THE STORY OF CONSTANCE BRETON
THE PARIS AND BERLIN-BASED ART ADVISOR OPENS UP HER HOME
TO OUR OWN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF TO TALK WORK, KIDS AND OF COURSE, ART
STORIES
BY EILEEN BERNARDI
Constance Breton, corporate art advisor, mother of two, wife of famed galerist Michael Fuchs and self-proclaimed art trotter is also the inhabitant of an incredible loft in Berlin Mitte. Housed in a former Jewish girls school, the apartment resembles a museum in terms of its impeccable design and stunning art, but it is most assuredly a home...full of the busy, happy life that comes with having two young children. Shirley Erskine, our own editor-in-chief, visited Constance in her home for a chat about work, kids, living between two cities, and what she really thinks about Berlin.
Wunder Stories Let’s start with how you get started as a corporate art advisor?
Constance Breton I’ve been surrounded by art since I was a child, but I never thought I would be professionally involved in the art world. I was working as a diplomat in New York, getting bored of working in the public sector and searching for the right business idea to strike out on my own. When I met my husband ten years ago, I quickly realized that if I wanted to be in a serious relationship with an art dealer, I needed to find a way to work in the same field. The art world is full of nomadic people traveling from one art fair to another. It was the perfect circumstance to start my own business--luxury brands and hotels were getting involved in the contemporary art world in search of creating buzz and differentiating their brand. I jumped on this trend, advising luxury brands and hotels, initiating artist collaborations and building art collections. Today we work with brands like Park Hyatt, Ruinart, Audemars Piguet. I also advise many companies for their corporate art collections.
WS Have you had any mentors along the way?
CB My first mentor was my father, who always pushed me to be the best, to never be afraid of change or a challenge. Then there is my husband who has played a big role in helping me to understand the art world, with all its hidden and intricate business side. Now that I have my growing business, I have a couple of women mentors, mothers in their early forties, who have built multinational companies to whom I regularly reach out to share challenges, successes, doubts and goals?
WS How do you define success?
CB After becoming a wife and mother my success priorities have slightly changed. Today I would define success by the amount of love and pride I see in my husband and child when they look at me.
WS What kind of support system do you have in place to make you a successful working mother?
CB Since neither of our families live in Berlin, and only my son is in childcare, we have a team of rotating nannies six days a week.
WS How has becoming a parent changed you and how you approach work?
CB Becoming a parent made me become much less egocentric. For instance, I am a total hypochondriac, but after having two children I simply don’t have the time to think about every disease I might have, or exaggerate any pain. I’ve also become much more responsible and have learned how to sleep on demand to make up for my very, very short nights.
As for work, since becoming a mom, I’ve become much more organized and efficient. Since there is less time to allocate to work, there is no space for procrastination. Every minute counts. I’ve learned how to prioritize and make decisions faster, which has actually helped my business a lot.
WS Any tips for streamlining your work day?
CB Start working as early as possible. My day begins at 7 or 7:30 when the nanny arrives, and finishes as early as possible so I can spend time with my children when they are back from kita. From 3:30 to 7:30 I am fully dedicated to them. Then three times a week, and depending on the workload, I work again from 7:30 till late.
WS You split your time between Paris and Berlin. How do you handle the logistics?
CB I always travel with a nanny and basically have our entire household duplicated so kids feel at home right away.
WS Where do you go for inspiration?
CB I go to La Colombe d’Or, my favorite hotel in the South of France, in a town called Saint Paul de Vence. It’s where some of the most renowned artists, like Picasso, Cézanne, Matisse, Giacometti and Calder when for inspiration as well. It’s a magical place which has remained unchanged for decades. You can see the most stunning artworks left by these masters when they stayed at the hotel.
WS Let’s switch gears here. What are some of the differences you’ve noticed between raising kids in Germany and your own childhood in France?
CB You mean in addition to the fashion differences (laughs)? I think people in Berlin are much more lax with their kids. I had a similar feeling in New York, this kid of “king-child syndrome”. The word no doesn’t really seem to exist unless kids push it to an extreme limit. I think in France parental authority is much more present from an early age. Another striking difference is that until kids go to school at age 6, they mainly just play, while in France school is mandatory from 3-years old. This means that kids are “learning”, developing crafts and facing rules from a much earlier age.
WS What have you embraced here in Berlin and what could you do without?
CB Here in Berlin I’ve definitely discovered the luxury of spending quality time with your children. There is no other place where you can spend so much time in the day with your children, which, I believe, is due to cost of life, the industries and the mentality of the people in this city that allows parents to prioritize family life over a job. For instance, no one would schedule an important meeting at 7pm on a weeknight, whereas in Paris or New York this is rather normal, and you could lose your job by missing such meetings.
I could definitely do without the Berlin kids no fashion policy. From the horrible Hausschuhe to the Regenhosen, to the warm and cozy sure, but downright ugly outfits. And I could do without the city’s depressing and dirty playgrounds and the tough winter season.
WS And your amazing rooftop playground...what inspired you to create such a lovely homage to childhood?
CB Two things: First, is that I simply hate the playgrounds in Berlin. And second, that art is such a big part of our lives that I wanted to give the children and their friends the opportunity to interact with art in a playful way, to awaken their curiosity at a young age. So, we commissioned ten artists to delve into their creative world and create playful works for the kids. I love seeing how much the kids who come here appreciate the fun sculptures and I’m so happy our vision is a reality.
WS Ok, now we have to talk about your stunning art collection. Are both you and your husband involved in buying these pieces?
CB As an art dealer my husband buys a lot of artworks for inventory. But we’ve both bought a lot for our personal collection. Since meeting we’ve bought pieces together, when we fall in love with the same artwork. And now that we have children, we don’t just but for ourselves, but we also buy artwork for them...which we much prefer to buying toys! I hope they will appreciate it someday!
WS What do you look for when buying art?
CB I definitely don’t buy art with my ear, but my heart! I don’t see art as a speculative asset, so it has to be love at first sight. But there must also be an understanding and appreciation of the artist’s approach and artistic statement.
WS What is your favorite piece in your collection?
CB A painting by the American painter William Copley representing the Place de la Concorde in Paris. Copley is one of my favorite artists at the moment. We’ve been collecting his work for a long time, and the subject of this painting is of course important as it reminds me of my heimat (homeland), the city I love more than anywhere else!
QUICKIES
1. Favorite children’s book/author The Three Robbers by Tomi Ungerer
2. Guilty pleasure 70% dark chocolate and French Bordeaux red wine
3. Favorite fitness regime The Military diet and fasting 16 hour per day.
4. Favorite holiday spot with the kids Spielweg Romantik hotel in the Black Forest
5. What are you reading? Becoming by Michelle Obama
6. Current obsession The love locket necklaces from Parisian designer Marie Lichtenberg (#1 on my Christmas wish list)
7. Favorite restaurant In Paris, Le Petit Lutetia and Cavia Kaspia. In Berlin, Grill Royal and Kindee
8. Fashion muse Ines de la Fressange
9. Best designer who has ever lived Karl Lagerfeld
10. Best way to decompress Red wine and cigarettes
