Art demands a walk-in place — A conversation with gallery owners Daniel Schierke and Ralf Seinecke
Daniel Schierke and Ralf Seinecke have been running the Rundgænger Gallery in Frankfurt since 2015. Their program focuses on young artists from art schools. Daniel studied art history and literature at Goethe University Frankfurt. He worked as an art guide, author and curator for the most important museums and art institutions in Frankfurt, such as Städel, MMK, Foto Forum or Art Foyer of DZ Bank. Ralf studied law, philosophy, as well as art history and received his PhD in legal theory. In 2018 Daniel and Ralf opened their second gallery Schierke Seinecke in Frankfurt’s Bahnhofsviertel.
You have been on the road working together in the field of art since 2015. At that time you founded your first gallery Rundgænger. How did it all come about?
We have been noticing a great interest in young art in Frankfurt for many years. This is mainly due to the Städelschule, which enjoys an excellent reputation in the city. Many galleries show graduates of the local art academy. The focus of Galerie Rundgænger is on young talented artists who have studied at other renowned academies such as the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, the HGB Leipzig or the UdK Berlin. Our goal was and is to give the Frankfurt art public a special insight into what is happening in the young scene in other cities. At the same time, we want to offer artists a platform to present their work in an exciting place like Frankfurt and to meet new collectors.
You regularly tour Germany to find new talents. What criteria do you use to select? What is quality for you?
We look for handcrafted art that is designed in an unseen and subtle way. It should also have a visual appeal that captivates the viewer and invites them to engage more deeply with the artist’s work. It is also important to us that a common thread can be detected in the artist’s work. This can be a certain style, which is used again and again in a variety of ways in different works, but it can also be a concept to which the artist has committed himself and which runs through his oeuvre and keeps it in motion. One-hit wonders do not interest us, but an artistic perspective must be recognizable.
Your second gallery, Schierke Seinecke was added in 2018. How does the program of both galleries vary?
Rundgænger Gallery has existed since 2015, and we have exhibited many artists there whose development we would like to accompany in the future. That is the task of Schierke Seinecke. It was obvious to found a gallery next to Rundgænger, which stands for a stock of exceptional artists. We are now often asked, when is the next exhibition with Anna Nero, Arno Beck or David Borgmann? This can be compared to a music fan who is curious about how the new album of his favorite band will sound. At the same time, the young scene is very much alive and art is finding a completely new visual language through digitalization. We can continue to accompany this development with Rundgænger. On the one hand, you can always discover something new at Rundgænger and on the other hand, you can participate in an artistic development that is establishing itself on the art market at Schierke Seinecke.
How has the German art market changed since you started and what developments do you see in the future?
Of course, the topic of Corona has not passed the German art market by without leaving a trace. Before, the scene felt increasing pressure to be present at art fairs. On the one hand, there is now a great regret that the fairs are currently cancelled. On the other hand, many are relieved about the temporary elimination of the additional burden and hope that collectors and art enthusiasts will once again increasingly turn to their respective local gallery scenes. The digital presence of galleries on social media channels like Instagram and online sales platforms like Artsy has increased dramatically in recent years. Whether this will greatly boost the purchase of art remains to be seen. Artists themselves are also discovering their own marketing through digital channels. And that’s where a new generation of art buyers is emerging, who are primarily looking for information online. But art demands a walk-in place. In our experience, most buying decisions are made only by directly “experiencing” the artwork. This presence factor is one of many reasons why galleries continue to be a model for the future.
What is your program for 2021 and what are your wishes and plans for the future?
There will be many duo exhibitions at Galerie Rundgænger in 2021. Painting meets sculpture. We always find such exhibitions very exciting, because the different media usually complement each other well and another aesthetic experience is possible. In February we will start with Winnie Seifert and Hannes Uhlenhaut. In the summer, Fynn Ribbeck and Harm Gerdes will be our guests. Both come from the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf. In autumn we are looking forward to the tropical landscape paintings of Theresa Möller from Leipzig.
At Schierke Seinecke, we begin the new year with Manuel Stehli, followed by Arno Beck, who has now also built up a considerable collector base in the USA within the post-digital scene. To start the season in September, we will show new paintings by David Borgmann. For the coming year, we hope that the exhibition will run as smoothly as possible and that the local art public will show a lively interest in the new works of our artists.
www.rundgaenger.de
www.schierkeseinecke.com
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