A museum founder, a gallerist, and a photography enthusiast: Douglas So truly does it all. The corporate lawyer-turned-photography fanatic is a fiercely dedicated patron of the arts in Hong Kong and beyond.
As the creator of the F11 Foto Museum, he’s committed to promoting the conservation of photography’s history. And he has a personal connection with the museum space: when he was young, Douglas would walk past the 1930s Art Deco building in Happy Valley, Hong Kong, and admire it. At the museum, Douglas aims to share the history of cameras and photography with people who come to visit, and he hopes one day to start a foundation to support young photographers.
In addition to his packed schedule at the museum, Douglas has two photography galleries—f22 foto space in Hong Kong and Galerie f16 in Paris—which provide professional advice to photo collectors. As if that weren’t enough to keep anyone busy, he also currently serves on the board of multiple major arts organizations in Hong Kong.
Because of his status as a fixture in the contemporary art world, we were excited to chat with Douglas about everything from his favorite new artist to his picks of artworks up now on artnet Galleries.
Douglas’s Gallery Picks
Our Unfinished Revolution
Alexander Calder
Alexander Calder, Our Unfinished Revolution (1976). Courtesy of Boccara Art.
America
Glenn Ligon
Glenn Ligon, America (2015). Courtesy of Lougher Contemporary.
Sunny in haute-couture on my sofa, Paris
Nan Goldin
Nan Goldin, Sunny in haute-couture on my sofa, Paris (2008). Courtesy of Wilde.
Untitled
Donald Judd
Donald Judd, Untitled (1961–69). Courtesy of Galerie Ziegler SA.
Fortuna e Sfortuna
Alighiero Boetti
Alighiero Boetti, Fortuna e Sfortuna (1991). Courtesy of Ben Brown Fine Arts.
Coca Cola Girl (Cutout)
Alex Katz
Alex Katz, Coca Cola Girl (Cutout) (2019). Courtesy of Maune Contemporary.
Purple Rain
Bettina Scholz
Bettina Scholz, Purple Rain (2019). Courtesy of Setareh.
Scattered 25x (Marathon)
Jim Campbell
Jim Campbell, Scattered 25x (Marathon) (2016). Courtesy of Hosfelt Gallery.
DOUGLAS’S FAVORITE…
New artist: Mar Sáez
Piece at the Met: Walker Evans’s Penny Picture Display, Savannah (1936)
Flavor of ice cream: Black coconut
Shoes to wear while gallery-hopping: Tod’s sneakers
Way to spend a Friday night: Curry and prosecco at my favorite Irish pub
Emoji: ?
Meal in the last city you visited: A restaurant called Field in Prague
Way to pass time on long flights: Sleep!
Destination on your bucket list: South America
Travel partner: My love
Way to unwind after a long trip: A nice haircut
Find your own favorite works of art by browsing artnet Galleries and finding the next addition to your collection.