„Many thought it was crazy“

CH Martin, you have often emphasized that your approach to collecting is driven less by theory than by intuition. How did your relationship with art begin?

MN I actually come from a completely different background. I’m a trained carpenter, and for a long time I had absolutely nothing to do with art. I never studied it, and until 1992 I wasn’t engaged with art at all. Then, at some point, something shifted. I discovered art for myself and slowly began buying works - purely out of curiosity and instinct. A close friend of mine, the gallerist Kent Wolfsen from Gallery Wolfsen in Aalborg, once said to me:“For fourteen years I tried to sell you art - and now you suddenly start buying it.” That really sums it up. There was no master plan. Art simply entered my life when the time was right.

CH You often describe your way of collecting as intuitive rather than analytical. How do you recognize a work that truly belongs with you - beyond trends, reputation, or market logic?

MN For me, falling in love with a work is all about emotion - a physical reaction, a rush, a high pulse. I instantly know when a work belongs with me. There’s no calculation involved, just a very clear inner yes. What I don’t like about the art scene is when it becomes too elitist or overly professional. Art is something for everyone. I often hear people say, “I would love to buy art, but I don’t really know anything about it.” My answer is always the same: just look at the art, let it work on you. You don’t have to understand it. Suddenly, a door will open - like the door to Narnia - and you will simply see and feel it. Art is not something rational or theoretical. You don’t have to be smart to love art.

CH Many works in your collection carry a strong physical or material presence. What role does materiality play in your decision to collect, and how important is the experience of encountering a work in real space?

MN Being a carpenter, materials are generally very important to me - but interestingly, not consciously when I collect art. My collector’s strategy is actually not to have a strategy. I go with the flow and let my deepest feelings guide me. Sometimes that results in works with a very strong material presence; other times, it’s the complete opposite.

CH When you look at your collection today, do you see recurring tensions or contradictions emerging, even if they were never consciously planned?

MN Many people might say that when they look at my collection, but I don’t experience it that way myself. I’m never hunting the next “peak.” I’m searching for the next work that can teach me something about the world - and about myself.

CH Was there a particular work or moment that marked a turning point for you as a collector?

MN Yes, very clearly. My first visit to Art Basel Miami in 2009 was a decisive moment. On the very first day, I bought Daniel Richter’s masterpiece BAS - and on the same day Doug Aitken’s SPEED. Two very powerful, demanding, and expensive works. That experience took my way of collecting to an entirely new level.

CH Some collectors speak of “living with” artworks rather than owning them. How do the works in your collection continue to unfold for you over time?

MN I don’t live with art - I breathe through art. After my family, art is my most important source of inspiration, creativity, and personal development. I truly believe that art is a language of love.

CH Your collection includes artists whose practices range from conceptually rigorous to emotionally charged. How do you navigate the balance between intellectual engagement and emotional response?

MN I don’t really navigate it - I follow it. But one very important factor for me is the artist behind the work. I have turned my back on works after meeting artists who were arrogant or unable to explain the ideas behind what they do. On the other hand, I’ve met incredibly warm, open, and inspiring artists, and the way they expressed themselves made me want to live with their work.

CH In a time when images circulate endlessly online, how do you deal with the sheer volume of art presented to you today?

MN Every week I receive hundreds of PDFs from galleries - and I actually look at all of them, calmly and carefully. People often ask me when art becomes too much. For me, there is no such point. I can never see enough art.

CH Your office is said to be densely hung with artworks. How does that environment affect your concentration?

MN People are often surprised when they enter my office. They look at the walls and ask me how I can possibly concentrate with so much art around me. My answer is always the same: I can’t concentrate without it. The art doesn’t distract me - it grounds me.

CH If your collection were shown as an exhibition, what kind of rhythm would you want visitors to experience?

MN I imagine it in two ways. First, as a complete retrospective - allowing visitors to follow my development as a collector, becoming bolder and more fearless over time. Second, as a kind of roller-coaster experience: unexpected, intense, even chaotic - full of different materials, colors, forms, emotions, and contrasts.

CH Beyond collecting, you have also initiated a large-scale artistic project - Cloud City by Tomás Saraceno at the Aalborg Akvavit Distillery. What motivated you to take on such an endeavor?

MN The context of the Aalborg Akvavit Distillery is truly special, and from the outset I felt a strong responsibility to pursue the project. With support from several foundations, I was able to raise 250 million DKK (35 million euros) - covering both the artwork and the new 3,000 m² Art Center. Saraceno’s work consists of 65 glass modules, each 4.5 meters in diameter, reaching a total height of 33 meters. What makes this project particularly meaningful is the close collaboration with Tomás Saraceno, whose work I have admired for years. Many thought it was crazy to believe I could secure the necessary funds - and perhaps it was. But often, taking a path others consider impossible is exactly what it takes to achieve something extraordinary. I very much look forward to sharing Cloud City and the Art Center with the public. Saraceno’s installation, together with the Art Center, is expected to open in mid/late 2027.

CH Do you see your collection as a private refuge, a dialogue with artists, or a responsibility toward a broader public?

MN I love when parts of my collection are shown in institutions. Seeing how visitors react to works that are very personal to me is incredibly rewarding. Right now, 30 works from my collection are on view in the exhibition Bitten by the Bug at HEART - Herning Museum of Contemporary Art. Observing how both children and adults engage with the works has been a wonderful experience.

CH KUBAPARIS often highlights contemporary relevance and cultural friction. How do the works you collect reflect - or resist - the realities of our time?

MN More than a hundred years ago, the Danish brewer Carl Jacobsen of Carlsberg said, “I believe in art’s educational effect on society.” I completely agree. We are facing so many complex challenges today, and art has the power to bring focus, awareness, and reflection to the issues that truly matter.

CH Looking ahead, what excites you more as a collector: deepening existing relationships, or being disrupted by something entirely unfamiliar?

MN One of my favorite statements is: “Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable.” I use art to challenge my normal way of thinking - to arrive at different perspectives and new solutions.

CH Is there a collector or collection that you particularly admire?

MN I deeply admire Christian Boros and his collection. His approach has been incredibly visionary and forward-looking. It’s inspiring to see someone build a collection with such clarity, courage, and foresight.

CH When you imagine someone encountering your collection long after you, what do you hope they will understand - not about art, but about being alive today?

MN I hope they will feel me as a person through the collection. That they sense it was built without compromise, guided by love for art, and without following rules about how one is supposed to collect.