What are you working on at the moment?
The fall season holds a lot in store for us: beside the next exhibition with EJ Hauser, there will be art fairs in Copenhagen (Enter), Vienna (Vienna Contemporary) and our debut at Art Cologne. And then we are also involved in supporting the exhibitions of Katherine Bradford at the Hall Foundation in Derneburg and Kunsthalle Nürnberg.
What are you reading or listening to right now?
We both just finished ›Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds and Shape Our Futures‹ by Merlin Sheldrake. In the truest sense of the word, it changes your view of the world. Most things take place invisibly underground, where microscopic thin threads form a highly complex network. It is fascinating what fungi can do and how they communicate with one another.
What does good art education/outreach require?
Enthusiasm for whatever you’re trying to communicate or present. Without a burning passion for something, it’s difficult to present something well.
Do you have a favourite building?
Schinkelpavillon is a favourite building. Located between Friedrichwerdersche Kirche and the location of the Schinkel’s former Bauakademie, it is somewhat hidden in the middle of Berlin in the park of Kronprinzenpalais. The glazed, octagonal pavilion by the architect Richard Paulick has presented exciting contemporary artists that engage with the special quality of the location since 2007.
Is there someone you would like to meet?
It would be nice to meet Jeanne Mammen in 1920s Berlin.
Do you have a daily ritual?
PH: Walking the dog.
What accessory or object could you not do without?
CL: My bike. Getting about between school, day-care, the gallery etc. can be managed most quickly on bike. And the exercise and fresh air helps me to clear my head on my way home from Charlottenburg to Kreuzberg.
What does sustainability mean for you?
It’s very important for us to work sustainably. Since we began our collaboration with the Gallery Climate Coalition in 2020 and the founding of our own Berlin group, which is now a registered association, we have compiled a CO2 report each year and look at where the changes have been most effective and could be adjusted still further. Last December, we won first place at the Galleries for Future competition, which we were very happy about.
What do you think Berlin’s artistic and cultural landscape needs?
Optimism and positive energy. And that the production conditions remain attractive for the city’s artists.
What do you do when you’re done working?
Bike home, where family life is waiting. But often, we dash off to an exhibition opening or meet colleagues for an afterwork drink.