Throughout the course of any conversation with Isaac Sultan Cohen, the Venezuelan American art collector, his personal affinity for both contemporary art and collecting more broadly, quickly becomes evident.
“The world of investing in art was never for me. I have always lived with art as an integral part of my life, ever since I was a boy. I learned a lot from my uncle, whose collection I eventually inherited, on seeing value in art beyond potential monetary appreciation”. The territory in which Isaac Sultan Cohn lives, is somewhere between passion and introspection.
Isaac Sultan Cohen, who has spent years carefully curating his impressive contemporary art collection, believes that more than anything, it is his journey as a collector which has guided him in life. “I have met a lot of collectors along the way, and I can definitively say that I engage with the world of art in a very different way. For me, it is hard not to see the way in which art mirrors the society in which we live. Even what is considered art, reflects our cultural, political, and social realities”.
His interest in art, and later in collecting, began early in his life. “You know, I grew up in a part of the world where, let’s just say stability is not the order of the day. I won’t get into politics, that’s not what I am about, but wherever you looked at the time, people were using art as a form of self-expression more powerful than even newspapers”, Isaac Sultan Cohen says, reflecting on growing up in Venezuela. “And that, that’s what got me more interested in art than anything else; the power which it has to tell us about who we have become as a society, and where we are going”.
Indeed, contemporary art in particular, of which Isaac Sultan Cohen is an avid collector, has become a powerful tool for many, through which they either express dissent or support the status quo. Contemporary artists have also made use of their respective art forms to discuss some of the issues most relevant to society at a given time, from climate change to digital transformation.
Reflecting on this within the context of the messages projected by some of his favourite contemporary artists, Isaac Sultan Cohen continues, “Look at Warhol, the most important artist, I would say, of the Pop Art movement. At the time people were sceptical, but now we can appreciate the genius in his work. The way in which he reflected on the superficiality of modern life, not to mention his critique of the rise of consumer culture in post-war America. I mean, a sociologist could not have done a better job!”
Jean-Michel Basquiat, another of Isaac Sultan Cohen’s favourite artists who feature in his collection, was also deeply political in his work, projecting powerful messages about society, inequality and the human condition more broadly. Even as he rose to fame in New York City of the 1980’s, he remained connected to these issues, discussing the intersection of class, wealth and art in many of his works.
“The guy was so ahead of his time, it is actually unbelievable”, says Isaac Sultan Cohen. “Before anyone in the contemporary art world was reflecting on the horrors of colonialism, he was depicting the exploitation of Africa by colonial powers in Grillo (1984). In The Death of Michael Stewart (1983), he was discussing the mistreatment of minorities by the police. I am not raising any of this to make a political statement. I’m am just trying to say that one should be able to appreciate the uncanny ability of contemporary artists to understand and portray societal issues through their creative processes”.
As someone with roots in Latin America, Isaac Sultan Cohen believes it is worth keeping an eye on contemporary Latin American artists, of which there are quite a few making waves on the global art scene. “There’s a very different energy which emanates from contemporary works coming out of places like Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina. These artists are exploring identity, migration, and the intersection of tradition and modernity. They’re telling stories that feel incredibly relevant to anyone who has ever felt connected to multiple worlds at once”, he states.
Following Latin American artists isn’t just about geography—it’s about recognizing the importance of diverse voices in contemporary art. “These artists are reshaping how we think about global art, and for me, their work speaks not just to my heritage but to a broader, more interconnected world.” This is a world that those emotionally invested in art, like Isaac Sultan Cohen, see being built, slowly but surely.