Mosimann: French-Swiss DJ and producer

1. What was your first contact with art?

Mosimann: I think it was when I arrived in Paris, in the early 2000s, and discovered graffiti. Back then, people were slowly starting to stop waging war on street artists and finally leaving them some walls to work on.



That's when I discovered all these artists who today have become stars, but who started out the hard way, like Jo Di Bona or Onemizer, guys who used to "hit" trains back then. Seeing that street art has today become an art form in its own right, one that's recognized, I find that beautiful.

"I like simple things, things that sometimes have more depth than they seem to. But above all, it says that I want to trust an emotion, a moment. And street art is exactly that."

2. How many works of art do you think you own today, and do you buy more out of passion or as an investment?

Mosimann: I don't know exactly how many I have, but they're not necessarily outrageously expensive pieces. They're really things I fell in love with. For example the Atlas piece on display up there, it's a sculpture with very few in the series. I found it interesting that Atlas ventured into something that wasn't his usual technique, not his usual way of approaching art.

In my view, you need a certain budget to invest in art, and I'm not there yet, so I'm clearly acting out of passion rather than investment logic.

Sometimes I fall for pieces whose price is out of my reach, but that doesn't stop me from picturing myself owning them. I go on the Artsper website, take a photo of the piece, print it out, put it on my vision board, and tell myself that one day I'll be successful enough to afford a Keith Haring, or something else.

But passion always wins over investment. Proof of that: I have a display piece in my studio that I asked Radio France for, because I find that work completely mind blowing. It's the display for the stamp created by artist Ugo Gattoni for Radio France's 50th anniversary.

If a piece of art gives me something, I tell myself I have to have it. I get very attached to stories, to what's behind the artist. Hopare, for instance, is one of the artists who moves me most today.

Looking at a piece of art is also a way of projecting yourself into it, and everyone projects very different things depending on their personality.

3. Which artists impress you the most?

Mosimann: Keith Haring and Shepard Fairey.

Keith Haring left behind an immense legacy. Sometimes I feel like his heirs overdo it a bit, and I, who am deeply moved by his work, feel guilty for taking part in that by buying the merchandise. I have clothes, figurines, and so on, but all of that is really just a way to picture myself reaching the day I can afford a real piece of his work.



With Shepard Fairey, what I love is the cause he stands for, and what he put into the clothing brand he later created, Obey. He's one of those committed artists who inspire my own creativity and help me see things differently.

4. Was your studio decorated by an artist you particularly admire? How did that come about?

Mosimann: Ten years ago, I posted a message on Facebook looking for a street artist who could decorate the studio. He wrote back, we set up a meeting. It clicked so well that it ended up being the only meeting we had; we never met any other artist.

Jo Di Bona was used to painting on huge walls, and he found himself working in an enclosed space instead. I find it interesting when an artist ventures into something that isn't their usual technique, not their usual way of approaching art. It wasn't easy for him; it took him fifteen days to complete the piece.

Seeing the result today, I'm really happy. This is my office, I'm here all the time. When I walk through the hallway that Jo Di Bona designed, the one leading to my studio, I feel like I'm passing through an airlock of creativity and inspiration.

There are tons of references to things I grew up with, DJs, movies, lots of slightly pop dreams. I walk through there and think to myself, "okay, what am I going to do today?" And when I get to the studio, which by contrast is a bit white, a bit stripped down, it lets me focus on something else.

8. Are there any art forms that don't move you at all?

Mosimann: I can't really say abstract art doesn't move me, but I think I'm still too young in my relationship with art to fully appreciate it.

For example, I have enormous admiration for Soulages, but I don't think I'm at the stage in my life yet where I can fully appreciate him. That takes reflection, respect, and real research.

I think the fact that I love street art so much says a lot about me: I like simple things, things that sometimes have more depth than they seem to. But above all, it says that I want to trust an emotion, a moment. And street art is exactly that.

Their favorite artworks