ARTFAIRPH/TALKS

All events follow Philippine time zone (GMT+8)

This collector conversation brings together two collectors from Manila whose journeys into art are shaped by very different starting points.

Dr. George Soo began as a young doctor with a long-held desire to collect. Living abroad, frequent visits to museums sharpened his eye over time. In the early stages, resources were modest, he learned to trust his instincts and to decide quickly. He often decided based on the visual and how the work resonated with him. Today, his collection includes around a thousand works, predominately from Philippine artists. In the end, his guiding question remains simple: Can this hang in my house?

JV began collecting nearly a decade ago at a personal turning point. Starting with local
galleries, his path evolved from Philippine art toward a more international collection. Over time, seeing more led to slowing down, becoming more selective, and approaching
collecting as a planned process — while holding onto the ambition of one day creating a
private space for the collection. For JV, collecting evokes what he calls “an emotion I never thought I had.”

The conversation will explore how their experiences, emotions, and evolving tastes have
shaped their collections. It will also discuss their current interests, future plans for their collection, and what they are most excited about in the art world in 2026.

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About the Speaker/s

CHRISTOPH NOE

Previously a management consultant, Christoph Noe decided to switch industries and work in the contemporary art scene. Initially focusing on Chinese contemporary art, later he co-founded LARRY'S LIST, the leading art market knowledge company providing data, research and access to contemporary art collectors. In his role, he has edited and published a number of books and reports including a catalogue raisonné for the painter Liu Ye; the first publication of this kind for a Chinese contemporary artist, the "Private Museum Report (2016 and 2023)", a global overview on the landscape of privately founded contemporary art museums, and “The Next Gen Art Collectors Report (2021)”, a survey on art collectors below the age of 40 and the best-selling guidebooks “How to Not Fuck Up Your Art-World Happiness Vol. 1 and 2” (2022 and 2024).

Christoph Noe is also advising a number of corporates, brands and private museums including Porsche, Rolls-Royce and Hugo Boss on their art engagements and collection. For Hugo Boss, he helped setting up the biennial HUGO BOSS ASIA ART AWARD in cooperation with the Shanghai-based private art museum Rockbund Art Museum. The award has been recognized as one of most acclaimed awards for emerging artists in Asia contributing to the art ecology in China and beyond.

Christoph Noe has lectured extensively on the art market, among others for academic institutions including Angewandte University, Vienna, Ewha University, Seoul, and Sotheby’s Institute of Art, London. Leading global news media and art press, from Financial Times to China Daily, have been quoting Noe on his expertise on the global art market.