From the very beginning, the aim has been to champion emerging galleries and the work they do while strengthening Berlin’s position in the international art market. Ten years on, previous winners look back at the award and what it has meant to them.
Your gallery won the VBKI-Preis BERLINER GALERIEN in 2017. What did the award mean to you at the time, and what does it mean to you today?
Jan-Philipp Sexauer: In 2017, we showed an enormous floor piece by Caroline Kryzecki, spanning more than two hundred square metres, with the walls of the exhibition space left completely bare. It was a museum-calibre installation, so having it recognised in this way meant a great deal to us. The award still matters today because it continues to be associated with the gallery.
Would you say the award has changed anything about your day-to-day work since then?
Jan-Philipp Sexauer: When you run a gallery, you’re often dealing with a lot of different things at once, from small everyday matters to bigger strategic questions. It’s all interconnected, so any major success has an impact on the day-to-day work. The VBKI-Preis is no exception.
The VBKI-Preis will be awarded for the tenth time in 2026. What role do you think it plays in Berlin’s gallery scene?
Jan-Philipp Sexauer: Berlin’s galleries put on exhibitions throughout the year, many of them with ambitious artistic and curatorial programmes. They’re free to visit and form an important part of Berlin’s cultural diversity. That’s why support for galleries matters, and the VBKI-Preis is an important part of that.
Your gallery received the VBKI-Preis BERLINER GALERIEN in 2019. What did the award mean to you at the time, and what does it mean to you today?
Anne Schwarz: We’d already been nominated for the VBKI-Preis in 2018, then won the award in 2019 with ›She’s reading‹, US photographer Jenna Westra’s very first solo exhibition. We often break new ground with our exhibitions, so we were especially delighted to win with an artist who was new to the gallery at the time.
Back then, the EUR 10,000 prize money was a real boost and a huge help—we were able to cover half the exhibition’s production costs and went on to sell very well too, certainly in part thanks to the VBKI-Preis.
Since then, the gallery has moved to beautiful new premises at Marburger Straße 3 in Charlottenburg. We’ve grown, expanded our presence at international art fairs and now juggle much larger sums, while our turnover as a sole proprietorship has risen significantly.
The VBKI-Preis remains an honour and something we’re still very proud of today!
Has the award changed anything about your day-to-day work since then?
Anne Schwarz: The award led to our joining the VBKI, which allowed us to expand our network and reach new art buyers, but it didn’t really change our day-to-day work.
The VBKI-Preis will be awarded for the tenth time in 2026. What role do you think it plays in Berlin’s gallery scene?
Anne Schwarz: Opening up the award to galleries that have been in business for up to fifteen years was a very good decision; previously, the cut-off was ten years. Since the pandemic, hardly any new galleries have opened in Berlin, and the VBKI-Preis is enormously important for young entrepreneurs in the gallery scene: it brings recognition and visibility and creates valuable opportunities to make new connections. Even nominated galleries that don’t ›win‹ receive a recognition award, which is fantastic. So once again, a big thank you to the VBKI!
Your gallery received the VBKI-Preis BERLINER GALERIEN in 2021. What did the award mean to you at the time, and what does it mean to you today?
Alexander Levy: Winning the award was something very special for us. We won the VBKI-Preis in 2021 with an exhibition by Su Yu Hsin, whose work we were showing at the gallery for the first time. Her complex video installation was a bold and ambitious project that we undertook together with real conviction. Having this particular exhibition recognised meant a great deal to us.
Has the award changed anything about your day-to-day work since then?
Alexander Levy: I wouldn’t say it has directly changed our day-to-day work. But it does make galleries more visible and helps people understand what we actually do, which is something we’re really pleased about.
The VBKI-Preis will be awarded for the tenth time in 2026. What role do you think it plays in Berlin’s gallery scene?
Alexander Levy: It makes galleries more transparent. People get a better sense of what a gallery actually is and what it does. It also makes clear the role galleries play in the city’s cultural life. We’re open to everyone. We connect people with art. And that contributes to cultural exchange.
Your gallery received the VBKI-Preis BERLINER GALERIEN in 2022. What did the award mean to you at the time, and what does it mean to you today?
Thomas Fischer: In the art world, most prizes go to artists, while museums and art associations receive awards of their own. The VBKI-Preis recognises, on behalf of the sector as a whole, the programme and outreach work of the many galleries that, as semi-public spaces, make a major contribution to cultural life. It gives that work the recognition it deserves.
