Art & Impact: A conversation with co-leaders of the Toniic Arts Working Group Aude & Tamar

This year, we launched the Arts Working Group within the Toniic community, a vibrant new initiative that explores the powerful intersection of art and impact. Co-led by Toniic members Tamar Guttmann and Aude Lemogne Aude Lemogne,? the group will delve into how art can drive social and environmental change through music, film, fine arts, poetry, theater, dance, and more.

The Arts Working Group will host a series of in-person events and online Toniic calls that delve into the inspiring and powerful relationship between art and impact. Each session will feature member and guest speakers from diverse artistic fields who will share their unique stories and insights. From photographers and visual artists to musicians and filmmakers, we will discuss their work, creative processes, and the impact the art has on audiences and communities.

Join us on this journey to bring visibility to new narratives and broaden our perspectives. Here’s a quick Q&A to get to know Tamar & Aude who volunteered to co-lead this group and their aspirations for the group.

? What inspired you both to kick-start this initiative???

Tamar:

I grew up in a family of artists - my grandfather was a theater director, my grandmother a writer, my father founded the Amsterdam Light Festival, my sister is a documentary film director, and I went to the Conservatory of Music as a jazz vocalist prior to my studies in New York. At the same time, my family is very entrepreneurial and socially engaged - my parents taught us about social and environmental issues from a young age. At New York University, I studied both Social Entrepreneurship and Producing films and music. Being passionate about both the world of social impact and the world of art and storytelling, I’ve always been curious and excited about how to best connect them, as I have seen firsthand time and time again how art and storytelling can spark positive change and move people to action. That's why I really wanted to bring more conversations about art & impact to the Toniic community.

Aude:

Aude: As part of my onboarding process with Nathalie, I was eager to find a way to contribute and bring my passion and experience in the art world into the impact lens and share this with the community.?

Since we started this initiative, it’s been an exercise of exploring the potential and power of all forms of art as a catalyst for impact. Interactions with other Toniic members revealed that several members are really active in supporting art organizations or ventures that they perceive as impactful, whether it’s in film (as Tamar and her family) or through dedicated art collections that support powerful narratives of inclusion and diversity. And it’s been a pleasure to welcome new and curious members into the exploration space as well.

Our common goal is to broaden this new Toniic platform that empowers artists, musicians, filmmakers and other creatives to become agents of change and spark dynamic, non-partisan, positive activations that can help drive systemic change.

?? Can you share a memorable experience or a particular artist’s work that profoundly impacted each of you and shaped your view on the intersection of art and impact? ??

Tamar:

A standout moment for me was the impact campaign around The Territory , a National Geographic documentary on Disney+. It highlights the fight of the Indigenous Uru-eu-wau-wau people against deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon. The film had an incredibly effective impact campaign led by Think Impact , which contributed to the passing of the Anti-Deforestation Law in the EU—an example of how powerful storytelling can lead to real, measurable change.

Aude:

Lately I was touched by the British artist Thomas J Price, whose artistic practice reframes the Black figure in sculpture. His large-scale representations of anonymous Black men and women challenge societal norms and provoke essential conversations about recognition and identity; Who gets recognition in society? Who gets the chance to be seen? What are our prejudices surrounding representation and identity? His art goes beyond aesthetics, it showcases the richness and beauty of diverse backgrounds, challenges stereotypes, and (hopefully) fosters social cohesion.

??? How do you envision the role of different artistic disciplines, such as music, film, and fine arts, in driving social and environmental change? ???

Tamar:

My focus in the arts are film and music. I think film can have a very direct link to creating impact, by for example designing impact campaigns that can maximize the positive impact around the themes that the film discusses - think of advocacy, policy change, but also bringing more funding to foundations that support the issues the film addresses. Music is powerful and moves people emotionally, through it we can raise awareness on a large scale about certain social or environmental issues. Artists have always been crucial in reflecting society and pushing for positive change. In today’s world, where funding for the arts is dwindling, it’s vital and immensely impactful to support artists who challenge societal norms and inspire action.

