Exhibition view, for Christmas Exhibition. Courtesy of Gallery Stallmann
Collectors in London and Berlin. Are they different?
L: In London people run around all day making deals. A lot of people pass through London, that makes it a vivid place and you can meet incredible people, have great after parties and see the best shows. It is exhausting but also keeps you running – and I love running. Berlin is calmer, has a lot of locality in the art scene and gives people space to breath. Also, Germans have a big culture of collecting art. And I am not only talking about the big German collectors, but the normal „mortals“ (lol). It is very wonderful to see the general appreciation of art. You can stumble upon Beuys’ works in people’s houses who are not related to the art market as such.
It is often emphasized that you see yourselves not only as gallerists but also dealers. How do these terms differ?
L: The word gallerist is very much tied to the actual gallery space. And dealer describes a bit more the whole universe of literally dealing. It’s one thing of having a gallery space and another, of running a gallery. There is more work than just the shop front you might think. Also, art dealers and drug dealers don’t like to make a fuss about their deals, clients and sources. I am not saying this is good or bad – I am just saying. As dealers, I really like Castelli – I mean who doesn’t. Maybe it is a lazy and nostalgic choice, but he is a cool one. Moreover, I am currently reading the Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler biography by Pierre Assouline. A book I got recommended by a dear art lover from Paris. He has an incredible dedication and determination about the art and the artists he represents, despite public opinions. Someone said, I was the next Marry Boone. I strongly hope that wasn’t related to her relationship to the IRS, but she is great, she brought big artists to the “conversation”.D: It’s funny how rare it is for galleries to continue running after the founder passes away. Galleries revolve around the dealer who founded it or whoever is operating at the moment, don’t they?
What other activities belong to the work of being a dealer?
L: Talking to a lot of people, a lot; supporting the artists; being a friend and a business partner; having a good eye; not being lazy when looking at art; looking at a lot of art; reading; talking; thinking; You cannot have a lazy brain, because things move fast and, as great art is ahead of its times, you should also be pretty much – sort of – ahead of yours.
Could you describe your current show in Stallmann Gallery?
We currently have our second show on and our first solo exhibition Rain, that’s all. We are showing Jack Sommerville’s latest body of works. And as the title suggests rain is pretty much the main theme in the show. Jack tries to step away from intellectual and conceptual approaches in painting – he wants the viewer to look at what is there. The results are beautiful large scale paintings that leave the audience with a child like fascination.
Jack is not only a really really good artist, he is also part of Stallmann family. We know each other from London – studying and living together. Daniel and Jack also shared a studio for a while. Showing his works now makes so much sense, because we all grew together the last years – figuring out our journey and growing together. We looked at so much art together that we have a good understanding of each other.
That makes the process much more fun, honest and authentic. And apart from our cheesy friendship, his latest works are incredibly strong and something you haven’t seen before.
Jack Sommerville, A Cloud bursting (1), 2020, Oil paint on hessian and sun bleached velvet 265 x 221 cm
What are your plans and visions for 2021?
We don’t plan. At least, I hope we don’t. Thats a big lesson of 2020. The direction is to show more art, make more art, get more people to engage with art. Let’s see where it’s gonna go…The current situation and beginners luck allow us to be spontaneous.
Where would you like to see Stallmann in ten years? How do you think that your gallery roster will develop?
L: The artists will be the coolest kids from the block and we will have more walls to put more great art. And practically seen, I am dreaming of more storage space and 24/7 technicians that can deal with all sorts of things on the spot – I am not good with tools. Overall, the same, but in more.
Address and Contact:
STALLMANN
Schillerstraße 70, 10627 Berlin, Deutschland
www.stallmann.club – www.instagram.com/stallmann.galleries/
About the Interviewer: Erka Shalari (*1988, Tirana) is a Vienna-based art author. She focuses on discovering independent young and emerging artists, unconventional exhibition spaces, and galleries that have deliberately broken new ground in their working methods. In this regard, she relies on unorthodox publishing practices, coupling these with a nonchalant manner of writing. The work oscillates between articles for magazines, exhibition texts and press releases.
