Global Corporate Collections

The typography of this book’s title is inscribed on a white cover in a font reminiscent of graffiti. Global Corporate Collections aims to prove ‘one universal truth; there’s a vested interest in art patronage that is just as valuable to global corporations as commercial operations. A feast for the eyes, this compendium — unveiled at AXA Art’s VIP Lounge during Art Basel in 2015 presents some of the world’s finest artworks within its chapters. Whether mounted on office walls or in private safes, the book illustrates quite beautifully the extent to which corporate collections can rival those of esteemed international museums in both quality and quantity, and how they better the lives of those who work amongst art. The second volume of a previous 2012 publication by Deutsche Standards, it features more than 80 of the world’s best corporate art collections from about 25 countries, handpicked by an advisory board of curators and experts.

One of the most revealing and personal q&a‘s is with Lisa Erf, Director Chief Curator at the JPMorgan Chase Art Collection which, while not the largest, is one of the most diverse, boasting a global reach of 60 nationalities, representing 8,450 artists – an example for other organizations to follow. As the book makes abundantly clear, corporate art collections are more than a CSR stunt by companies, they represent a certain kind of corporate culture and identity, in a bigger merger between global finance and the amorphous, borderless world of art.