Collecting – A Personal Journey

By: Belinda Labatte, edited by Dahlia Labatte

In our first article, “Three Myths of Collecting and Investing in Art” (July 2024), we shared our perspective for emerging collectors to get comfortable acquiring and enjoying original contemporary art. Part of that process is to surface certain myths, and your part in them! We explored the dynamic of art and interiors; buying art versus investing in it as an asset class, and the need to have deep knowledge before you buy.

Read it here: https://dahliasl.com/three-myths-of-collecting-and-investing-in-art/.

Following up on this article, I am sharing my own experience as a collector after attending Mexico City Art Week this past February (2026).

The process of choosing pieces, to eventually form a collection, begins long before you buy.

It’s a sensory journey that starts with a desire to fall into a creative space, without setting artificial boundaries (style, medium, subject, etc.), or at least recognizing what those boundaries are. Art fairs are wonderful opportunities to test boundaries and learn the through lines what you like and dislike. Art is spiritual, methodical, self-reflective but also political and challenging and so your collection – whether you intend it to or not – will reflect these values.

Artistic expression should be an arena which creates some discomfort for the observer, and the pleasure of getting curious. This space, the space where you question and wonder, gaze and contemplate, is where the beguilement begins. It is where enchantment takes off.

The best way for me to share the joy of collecting and the creative process for me now, at this stage in my life, is to anchor it with specific examples from the art fair. With Dahlia Labatte, we experienced so much: private collection tours with the Materials art fair Invited program, studio visits, walking the fair over multiple days, gallery attendance and artist pop-ups, as well as informal art gatherings. While this was overwhelming in some ways, it was also deeply gratifying and beautiful to view art works in so many forms and structures. From private collections that are not normally open to the public, to seeing acquired pieces in collectors homes … this sensational output trains the eye to see light, paper, form and function differently. It invites some confusion but with care and often a second-look, one can discern what resonates, informed by artists you meet along the way sharing their craft and vision with you.

Felipe Lozano, seen at Zona Maco

Of course, we look at price point and practical matters, yet these are not the conditions for the sale or enjoyment. Passion, longevity, accommodations and relationship building with and from galleries are equally important. There were some pieces I looked at, for example, a beautiful work by Bogota based artist Felipe Lozano that caught Dahlia’s eye and then mine, which for the moment will reside in my mind’s eye and not in my immediate surroundings. This viewing opened me up to homo-erotic works where the body is a territory meant to be explored and stripped down, and now that I know this artist and gallery, it would be a first look at the next art fair and perhaps an acquisition one day.

As a collector, I am intrigued with many different styles, mediums and eras of work. Rather than feeling overwhelmed by it all, I want to let the light in and be surprised even as I pass through stages of bewilderment or discomfort. Particularly now as my collection evolves into more conceptual pieces which show a through line to the artist’s experience in life. In playing with texture and scale, the image is but one part of the experience – the rest is told in story and lore. So, my taste is evolving but still I want cohesion with my living environment – but mostly if I am honest, I want the art to inspire me forever.

Lucas Cantú, seen at Material (exhibited by PEANA)

I enjoyed art ‘objects’ shown at the fair and am currently investing in one – again, originally sourced from Dahlia whose eye I rely on to ensure I am not leaning towards the same category of works that I may be biased towards. Dahlia had given me a reference point into the art of domesticity in her article “How to create divinity,” written in January 2025. The article explores and positions domestic life as something that is not insignificant and as worth deep consideration, in particular through the eyes of women photographers. She explores how domestic space undergoes a process of sacralization. This article was profound for me and in the art fair this year there were many ‘ah-ha’ moments where Dahlia and I saw this concept being explored.

The piece that drew me in created beauty from the simplicity of a lit candle, again drawing out the notion of the sacred in the domestic, and creation of ritual in the home. This piece was fabricated by an architect who was now moving toward art objects, making this piece stunning in its function, and form! It feels both elegant and ceremonial and a piece, that inspired me to the point where I am in conversation with the gallery for another edition of the piece.

It is particularly important to me now to bring in more unique pieces where I am as enchanted with the artists storytelling as I am with their final creative work. And so, I open myself to conversations regarding pieces that intrigue me, and also allow for quiet contemplation and others that just surprise and enchant me. The objective is to be pulled into new forms. A friend of the gallery had told me that she too loves to hear the artist’s story and has recently been enamoured with buying single edition books that detail the concept and vision of the artist. Collecting is a journey not an act.

Art fairs will also provide through lines and patterns when you look for them. This gives you a sense of movement between art works and artists that you would normally not sense – simply due to the volume of new contemporary works being in one space at the same time. As a collector, this can give you direction; you will observe things happening that you want to learn more about, and incorporate into your own daily experience of life. If you pay attention.

Vanessa Valero, seen at Salón ACME

This year, Mexico City Art week provided us an incredible diversity of artistic expression from painting to textile works. From technological experiential art to soft candlelit objects, some works were small windows into another world and other works were scaled and large enough to walk alongside for a minute. For me, I am particularly interested in textile pieces, using traditional weaving techniques in new organic shapes and concepts. There were a small number of works at Salon Acme, Materials and Zona Maco, each playing with contemporary themes such as environmental protection, indigenous symbolism and queer identity. One large carpet work showed the intricate ideas that can be conveyed in soft materials – a stunning collaboration between Chilean artist and Indian weaver mapping water and river movement on a large carpet, “carta de agua” by Patricia Claro. I was particularly drawn to the work of Vanessa Valero, showing a single piece at Salon Acme and taking cues from Olga de Amaral. With truly lovely undulating folds and colour blocking that demonstrated her mastery of the craft of hand-tufted tapestries, and the joy in creating the pieces that move and sway in the environment. She describes her work as aspects of her spiritual journey and inspired by the landscapes she inhabits.

Looking, loving, and then acquiring art is a process that unfolds differently for each person. However, at its heart it is about getting outside yourself and showing reverence, respect and humanity for things beyond us. Things sometimes unreachable, but made touchable and real through someone else’s hand, spirit and craft and technique. It is also informed by intermediaries such as curators, historians, gallerists and other collectors who can give you more through lines and context. And of course, the artists themselves who touch us with their stories and often, sacrifices. Collecting is a joyful experience that expands your life and perspectives, and art fairs provide a means to refine your taste and indulge your curiosity.

We believe that the experience created between the artist’s work and the collectors is also artistic expression and creates a new story where the artist’s work stops, your story begins.