Strauss & co - Review 2024

46 47 CHAIRPERSON’S REPORT 2024 CHAIRPERSON’S REPORT 2024 Growing our intelligence network The death of Dr Conrad Strauss, a founder and vice-chairperson of Strauss & Co, in October was deeply felt at our company. A brilliant banker and influential business leader from his time with Standard Bank, ‘Doc. Strauss’ was a vital force in the crea- tion of the company bearing his name. In 2008, together with businesswoman and former Stand- ard Bank board member Elizabeth Bradley, with whom he also shared a deep passion for Afrikaans literature, ‘Doc. Strauss’ persuaded my predecessor, the illustrious auctioneer Stephan Welz, to come out of retirement and head up the new auction house. Strauss & Co launched in 2009 and within less than a year achieved sales of R100 million, surpassing the turnover of both its local and international rivals. Energetic, wise and selfless, ‘Doc. Strauss’exercised a strategi- cally important role within Strauss & Co. He generously shared of his organisational knowhow and managerial experience, which was substantial. His quiet yet determined mentorship of my senior colleagues enabled the company to meet chal- lenges, like the passing of Stephan Welz in 2015, as well as seize opportunities. It is a privilege to follow in the footsteps of giants like ‘Doc. Strauss’ and ‘Oom Stephan’ and be a custodian of the company they founded. Managing a company requires many skills and virtues. One key attribute is the capacity to listen and obtain advice. In 2024, a year in which Strauss & Co continued to grow its offering and expand its geographical footprint, we recognised the need to listen and learn. The art market is a large, complex and diver- sified phenomenon that requires on-the-ground expertise. The extensive and demanding day-to-day operations of our company can sometimes blind us to opportunities and the newly established Advisory Board is an important milestone in our journey to be a learning company with international aspirations. This new consultative body is composed of four respected business professionals: Millard Arnold, Heba El Kayal, Liesl Fich- ardt and Greg Maloka. Each brings considerable professional expertise to the conversation. Equally important, they are each deeply passionate about the arts. The chief purpose of the Advisory Board is to provide strategic intelligence to Strauss & Co’s management team on art and auction related matters, as well as to promote our brand in art eco-systems in different parts of the world. Our early conversations have been reward- ing. I want to thank Millard for agreeing to chair the new board, and also thank Heba, Liesl and Greg for giving so generously of their time and knowledge. Education is integral to building new clients At Strauss & Co, we believe in supporting our community through exhibitions, talks and outreach to ensure interest in fine art, wine, design and other collectables. We supported a number of educational initiatives throughout the year, includ- ing sponsorship of the 2024 editions of Hermanus FynArts, Toyota Stellenbosch Woordfees and the Cassirer Welz Award. In addition to regular presentations at our offices through our vibrant Art Club initiative – which in 2024 launched in London and will expand in 2025 into the Garden Route, Kwa- Zulu-Natal and the Winelands – we also contributed to the education programmes at the second Art Business Conference in Africa (February, Cape Town), African Art in Venice Forum (April, Venice) and RMB Latitudes Art Fair (May, Johannesburg). As part of our commitment to public education, we curated a programme of talks during Toyota Stellenbosch Woordfees, held in the beautiful Oude Leeskamer, Stellenbosch. Exhibition making forms a vital component of our outreach. In February, Strauss & Co collaborated with Kalashnikovv Gallery to honour recently deceased painter Alfred Thoba. Hosted at our premises in Johannesburg, the memorial exhi- bition True Love featured 27 Thoba paintings made between 1981 and 2022, as well as a reconstruction of the artist’s Hill- brow studio. In May, we presented a solo exhibition of work by emerging painter Dominique Cheminais, which drew in a wholly new audience. In November, in celebration of Prince William’s Earthshot Prize, held this year in Cape Town, we presented an exhibition. It included works from the Kilbourn Collection that embody the Earthshot principles of sustainability, as well as works by impor- tant modernists from the Caro Wiese Collection. As is tradition, Strauss & Co brought its energy and know- how to August Art Month at Welgemeend. The extensive social, educational and hospitality programme for 2024 edition was anchored by an exhibition of modern and contemporary art from the Kilbourn Collection. This year’s exhibition was titled (On)bekend / (Un)known and showed unusual or lesser-known works by well-known artists together with works from artists that are not receiving the recognition they deserve. The success of this annual event is a result of the happy collaboration of its partners: the volunteer group Friends of Welgemeend, premium winemaker Delaire Graff Estate, Strauss & Co and the Kilbourn family office, headed by my wife, Lizelle.