brand book beginnings

8/6/2019 Brand Book Beginnings

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[ Dé is Ka ]Follow your Art



It has been said thatart is a tryst,

for in the joy of itmaker and beholder meet.

Kojiro Tomita F o l l o w y o u r A r t

[ Dé is Ka ]



[ Dé is Ka ]

How it all began‘Service is an Art’ exclaimed Donna Wolf when she gave up her top job to helpartists with their administration. DéisKa, a growing and blossoming art fund is the result.

Donna Wolf uses her brains and follows her heart. In 2001 she gave up her positionas CFO of a multinational, and together with a like minded lawyer, founded an independentconsultancy practice.

As an American economist, it struck her that the Dutch cultural and commercial

sectors almost seemed to be one another’s rivals. Whereas Wolf is more inclined to combinecreative and commercial ideas. To her, the two are complementary forces which whencombined serve to strengthen one another. She wanted to help emerging artists withpractical things like administration and accounting, finding a studio and organizingexhibitions while at the same time creating a stir in the world of collectors and art lovers.‘Follow your Art’, become the payoff.

Donna Wolf used her business sense in combination with her unique talent toenable passion, practical insight and personal warmth to work together. While studyingeconomics in Berlin she investigated a special local economy: the trade relationshipbetween East Germans – looking for goods- and West Germans – in search of services.Wouldn’t this type of barter be possible here too? She allows her emerging artists to paywith Artwork. Quality Artwork that is. The art will increase in value – certainly if you ensurethat the artists receive recognition, and they develop their network and use this positivestimulus to continually increase the quality of their artwork. For this reason only verycarefully selected artists are chosen for participation in DéisKa. Wolf surrounded herself

with a unique group of experts and collectors of contemporary art.

F o l l o w y o u r A r t



[ Dé is Ka ]

How it all beganDéisKa is also an Art fund. Individuals and companies can become silent partnersthrough a contribution of € 15.000. Half shares are available and payment in instalmentsover five years is also possible. The contributions from investors are used to acquireartworks from the selected artists; increasing the art collection. Currently the collectioncomprises 200 artworks that continue to increase in value. Once every five years theinvestors have an opportunity for an exit. Are we taking about art lovers, or a group of

people who smell profits? Both of course. And Donna wouldn’t be Donna if she didn’t makea nice club out of it at the same time. During the exhibitions and dinners, the members havean opportunity to make a personal selection from the collection, for a temporary exhibition -in their own home. Her talent to bring together people, activity, money and emotion bycombining them into a dynamic whole, has led to the formation of a circle of art lovers thatcontinues to grow in size and enthusiasm. For art and artists, for togetherness, mutualsupport and establishing a network of contacts. ‘Each and every element of the concept isinterrelated and falls into place,’ she acknowledges with contentment.

By Jacqueline Volenhoven

Safe magazine, Robeco group February 2009Money helps F o l l

o w y o u r A r t



[ Dé is Ka ]

Who are we for?• Artists with high potential• Aspiring Collectors• Partners•

Young Arts Professionals• Arts lovers in the community F o l l

o w y o u r A r t



[ Dé is Ka ]

How we work




[ Dé is Ka ]

Detailing how we do it1) Support high potential artists by:

Promoting their talents through a mutually

beneficial relationship

-exchanging professional services to include theirquality artworks in the Deiska collection

-finding studio spaces

-connecting them with galleries and the public-doing their taxes-organizing exhibitions F o l l

o w y o u r A r t



[ Dé is Ka ]

Detailing how we do it2) Develop aspiring collectors by:

Engaging them as co-owners in the art fund

-creating opportunities to have art in their homesand offices

-engaging them in dialogue with artists andexperts at openings, exhibitions and otherevents

-together establishing places for exploringcontemporary arts and collecting F o l l

o w y o u r A r t



[ Dé is Ka ]

Detailing how we do it3) Build a strong collection of unique artworks

being produced in the Netherlands now by:

Collecting with vision and care

- fostering enduring and reciprocal relationshipswith our artists, collectors and partners

-discovering and developing new talents

-continuing to build and use our special networks-promoting the collection (exhibitions, website,

interviews, special events, etc.)-under the guidance of an expert selection

committee




[ Dé is Ka ]

