Stefanie De Regel is a leading voice in the contemporary art world whose perspective bridges technology, mindfulness, and creativity. She shares her perspective on balance, creativity, and the evolving relationship between art and innovation — offering thoughtful insight into what inspires her and keeps her grounded in a fast-paced world.
How do you stay calm and focused amid the fast-paced, high-stakes art world?
First of all, I’m lucky — I have a pretty good sleep pattern most of the time, which in the art world is already half the battle with the various timezones. But I’m also quite intentional about it: twice a year, I’ll do two months completely alcohol-free, just to reset. And I firmly believe in prolonged moments where you simply don’t touch your phone — to decompress, to breathe.
Routine is not always easy because every month I will be in different locations. My moments of routine have to be universal. They vary — sometimes it’s the classic version of hitting the local gym or doing yoga in the hotel room on an app, but often it’s reading before going to bed, meditating in silence for at least 15 minutes, taking a long bath with salt and a Korean face mask, playing piano (if I can find one), or just listening to a great song. It’s all part of the same practice: disconnect to reconnect more deeply.
Once a year, I travel for a few weeks somewhere devoted entirely to health, mindfulness, and physical wellbeing. For the last three years, that’s been India — where I discovered the wonders of Ayurveda, an ancient holistic system of healing that balances mind, body, and spirit through diet, herbal treatments, and daily rituals. Combined with yoga and meditation, it’s become my way of pressing reset — mentally, physically, and creatively.
What’s inspiring or exciting you most in the art world right now?
The contemporary art market is certainly experiencing its fluctuations, but the most compelling artists today, in my view, are those who use technology not as a novelty, but as a language — a way to explore memory, identity, and the architecture of consciousness. The digital art sphere has evolved far beyond the speculative NFT phase and is now entering a period of genuine artistic maturity, guided by stronger curatorial frameworks and institutional engagement. The dialogue between craft and code, between tradition and innovation, has become the true pulse of contemporary culture.
Equally fascinating is the emergence of new creative epicentres — Seoul, Istanbul, Jakarta, and Mexico City — where artists are merging philosophy, materiality, and experimentation with remarkable confidence. At the same time, the traditional art market’s expansion into the Middle East is poised to reshape the global landscape — the interplay between Art Basel Qatar and Frieze Abu Dhabi will certainly be one to watch. These regions are notably digitally fluent and unafraid to give digital practices a serious platform, whether through commissions, conferences, or festivals.
We’re entering a moment where authenticity, technology, and cultural depth are finally converging — and that intersection, I believe, is where the next chapter of art truly begins.
If you could own one artwork — past or present — what would it be and why?
If I could own one artwork, it would be TV Buddha by Nam June Paik. For those who might not know him, Paik is often called the father of video art — one of the first artists to see technology not just as a tool, but as a medium for thought and poetry.
TV Buddha, created in 1974, shows a serene Buddha statue gazing at its own image on a live video monitor. It’s such a simple setup, yet deeply philosophical — a conversation between East and West, the ancient and the modern, stillness and feedback.
Decades before social media or the selfie, Paik was already asking what happens when we see ourselves through the lens of a machine. It’s a timeless reflection on consciousness and the loop between humanity and technology — which is why it still feels more relevant than ever.
What’s one piece of advice you’d give to anyone building an art collection in 2025?
In 2025, collecting art is as much about collecting ideas as it is about objects. We’ve reached a moment where technology isn’t replacing the emotional power of art—it’s expanding it. My advice to collectors today is to seek works that transcend medium; pieces that challenge what permanence, presence, and ownership mean in a digital age.
At the same time, never lose sight of the living legends who continue to shape the canon. Whether your budget is modest or major, there’s always a meaningful entry point. For instance, a smaller photographic edition by Marina Abramović might start around $50.000, while a digital work from her recent collaboration with TAEX can be collected from $2,000 on the primary market—or a print from Saatchi Yates for £1,800. The range is vast, but the principle remains the same: collect with passion, not just calculation.
I’ve had the privilege of working closely on Marina’s biggest NFT project to date, witnessing the entire process—from digitally capturing her movements and essence to shaping a work that now lives as a permanent piece on the blockchain. It’s extraordinary to see an artist so defined by physical presence translated into a form that endures beyond time, offering collectors the chance to hold that energy for a lifetime.
But my golden rule is: never collect purely for financial gain. The strongest collections are built from passion and vision — from that moment when the eyes and the heart say yes before the calculator does. That’s what all the great collections have in common. All the major artists once started off as beginners and their works were unknown, never forget that.
And finally, surround yourself with the right advisors and environment—people who understand your taste, your risk appetite, and your long-term narrative as a collector. The art world is vast, but with the right guidance, it becomes a dialogue, not a maze.
October, 2025
