promoting art is a social responsibility

According to Burger, Julius Baer’s relationship with art is as deeply ingrained in its DNA as its Swiss heritage.

“Established in 1981 by Hans J. Baer (1927-2011), the Julius Baer art collection was inspired by his belief that art in the workplace is a positive catalyst to stimulate conversation. Since the very beginning, the main idea was that art should be integral to the culture and environment of the bank,” he says.

While it is important that Julius Baer has a culture that promotes discussions around art, Valizadeh adds that it was crucial for them to showcase this support in the communities they live and work in.

“Promoting the arts is like a social responsibility for us and is one of the reasons we entered into a partnership with Art Dubai in 2015 to engage our clients in the UAE; our core strategic growth market in Middle East and Africa,” he says.

“Art Dubai is a great example of the diverse cultural amalgamation that we witness in Dubai and is a perfect way to engage in a dialogue about perspectives on art, life and everything in between.”

Julius Baer’s commission at Art Dubai 2022

Every year, Julius Baer hosts its clients in a custom-built VIP lounge at Art Dubai and uses it as a platform to showcase artists from its own art collection or from within affiliated galleries at Art Dubai. “We are very excited for our commission this year as for the very first time, we present an immersive and interactive video installation entitled ‘Cloud Seed’ by Filipino-American light and media artist James Clar,” reveals Burger.

And through this commission, Valizadeh explains that Julius Baer aspires to showcase the emergence of mega trends, including digital disruption with artists embracing cutting-edge technology in their practice. “The space between physical and digital art is blurring and we are happy to be at the forefront of this discussion.” 

About Cloud Seed by James Clar

Renowned for his use of light and video to create impactful work, James Clar’s (@JamesClar) Cloud Seed is an interactive installation juxtaposing the narrative and conceptual potential of technology. This installation will immerse viewers in a large-scale real time simulation of raindrops and fog, reflecting the control human beings have over the environment.

Having lived in Dubai for over seven years, Clar says he took inspiration for the Julius Baer Commission from the groundbreaking cloud seeding mechanism that’s used to improve water security and biodiversity in the UAE.

“The commission takes live video of visitors at the fair and immerses them within a video simulation of raindrops and fog,” he says. 

He uses specially developed software to create a slowly morphing cinematic scene intended to mimic an environment condition.

Overview of the Julius Baer art collection

Since its inception, the focus of the Julius Baer art collection and the art committee has been to find outstanding Swiss artists at an early stage.

In addition to fostering young talent and collecting pieces at the beginning of the artist’s career, another central aim of the collection is to follow the artist’s activities closely and acquire additional artworks as their oeuvre develops to obtain a representative body of their work. This creates a dynamic blend of both up-and-coming and firmly established artists.

And today, the Julius Baer art collection comprises a comprehensive selection of contemporary Swiss art which Burger reveals encompasses over 5,000 pieces.

“This is across a broad genre, including paintings, sculptures, photographs, videos, graphics, and drawings which are displayed in Julius Baer’s meeting rooms, staff restaurants, offices, foyers, and corridors around the globe,” says Burger.

And to date, these works of art continue to engage and intrigue both employees and visiting clients.

*For more information, Art Dubai takes place at Madinat Jumeirah from 11 – 13 March 2022. For more details, visit www.artdubai.ae.