Has the award changed anything about your day-to-day work since then?
Thomas Fischer: An award changes how you see your own work and how others see it. People have often asked us about the award, and it has brought a great deal of attention to the gallery and our exhibitions. And, of course, it’s a wonderful recognition of all the years of work we’ve put into the gallery.
The VBKI-Preis will be awarded for the tenth time in 2026. What role do you think it plays in Berlin’s gallery scene?
Thomas Fischer: The traditional gallery model is being questioned more and more, making support for younger colleagues who choose to pursue it more important than ever. The VBKI-Preis provides that support through its prize money, but also by giving emerging galleries a platform.
Your gallery received the VBKI-Preis BERLINER GALERIEN in 2023. What did the award mean to you at the time, and what does it mean to you today?
Johanna Neuschäffer & Anne Schwanz: The award was above all a wonderful affirmation of our work while the gallery was still relatively young. We were particularly pleased to receive that recognition from a jury so closely involved with Berlin’s gallery scene. Looking back, we see the award as an important milestone for us. It raised our profile during Berlin Art Week and helped bring our work and artistic programme to a wider audience.
Has the award changed anything about your day-to-day work since then?
Johanna Neuschäffer & Anne Schwanz: It hasn’t fundamentally changed our day-to-day work. We remain committed to our programme and continue to build long-term relationships with our artists. There are many reasons why the gallery has become increasingly international in recent years. The award certainly gave us welcome recognition and drew attention to our work, particularly in Berlin. Today, we find it especially fitting that the award recognises galleries with a long-term commitment to what they do.
The VBKI-Preis will be awarded for the tenth time in 2026. What role do you think it plays in Berlin’s gallery scene?
Johanna Neuschäffer & Anne Schwanz: Berlin thrives on a diverse and committed gallery scene whose work often happens behind the scenes. The VBKI-Preis makes this work more visible and draws attention to galleries whose clear programmes and long-term commitment contribute to Berlin’s art scene. For younger galleries in particular, this kind of recognition can be an important vote of confidence and help them reach a wider audience.
Your gallery received the VBKI-Preis BERLINER GALERIEN in 2024. What did the award mean to you at the time, and what does it mean to you today?
Anton Janizewski: I saw the award as recognition of the risks we were willing to take as a young gallery by showing political art outside the conventions of the commercial art market. So, of course, it was particularly gratifying to receive the award for Emma Adler’s exhibition ›STRG-Z‹, which explored the complexity and urgency of the domestic political situation at the time.
Has the award changed anything about your day-to-day work since then?
Anton Janizewski: We’re constantly developing the programme and trying to support our artists wherever we can. That was true before the award and remains true today. This year, several of our artists are having their first institutional solo exhibitions: Rebekka Benzenberg at Kunstmuseum Mülheim an der Ruhr, Marc Henry at Neuer Aachener Kunstverein and Jonas Höschl at Kunstverein Hannover.
The VBKI-Preis will be awarded for the tenth time in 2026. What role do you think it plays in Berlin’s gallery scene?
Anton Janizewski: I see the VBKI-Preis as an important means of strengthening Berlin’s gallery scene. For young gallerists in particular, it can provide crucial visibility while giving exceptional exhibition projects the recognition they deserve.
Your gallery received the VBKI-Preis BERLINER GALERIEN in 2025. What does an award like this mean for a young gallery in Berlin?
Robert Grunenberg: The award is an important recognition of our work. As a gallery, you invest a great deal of time and energy in developing artists’ careers and creating new exhibition formats. Having that work seen and recognised is hugely motivating, while also bringing greater attention to the gallery and the artists we represent.
Has the award changed anything about your day-to-day work since then?
Robert Grunenberg: In terms of the programme, of course, we’ve stayed true to our approach. But the award has significantly raised our profile, both within Berlin’s art scene and beyond. We’ve noticed growing interest in our artists from institutions, curators and collectors. That opens up new opportunities, including collaborations and exhibitions.
The VBKI-Preis will be awarded for the tenth time in 2026. What role do you think it plays in Berlin’s gallery scene?
Robert Grunenberg: The award gives important recognition to the work galleries do, much of which happens behind the scenes. It reveals just how much curatorial and entrepreneurial work goes into a successful programme. At the same time, it strengthens Berlin’s position as a centre for art by giving greater visibility to the energy and diversity of the city’s gallery scene.