The newly built art depot of the Boijmans van Beuningen Museum in Rotterdam can be considered a work of art in its own right. The architects at MVRDV have designed a massive, mirrored “bowl” with trees growing out of its “lid”. This new building can be admired already – even before the art objects have been installed …

Systematic, nalytical, focused. And mindful of feasibility. That’s how Graz-based product designer Lukas Klingsbichel describes his way of working. Because it’s only when something is really feasible that reality can be changed – and that’s what he’s interested in …

Although we live in a materialistic world, “things” have a surprisingly bad reputation: they are seen as dead and soulless, and inferior to the organic world of plants, animals and humans in every respect. Anyone devoting themselves too enthusiastically to “things” is quickly suspected of being superficial. You might find that somewhat hypocritical considering we all invest a lot of energy in the quest for beautiful and valuable things, and in order to buy them we have to earn that thing called money…

Michael Kovacek is one of the founders of the Viennese auction house im Kinsky and, as he will tell you himself, has dedicated himself “body and soul” to art. We discuss the thrill of the auctions, the passion for collecting and why record prices are always worthy of making the headlines …