Vita Brevis - Business, Art, Life and Death

Today, we are pulling back the curtain on what it actually means to live with, fund, and deeply connect with contemporary art, completely stripping away the usual intimidation and gallery gatekeeping. My guests today are Stephen Mills and Brent Hasty. Stephen is the visionary artistic director and choreographer at Ballet Austin, constantly navigating the delicate tug-of-war between traditional fun...

What happens when you take the ruthless corporate branding rules of Parisian haute couture, the cash-flowing discipline of commercial real estate, and collide them with the raw, chaotic energy of the Chinese contemporary art boom? You get Sylvain Lévy. In this episode of Vita Brevis , Carlos sits down with the visionary co-founder of the DSL Collection for a masterclass in rule-breaking curation....

Description: What is the relationship between art and money - and why does it matter to anyone who builds, invests, or creates? In this special episode, Carlos steps away from the interview format to deliver a live lecture he gave at the Second Course Lecture Series in Austin. This talk is the foundation of a full semester course currently in development - and the intellectual backbone of everythi...

In this episode of Vita Brevis , Carlos sits down with Robert Boland - Fulbright Fellow, former monastery resident, and the founder behind Vault Fine Art Services. After 13 years of building Austin’s premier museum-quality storage facility from the ground up, Robert recently exited his company. This conversation completely skips the sterile corporate clichés. Instead, it offers a raw masterclass o...

Episode Summary What happens when a contemporary art critic, curator and hardcore punk fan returns to his family’s traditional grape-farming roots? In this episode, Carlos sits down with Jérôme Lefèvre , a winemaker who has traded the Parisian art scene for the labor-intensive "terroir" of Champagne. Jérôme discusses his radical approach to viticulture - rejecting tractors for horses and...

What does it take to turn a kid from Brooklyn into a multi-billion dollar global asset class? Doug Woodham knows. A former McKinsey partner, Christie's president for the Americas, and PhD economist, Doug is one of the few people alive who can speak to both the cultural and financial mechanics of how Jean-Michel Basquiat went from downtown New York scenester to the most licensed, collected, and...

In this insightful episode, host Carlos sits down with Suzanne McFayden to trace her evolution from growing up in Kingston, Jamaica, to becoming a prominent figure in the international art world. Suzanne discusses her upcoming move to Paris, her philosophy on "moving the needle" within cultural institutions, and the deeply personal, autobiographical nature of her art collection. The conversation t...

In this insightful interview, Jeff Magid shares his journey into social media, his perspectives on taste and art collecting, and his innovative projects like opening a public exhibition space in Mexico City. Discover how authenticity, contrarian thinking, and accessibility are shaping the future of art and culture. Keywords: art collecting, Instagram, taste, old masters, Jeff Magid, art market, Me...

Jeff Magid didn't grow up in the art world. He came up through poker tables, sports betting algorithms, and music studios — and then one night ended up at an artists' poker game in Brooklyn that changed everything. In Part 1, Jeff talks about his unlikely path into collecting, what it actually cost him to buy his first artwork, and why the art world's deep discomfort with money is its biggest self...

In this episode of Vita Brevis , we sit down with Channing Henry , a developer operating at the high-stakes intersection of nine-figure finance and "liquid geometry." As a leader in global hospitality consulting for icons like Aman Resorts and the Downtown LA Proper , Channing navigates the "Business of Architecture"—balancing the "price per key" demands of persnickety debt investors with the nobl...

In this conversation, tech entrepreneur and art collector Max Dolgicer shares his journey from Israel to the U.S., discussing the intersection of technology and art, the importance of education, and the dynamics of the art market. He reflects on his experiences with startups, the role of immigration in success, and the evolving landscape of art technology platforms like Artsy. Dolgicer emphasizes...

Summary of Part II In this conversation, Alain Servais discusses his unique perspective on art collecting, emphasizing the importance of ideas over mere aesthetics. He reflects on his journey from finance to art, highlighting how art has shaped his critical thinking and worldview. Servais advocates for challenging art that provokes thought and discussion, rather than conforming to popular trends....

Summary of Part I In this conversation, Alain Servais shares his unique journey from investment banking to becoming a prominent figure in the art world. He discusses his early experiences in New York, his accidental introduction to art, and how his psychological journey intertwined with his appreciation for art. Alain emphasizes the subjective nature of art valuation, the intersection of art and f...

Chris Erck shares his multifaceted journey as an entrepreneur, collector, and real estate developer. He discusses the importance of art in his various ventures, including his innovative real estate projects in San Antonio, his new boot brand, his tech startup, and his furniture design endeavors. Chris emphasizes the significance of surrounding oneself with inspiring individuals and the value of le...

Deborah Dupré shares her journey from law to the art world, detailing her experiences in various cities and her current role as president of the board at the Contemporary Austin. She discusses the importance of cultural institutions in fostering community engagement and the evolving art scene in Austin. Deborah emphasizes the need for curiosity, strategic thinking, and inclusivity in both the art...

Carlos and Joey Hovsepyan explore the intersection of art and business, discussing Joey's journey from the steel industry to becoming an art collector. They delve into the importance of innovation in both fields, the influence of living in artistic cities like Los Angeles, and the evolving nature of artistic taste. Joey shares insights on the economics of art, the significance of personal conn...