Dino Aleš Sudac: Founder of Themis Gallery on a new approach to the art market

In recent years, it has become increasingly clear that the way in which art is presented, followed and collected is changing significantly. Today, galleries are no longer just places of exhibition, but increasingly become platforms that connect artists, collectors and the public through new technologies and digital formats.

In this context, Themis Gallery was launched in Zagreb in 2024. Its founder, Dino Aleš Sudac, is developing a gallery concept that presents works of art through modern digital tools and communication models, such as 3D spatial visualizations and virtual exhibitions. The aim of such an approach is not only to present the work, but also to show how it functions and lives in a concrete living space.

The gallery's program focuses on avant-garde and neo-avant-garde artists of the second half of the 20th century, mainly from our region, and these are already established names in the world of collecting or authors whose work is increasingly visible in a broader international historical and artistic context. It is precisely on the combination of a clear understanding of artistic heritage and contemporary methods of presentation that Aleš is building a gallery that has already distinguished itself on the domestic scene from the very beginning.

We spoke to him as part of our new #DesignTalk segment. Here's what we found out.

Themis Gallery is new to the Croatian market, can you explain to us in more detail how the gallery works?

Aleš: Themis Gallery was created with the idea of making access to art more direct and clear, especially for people who want to live with art, but often lack sufficient certainty when making a purchase decision. That is why the gallery does not function only as a place to present works, but also as a space for consulting, guidance and an individual approach to each customer.

“In my work, it is important to understand who I am addressing, what kind of space the person has, what kind of sensibility they are looking for and what kind of relationship they want to build with the artwork. This is precisely where I see the main difference compared to the classic gallery model. We do not just offer artwork, but we try to create a more precise and personal framework in which the buyer can make a good decision.” - Dino Aleš Sudac

Aleš browses Aleksandar Srnec's monograph

When he says that Themis has a new approach to the customer, Aleš means that they do not approach everyone equally. Their customers come from very different positions – from people who are buying art for the first time to those who already know exactly which author or even which work they are looking for.

That is why a personalized approach is important to them, that is, to offer everyone the level of guidance, information and presentation that they really need. It is in this individualization and clearer approach to art that you can see what distinguishes Themis from the classic gallery model.

Radomir Damnjanović Damnjan, 1971.

What is the role of education in your work? How much does the audience need to know before buying, and how much knowledge comes through relationships?

Aleš: “Education” through conversation plays a big role because I think that before buying, the buyer needs to get a basic framework and understand that the artistic and market context has changed a lot in the last twenty years. For a long time, the focus on the domestic scene was on Croatian modernism, but today the importance of the avant-garde and neo-avant-garde is increasingly evident, especially in the wider international context.

That is why it is important for me to bring the author closer to the buyer through specific information - exhibitions, catalogs, institutional purchases and the movement of the value of the works in the last ten years. He doesn't need to know everything in advance, but he needs to understand what he's looking at and why it's relevant.

Catalog of the exhibition The World Goes Pop (Tate Modern, London) with a series of works by Boris Bućan

The second part of the knowledge comes through the relationship. I stay in touch with the customers even after the purchase and keep them informed about the authors that interest them. I think that is how a real interest in collecting often develops. It often happens that someone who was unsure at the beginning, after seeing the wider context, prefers to choose a graphic by Aleksandar Srnec or a work from the “Bucan Art” series by Boris Bućan rather than a classic figurative oil on canvas.

Works from the series "Bucan Art" by Boris Bućan, 1972.

Which artists are most represented at Themis Gallery and why?

Aleš: From the beginning, I have been building the gallery around the avant-garde and neo-avant-garde art of the second half of the 20th century. I am most interested in authors and art groups that are increasingly gaining a place in a broader international context, and not just within the region. EXAT 51, Gorgona and the Group of Six Authors are particularly important to me.

“That is why the gallery features artists such as Aleksander Srnec, Boris Bućan, Boris Demur, Tomislav Gotovac, Mladen Stilinović, Đuro Seder, Ivan Kožarić, Ivo Gattin, Ivan Picelj, Vjenceslav Richter, Josip Vaništa, Julije Knifer, Radomir Damnjanović Damnjan, Marijan Jevšovar and Vojin Bakić, but also some foreign authors from that period, such as Giovanni Pizzo, Baldo Diodato and Stan Filko.” - Dino Aleš Sudac

I choose them because I think they are artists who are really making a difference today. Their work has quality, context, and space for further reading, and it's important to me that the gallery stands behind artists who can clearly articulate why they are relevant today.

