Why do people collect art – and how does it all begin? In our series Private View: Stories from Collectors, we speak with collectors about the personal journeys behind their collections: what sparked their passion, which works have stayed with them, and how intuition, context and commitment shape their decisions.

In this interview, we talked with Ingvild Goetz about the beginnings of her collection, her passion for video art, and what she hopes for the next generation of collectors.

How did you come to make your very first art purchase – do you still remember the work, the place and the moment?
I bought my first artwork in 1969 at the gallery of the artist Ulrike Ottinger in Konstanz. It was a portfolio of prints by Eduardo Paolozzi.

You are considered a pioneer of video art collecting. What attracted you to this then-new medium at such an early stage?
I followed the early days of video art with interest, but I wasn’t truly enthusiastic about it yet. That only changed later, with the new technological developments in the medium. These made it possible for artists to create multi-channel projections and large-scale installations that move you emotionally and allow you to immerse yourself in them.

What role did your time as a gallery owner play in shaping your view of artworks and artists’ careers?
Through my time as a gallery owner, I came to know this perspective on the art market first-hand. That’s why, as a collector today, I’m not impressed by the tricks and sales pitches of gallerists – because I once used them myself. By organizing exhibitions in my gallery, I met many artists personally at a very early stage. Some of them are still represented in my collection today, such as Jannis Kounellis, Giulio Paolini, and Mario Merz.

In 1993, you opened a purpose-built exhibition space designed by Herzog & de Meuron in Munich-Oberföhring. What made you decide to go “public” at that time?
The exhibition building was originally planned as a private house where I wanted to present my growing collection in a larger context. Friends encouraged me to make it accessible to the public. Ever since its opening in 1993, I have used the space to show curated exhibitions from my collection – always free to the public.
In 2014, I donated part of the collection and the museum to the State of Bavaria and placed the remaining works on permanent loan. Today, the Goetz Collection continues as a state cultural institution.

Is there a collaboration or exhibition project that you have long wanted to realize but have not yet been able to?
There are many ideas and concepts that arise from the richness of my collection, to be realized when the time is right.

Where do you see the greatest challenges for private collections in the coming years – digitization, sustainability, publicity? Costs?
I see challenges for private collections in terms of price volatility in the art market, the dominance of large galleries, rising storage costs, and passing collections on to the next generation. These are issues that must be considered early on. At the same time, I see great potential in the areas of digitization and AI. Not only can they take the management and study of collections to a new level, but they also open up new possibilities for artists in terms of artistic expression (e.g. 3D, virtual reality, augmented reality), as well as the distribution and reproduction of their works.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to start collecting today?
Collect art out of passion, not as an investment.
See as much art as you can, plan studio visits, and develop your own vision.
Choose a young gallery and follow its program closely.
Start with works on paper – so that even bad purchases won’t be too costly.

What are your hopes for the next generation of collectors?
I would like to see the contemporary art market calm down and prices for young, interesting artistic positions not skyrocket so quickly. That way, perhaps a younger generation of collectors will emerge who pursue art not with the goal of increasing its value, but out of genuine interest. It can also happen that when you sell a work of art, you receive much less than what you originally paid.

Address
Oberföhringer Straße 103
D-81925 Munich
Tel. +49 (0)89 959 39 69-0
✉️ info@sammlung-goetz.de
🌐 www.sammlung-goetz.de
📷 Instagram: @sammlunggoetz

Main Building
The exhibition building of the Sammlung Goetz in Munich-Oberföhring is temporarily closed to visitors due to upcoming renovation work.

Schaufenster – New Exhibition Space (Opening December 2025)
As an interim venue, Sammlung Goetz will open a new exhibition space in Pacellistraße, in the heart of Munich. Located in the shop arcades of Sep Ruf’s Neue Maxburg, the space will be visible from the street and courtyard through floor-to-ceiling windows.
The “Schaufenster” will feature curated rotating exhibitions highlighting key artistic positions from the collection, complemented by digital and analogue education formats for adults and children. The new city-centre venue is conceived as a showcase that keeps the Sammlung Goetz visible to the public during the closure of its main building.