The husband-and-wife pair have art and culture in their blood. Cultural advisor Laura de Gunzburg, 35, is the daughter of arts patron Nathalie de Gunzburg, while developer Gabriel Chipperfield, 36, is the son of architect David Chipperfield. As a couple, they’ve worked to support institutions they believe in (the Dia Art Foundation, Serpentine Galleries, Turner Contemporary) and carve out their own tastes beyond their lineages.
What was the first work of art you ever bought?
Laura de Gunzburg: A surrealist drawing I discovered at a Paris flea market as a teenager. It felt like discovering a hidden secret.
Gabriel Chipperfield: A work from the Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy. It wasn’t a particularly known artist, but that’s what’s so great about the Summer Exhibition!
Describe your art collection in three words.
Curious, personal, evolving. Mostly artists of our generation, many of whom we have some connection to.
Every collector has made a rookie mistake or two. What was your most memorable?
De Gunzburg: Rushing into a purchase without really researching the artist’s practice. It taught me to be much more considerate.
Chipperfield: Underestimating how important rarity and scarcity are, as well as consistency over the lifespan and career of an artist.
Who do you credit with teaching you how to navigate the art world?
De Gunzburg: Friends and mentors during my time working at Sotheby’s [as an art services manager]. You are exposed to so much, but mainly you learn through conversation. Every day is an informal education.
Chipperfield: Artists. Listening carefully to them always gives you the clearest path through the noise.
What art-world trend would you like to see come to an end?
The fetishization of speed, whether it’s quick sales, quick fame, or quick flipping. Good art needs time and contemplation.
What area of collecting are you excited to dig deeper into?
De Gunzburg: For me, probably the dialogue between sculpture and architecture across the mid- to late 20th century.
Chipperfield: I like to discover and continue to follow artists from my generation who are evolving.
What work in your home have you spent the most time staring at?
A Jean Arp piece. It’s so deceptively simple that it reveals new dimensions the longer you sit with it.
Do you have any art in your bathroom? If so, what?
A playful little painting by Mary Stephenson. We like having something intimate there.
If you could snap your fingers and instantly own the art collection of anyone else, who would it be and why?
De Gunzburg: The Menil Collection for its breadth, intimacy, and profound respect for artists.
Chipperfield: Ellsworth Kelly and Jack Shear’s collection—quiet but deeply rigorous.
in your life?
