Just a week ago unveiled the agreement reached at the last minute for the collection of Carmen Cervera stay in the Thyssen Museum, where it is exposed since 1992. It was then learned that 427 works, led by the Mata Mua , Gauguin, which the baroness took to Andorra in June, will stay in Spain in exchange for an annual rent of 6.5 million euros for 15 years.
After that time there will be a purchase option in which the State will have a preferential option. Details of the transaction will be released in two months. Meanwhile, the baroness has agreed to respond by email to this interview from her home in La Moraleja in Madrid.
After the approval of his lawyers, Ángel Acebes and José María Michavila, he responds to all the questions except for the reasons why El ‘Martha McKeen’ by Wellfleet by Edward Hopper has not been included in the list of works .
Question. Last Friday, January 29, 48 hours before the deadline to end the free loan of the collection, an agreement was reached whose final solution will have to be resolved by their heirs. Only with Borja or also with his daughters Carmen and Sabina, 14 years old?
Answer. Indeed, all my heirs are the future.
P. The preliminary agreement affects the tax conditions regarding the time that you and your eldest son are required to live in Andorra. What does this change of status consist of?
R. It is a subject that already includes the current regulation and the only thing that has been requested is that some terms that are not precise be clarified so that they give us all greater security.
Q. Your collection is now smoothly reunited with the Baron’s, although to date they remain on display in separate areas. At some point you tried the joint exhibition, but Culture refused. Do you think it is the moment of that fusion taking advantage of the centenary of the birth of your husband?
A. It is great news that the two collections continue to be exhibited in the museum. And the centenary of Heini’s birth is a great moment to sign this agreement that would have made him tremendously happy. We will work so that in this new stage we find the best possible location, where it makes the most museum sense and where it can be enjoyed under the most favorable conditions.
The Thyssen loses ‘Mata Mua’ and three works by Monet, Hopper and Degas
Carmen Cervera and Cultura reach an agreement for the ‘Mata Mua’ to return to Spain
The agreement with Cultura de Carmen Cervera that protects her and her three children
Q. You have said that your intention is for Mata Mua to be the first work that the visitor finds when the Carmen Thyssen collection tour begins. Why this painting?
R. It is one of the most important works in the world, recognized by the best experts as an exceptional work that deserves a prominent place where it is located and we are fortunate that it will be in Spain.
Q. Why was the work taken to Andorra? Was it a way of putting pressure on the negotiations? When will it hang in the rooms again?
R. The departure of the work was due to a bureaucratic and documentation issue. I always made my intention clear that he would return to Spain once an agreement was reached. It will return when the rental contract has been signed and the procedures for the transfer of a work of that importance are completed.
Q. This gauguin is one of the most borrowed works in your collection. Can you keep doing it? I ask him the same thing about the possibility of selling any of the paintings or sculptures affected by the rental scheme.
R. The national museum, through the Thyssen Bornemisza Foundation, of which I am vice president for life, will continue to manage the collection as it has done over the years. Loans to the best international temporary exhibitions are a way to increase and enhance both the collection and the museum.
Q. To what extent, as the agreement promised, will the State be involved in the Carmen Thyssen Museum in Sant Feliu de Guíxols, with 150 works of yours, which it would open in 2023?
R. There is a clear will on the part of the Minister of Culture and Sports, to promote and collaborate with the museum, a Catalan painting project that greatly excites me.
Q. You have announced that you are going to change the exhibition layout of your collection. What ideas do you have? Will you do it in agreement with Guillermo Solana or do you prefer to turn to other experts apart from the artistic director?
R. As I just answered, my intention is that all the works are in the best possible location and I have no doubt that we will all find them, I cannot think of a better expert to work with than Guillermo Solana.
Q. You have said again that the rental option was urgent due to your liquidity problems and that you have your four houses mortgaged. Is that so?
A. That’s right, creating and maintaining a collection of this nature requires a lot of effort and sacrifice.
Q. Could you specify how many works your collection is made of and how you have them distributed, as well as how many come from the baron’s inheritance and how many have you added later?
A. The Carmen Thyssen collection is made up of more than 1,400 works of painting and sculpture distributed among the museums of Madrid, Malaga and Andorra. But for more information about the works that are part of the Collection, I invite all readers to visit the websites of these museums and the collection website.
Q. You learned to buy art from one of the most powerful collectors. What did it teach you? What would you think of the operation you just completed?
A. My first steps in the art world were led by my father, who was a great fan and who also painted in his spare time, but my husband’s passion for collecting was infected by me. Today I would be extremely happy that the Carmen Thyssen collection remains in Spain and in this museum for which we both bet and work so hard.
Q. The Thyssen program is full this year with tributes to Heini. Have you participated directly in the program? How would you like to be remembered and yourself?
R. It is a great program and a well deserved tribute. Although I am sure that the best gift we could give him was the signing of this agreement. I would like to be remembered for the efforts and dedication we put into contributing to Spanish art and culture.
Q. What do you think of the controversy that has been created with the youtubers who have announced that they are settling in Andorra?
R. I have not had much time these days to follow other people’s controversies.
Q. How is your health? Are you planning to get vaccinated against covid-19?
R. I am in good health and complying with all the protocols and safety recommendations to try to continue as well as myself and my family.