Dino Aleš Sudac with work by Julij Knifer, acrylic on canvas

What happens when people come to Themis Gallery with the idea to complete their empty walls, and how do you turn it from an aesthetic desire into a meaningful author's choice?

Aleš: First, I try to understand what kind of space a person has and what kind of atmosphere they want to achieve, but also what they are actually close to. Based on that, I suggest works that are more than just space decoration, that make sense for both the space and the person who lives with them.

Đuro Seder, 1968.

Often people come up with the idea of just filling an empty wall, and through conversation and suggestions they come to a much more specific choice. Interestingly, from this initial aesthetic desire, many develop a real interest in art over time, and gradually begin to build their own collection.

One habit that distinguishes a mature collector from a novice?

“A beginner buys what he likes, and a collector knows why he buys something.” - Dino Aleš Sudac

For the first serious purchase, Aleš recommends a work with which a person can develop a personal relationship – not necessarily the most important, but one of quality and meaningful in space. A collector's piece comes later and refers to works of special importance within the oeuvre, sought after by more experienced collectors.

The key difference is in the approach: the first purchase is based on a personal relationship, while the aforementioned collector's piece involves a broader view of the artist, the market, and collector value.

Is the collaboration with Inter an interesting bridge between the gallery and real living space?

Aleš: The collaboration with Intera actually happened quite naturally. It wasn't something that was planned in advance, but we quickly saw that we had similar thinking. They understand space and interior design very well, and it's important to me through Themis to show how art really lives outside the gallery. That's where we really found each other.

“When you take art out of the classic gallery frame and put it in a concrete space, people experience it differently.” - Dino Aleš Sudac

Aleš believes that a new generation of people is important, who want to connect things together in a slightly different and more open way. From such collaborations, new models of connecting art, interiors and life naturally emerge. A good example is the works of Baldo Diodato that are in Intera, and which have aroused great interest, especially among architects and designers.

Baldo Diodato, 2012.

Do you have any favorite works of art, regardless of whether they have ever been part of a gallery?

Aleš: One of the works that always fascinates me personally are the cut canvases by Lucija Fontana . At first glance, it seems very simple, but in fact it is a work that has completely changed the way one can think about painting and how innovation enters art. When we talk about works that are close to me and through a gallery context, I am particularly interested in the kinetic sculptures of Aleksandar Srnec. What attracts me to them is that they combine light, movement and art in a way that still feels contemporary today. I think that such works show very well how some artists from our region were ahead of their time in certain things.

As part of the future development of Themis Gallery, it is also introducing AR technology that allows clients to visualize artworks in their own interior via a mobile device. This functionality provides a new, interactive experience and makes purchasing decisions easier. You can try out the test interface HERE.

Three cities where you would like Themis to have a pop-up?

“I would definitely choose London, New York and Basel.” - Dino Aleš Sudac

Speaking about recent projects, he highlights two experiences that show in different ways how art today functions outside of classical frameworks.

This year you participated in the realization of Boris Bućan's exhibition in the United Arab Emirates. How do you view that experience?

Aleš: I found Boris Bućan's exhibition in the United Arab Emirates to be a special experience because I had the opportunity to closely observe how his works function in a different cultural context. I would especially like to point out that Bućan's posters there had a natural and powerful effect, without the need for additional explanation, which in my opinion confirms the universality of his visual language and shows that artists from the region can today operate equally globally.

“Boris Bućan's Exhibition in the Emirates PRIVATE ARCHIVE”

A recent collaboration with Zara, which used work from the family collection, also attracted a lot of attention. Can you tell us more about that project?

Aleš: I see the collaboration with Zara as an example of spreading art beyond the gallery space. In that project, Bogdanka Poznanović's work from the family collection was transferred to clothing and reached a global audience through Zara's distribution system.

How do you view the trend of art increasingly being viewed as an investment, and are there any works that you believe could increase in value?

Aleš: I think it is completely normal that today art is also seen as an investment, but real value does not arise overnight or by accident. It is built when serious projects, exhibitions, institutions and broader international interest begin to stand behind the artist. Then growth does not come from hype, but from a real shift in the author's position. So yes, there are authors and works that I already think have serious growth potential.

Best advice you've ever received about collecting?

“The best advice I received was that in collecting it is important to develop your own criteria in time. When you know what really interests you and why, then you no longer buy on impulse, but you also don't miss out on things because you waited too long.” - Dino Aleš Sudac

Thank you Dino for this pleasant interview and we wish you the best of luck in the future! For more information, visit Themis Gallery's Instagram profile or their website www.themis.gallery

Photos: Tatjana Bukvić

Space: Intera

Artwork: Themis Gallery