Issue 47

Art Collectors

Boris and Naomi Tosic

For Sydney-based couple Boris and Naomi Tosic, art collecting is an emotional voyage that culminates in the purest expression of the self.

By Lisa Cugnetto FEB 2016

Boris and Naomi Tosic, the Sydney-based couple behind boutique co-working company The Office Space, may play down their knowledge of art but the breadth and calibre of their collection speaks otherwise. Ben Quilty, Del Kathryn Barton, Brett Whiteley, Julije Knifer and Ningura Napurrula are just some of the Australian and international names
that feature in a collection fuelled by the couple’s unadulterated love of art and deep respect for artists.

Art is a part of everyday life for the Tosics. Prized works, including pieces by Guan Wei and Stephen Powers, dot the walls of the original Office Space site in Surry Hills’ Reservoir Street as well as Paramount by The Office Space, a set of luxury office suites that occupy a floor of Paramount House, a landmark Art Deco building nearby.

Through The Office Space they run Gallery 2010, a non-profit, curator-run initiative designed to support the creative development of exhibiting artists. They attend exhibitions and private tours (such as a recent visit to see Gilbert & George at Hobart’s MONA); and more recently have commissioned artists, such as Del Kathryn Barton to create custom artworks for them.

For Boris, who moved to Australia from Croatia as a young adult and also runs a building and construction company, art is an emotional experience. He says: “I think it’s about honesty. It’s purity.
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MCA Roslyn Oxley Gallery IMALENNOX STACMIACCA Melbourne
Issue 47