Look at the work that the foundation Creative Capital has been doing? -- they have supported phenomenal artists since 1999, providing early-career unconditional grants. This year's United States representative at the Venice Biennale, Jeffrey Gibson, who marks the first solo presentation of an Indigenous artist for the U.S. Pavilion, to name one!

Aude:

Art has always mirrored and influenced society. Environmental art, for instance, emerged in the late 60s with movements like Land Art, where artists like Robert Smithson engaged directly with the environment, challenging our conventional approach of sculpture but also our relationship to our direct environment. Climate change activism through art has gained momentum in recent years, as artists tackle environmental issues, raise awareness, and inspire action to combat the ecological crisis.?

Today, artists like Sarah Sze recycle waste into sprawling installations that make us reflect on our consumer habits. Art has become a powerful medium for communicating the urgency of change and mobilizing collective action. Art has become a powerful medium for communicating the urgency of change, fostering empathy, and mobilizing collective action.

???Could you elaborate on some of the unique challenges and opportunities you see in funding art projects that have a strong impact focus?

Tamar:

I think the art and impact world can support and amplify each other in great ways, but have not found each other enough so far. Artists excel at storytelling but may not know how to create tangible impact, while impact-focused organizations struggle to effectively communicate their work. There’s a huge opportunity for collaboration here. To illustrate, I believe that instead of spending on fancy impact reporting, we could instead support an artist with an audience base to talk about the impact issue and solution that we can all get behind, more impact would be reached.?

In the film world, for example, impact campaigns receive too little funding, even though they can greatly amplify the message of powerful films. I’m sure many of us have felt the urge to take action after watching an impactful documentary, yet lack direction on how to help. Impact investors and philanthropists can make a significant difference by funding these campaigns and connecting them with the right networks.

What are you most excited about at this years Venice Biennale?

Tamar:

I’m excited about the Dutch and United States pavilions. The Netherlands will be represented by the Congolese artist collective Cercle d’Art des Travailleurs de Plantation Congolaise (CATPC ) supported by artist Renzo Martens and curator Hicham Khalidi, who use the proceeds from their art to buy back former plantation lands and transform them into biodiverse agro-forests. The United States pavilion will feature Jeffrey Gibson who is a Creative Capital grantee and the first Indigenous artist to present a solo exhibition in the U.S. Pavilion.

Aude:

I’m looking forward to exploring Berlinde de Bruyckere’s installation at the Basilica of San Giorgio Maggiore, which delves into spirituality and mortality. This juxtaposition between classical, religious art and contemporary representations of spirituality, in forms that are pushing the boundaries of esthetics, has been one of the highlights of the Biennale for me so far.

At Palazzo Grassi, there’s the solo show of Julie Mehretu, an Ethiopian American contemporary visual artist, known for her multi-layered paintings of abstracted landscapes on a large scale. Her paintings, drawings, and prints depict the cumulative effects of urban sociopolitical changes. And at Punta della Dogana, there is an exhibition of Pierre Huyghe, a fully immersive art experience, which explores the relationship between the human and the non-human.

I think if we would approach all our work a bit more like jazz musicians, that would bring us a long way. - Tamar G.

?? If you were a piece of instrument / a type of art style what would you be and why?

Tamar:

Maybe unsurprising as a jazz vocalist, but I love jazz - the elements that make jazz, jazz, are: improvisation, deep listening and good collaboration between the different instrument sections, and the balance between a profound knowledge of tradition and what has come before, and at the same time fostering experimentation and innovation. I think if we would approach all our work a bit more like jazz musicians, that would bring us a long way.

Aude:

It would be intriguing to be one of Picasso’s early cubist female depictions, which means being first reduced to basic geometric shapes, such as cylinders, spheres, cones and rectangles and then, being reconstructed through these condensed shapes in a completely new visual entity.

Art, that makes you look at the familiar though a completely new prism, keeps fascinating me.