Detailing how we do it4) Open a gateway to the Dutch art community:

Creating a place for art lovers to connect,experience, aspire and learn

-organizing exhibitions-coordinating artist talks-bridging communities (art, corporate, cultural,

young professionals, etc.)- facilitating new relationships and projects




[ Dé is Ka ]

Why we do it

Fostering creativity in your community




[ Dé is Ka ]

What our artists say:“In 2002 Eduard de Geer, founder of Deiska, introduced my work to Deiska's selection committee.I was quite happy to be selected as one of the participating artists. From that moment on I could benefitfrom Deiska's services. For some artists trading work for services may not be preferable to selling for cash,but I don't mind doing so because Deiska does a lot more than providing assistance in practical matters.

In 2003 I participated in the Amsterdam Art fair and with the support of Deiska I was able to havea nice small catalogue of my paintings designed and printed. Deiska payedfor it partially, but equally important was their help in finding a superb designer, who was willing to work

for a modest fee. Deiska also helped my finding a printer. Since one of the directors of this firm was one of the earliest investors in Deiska, they were willing to print the catalogue cheaply.

Deiska is not just providing assistance in practical matters with which artists have to cope, Deiskaalso has a huge network of followers, investors and friends. Artists can benefit from this network and makenew contacts more easily. So Deiska is a community of artists, investors, and other art related professionalcontacts as well.

Since 2003 I have had a number of gallery shows in Holland, and recently I have done someprojects in Germany. I had some questions about taxes and selling abroad, but Donna Wolf, with herbackground as a business executive, is always ready to answer my questions exactly and immediately. Eachyear she handles all my tax matters without even the slightest headache.

Since Donna has been heading Deiska , Deiska had been popping up with new exhibitions incentral hotspots in Amsterdam. A number of my works are part of the collection and are exhibited off andon in these shows. For an artist being a part of a big collection is a good thing in itself, which generatesnew publicity and contacts.

I hope Deiska will grow bigger in the coming years, creating new opportunities for artists, andhelping them out in practical matters. ”

comments by artist Frans van Tartwijk




[ Dé is Ka ]

What our investors say:“Deiska is worth recommending! The innovative

economic concept of Deiska triggered me to look intothe set up. Looking at Deiska means looking at theart- collection and that was the second positivetrigger. Exciting and a wonderful variety of workswere brought together. Third trigger are thecommunity of people involved. Artists and collectors

are bonded via komt Deiska, and they also turned outto be great people. Ok last trigger is the heart andsoul of the group: Donna and her team!!”

comments by investor Floor van Spaendonck




[ Dé is Ka ]What the public says:

It was in 2005 that I first met Donna Wolf, managing director of the DeIska & de Verzameling .And I was immediately impressed by the DeIska -initiative to create a contemporary art collection onbasis of a multiple collaboration with artists, private investors and art lovers under supervision of aselection committee formed by experts of the contemporary art scene such as art historians, curators,gallery owners and art critics.

Although nowadays initiatives of the cultural world themselves are more than ever welcome oreven necessary due to the fact that the government counts no longer as a reliable partner when itcomes to finance, the various goals of DeIska are multiple. Established already in 2002, the concept of DeIska stands for what we call in Dutch Dienst is Kunst that is synonym to Service is an Art. DeIskaprovides the selected artists with business service and support (i.e. administration, legal support, studiospace) in exchange of an artwork. The art works brought together in this way form the DeIska collection,which is lent out to the investors of the DeIska fund for display in their home or office. A wide range of media, from photography, painting, sculpture, video art, installations to drawings forms already a part of the DeIska collection.

As a follower, the interaction between artists, investors and art lovers seems to me the mostattractive part of this initiative, because it is the best way to know more about contemporary art and itscreators, but not the only one. For the selected artists it is important that DeIska converts, as a kind of art nomad, throughout Amsterdam vacant buildings into exciting exhibition spaces while giving theselected artists a platform to show their art. For there is no doubt; art needs to be seen. In this wayDeIska constitutes a step into the spotlights for (international) upcoming young talent and functions as aplatform in post-war art. Invitations to all DeIska events (exhibitions, lectures, atelier visits) brings me asan art lover in a personal and special way in contact with a lively contemporary art scene.

comments by follower Pauli Snoeks (M.A. Art History)


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