The arts working group has a busy calendar this fall, featuring multiple collaborations with other working groups in Toniic. Join us for a season of inspiring art and impactful discussions!

September 11: The Arts Working Group: Art Beyond Philanthropy to Profitability ??

Join us on September 11 at 5 PM CET to explore how art can be a significant, diversified addition to your impact investment portfolio. Learn from Nxt Museum and DOEN Foundation about leveraging art for sustainability, cultural preservation, and profitability. Discover why art, although historically resilient and often outperforming of traditional assets, remains an undervalued asset with significant investment potential. Engage in discussions on digital art innovations and real-world examples.

October 15: Empowering Female Artists: A Collaboration between the Gender & Racial Equity and The Arts Working Groups ??

On October 15 at 5pm CET, Toniic's The Arts Working Group, in conjunction with the Gender and Racial Equity Working Group, will host a call focusing on female artists. We'll explore power dynamics, curators' biases, and the importance of gender lens collecting. Featuring data on female artist representation and market trends, this session aims to highlight how we can promote gender equality in the art world.

December 4: The Arts and Africa Working Groups Collaboration ??

Join us on December 4 for a collaborative session between The Arts and Africa Working Groups. This event will explore the intersectionality of these fields, highlighting unique perspectives and opportunities. Engage with thought-provoking themes and distinguished speakers as we bridge art and impact across continents

Bios:

Aude Lemogne

Aude Lemogne is a Luxembourgish businesswoman and art collector, with an extensive career in finance, corporate governance as well as in the arts. She started her professional journey with roles in New York and London, focusing on equity trading and portfolio management for private banks and hedge funds.

In 2009 Aude co-founded LINK management, an art wealth management firm and Griffin Art Partners, a joint-venture with Reyl Intesa, specialized in innovative financial structuring for art assets, including art-backed loans for international art collectors. Her expertise in finance has also seen her take on influential roles at several prominent institutions, such as Intesa Sanpaolo bank Luxembourg, where she is an independent director and board member.

Beyond her corporate roles, Aude is deeply committed to social and environmental causes. She is a trustee at ClientEarth, a UK-based NGO dedicated to environmental advocacy, and she had been chair of Equilibre, a think tank aimed at fostering diversity in political, economic and social ecosystems.

Aude is deeply passionate about the rebalancing of art history to give a voice to a broader range of narratives, and she actively supports the valorization of female artists and marginalized communities as they reflect on their social, political, and formative experiences.

Tamar Guttmann

Tamar Guttmann is an entrepreneur, impact producer, and advisor from Amsterdam. She is passionate about the intersection of arts and social impact and aims to amplify voices and stories that need to be heard, primarily through film and music. Tamar is the co-founder and Director of the non-profit New Amsterdam Jazz, which supports the music scene based in the Netherlands and connects it to scenes around the globe, through the (inter)national development of concert series, artist residencies, albums, talent development projects, and educational activities. She serves as Head of Partnerships and Engagement of Think-Film Impact Production, an Oscar-winning impact media company that blends art with action for measurable social change. Tamar sits on the Board of Directors of Creative Capital, one of the leading grantmaking institutions in the United States, and serves on the Advisory Board to Amarte, a leading arts foundation that provides grants to innovative artists in the Netherlands.

She is the Netherlands Country Ambassador for NEXUS Global and leads the Arts Working Group for Toniic, the global action community for impact investing. She serves on the Advisory Boards to three-time Nobel Peace Prize Nominee Dr Scilla Elworthy, Business Plan for Peace, and Princess’ Irene of the Netherlands’ non-profit organisation, Berglaas. Tamar previously led the Coalition for Impact, a unique collaborative network that aims to mobilize trillions of USD toward impact between 6 of the leading social impact investing networks and foundations; BMW Foundation, NEXUS, Toniic, Center of Sustainable Finance and Private Wealth, Katapult, and The ImPact. Tamar holds a B.A. degree from the Tisch School of the Arts and Stern School of Business (New York University). In her free time, Tamar can be found in a jazz club or learning a new language in a nearby cafe.