Questions to our committee

Nahom Mehret

Cultural producer

What developments in the art scene do you find particularly exciting at the moment?

At the moment, I find it particularly exciting that art institutions are increasingly claiming to be more accessible in order to reach a wider audience. However, this development raises some questions: What does it mean specifically to become more accessible? How can a polyphony in art be realized that gives equal attention to all perspectives? These questions are central when we think about what responsibility art institutions should take on. It's not just about physical accessibility, but also about creating inclusive and respectful spaces where diverse voices are heard and treated equally.

If you could change one thing about the art world, what would it be?

Phew. I think I would do away with Prosecco at art openings. The Prosecco hype of the last few years has pushed other sparkling wine grapes aside.

Nahom Mehret

Cultural producer

What developments in the art scene do you find particularly exciting at the moment?

At the moment, I find it particularly exciting that art institutions are increasingly claiming to be more accessible in order to reach a wider audience. However, this development raises some questions: What does it mean specifically to become more accessible? How can a polyphony in art be realized that gives equal attention to all perspectives? These questions are central when we think about what responsibility art institutions should take on. It's not just about physical accessibility, but also about creating inclusive and respectful spaces where diverse voices are heard and treated equally.

If you could change one thing about the art world, what would it be?

Phew. I think I would do away with Prosecco at art openings. The Prosecco hype of the last few years has pushed other sparkling wine grapes aside.

How do you relate to art?

Art is my daily work, an essential point of orientation and a constant companion. I got to know the art world and the associated market from different perspectives - for example in the off-scene, in the gallery system, in an institutional and academic context. I initially studied art history and theater studies in Berlin, then art history, media theory and exhibition design at the Karlsruhe University of Arts and Design, where I ran an offspace with other people for many years. However, I also learned to adopt the artist's perspective through my private environment, as the daughter of an artist couple.

If you could change something in the art world, what would it be?

Banning artificial scarcity, creating more transparent structures, increasing equal opportunities, collegiality instead of elbows, having honest conversations about income in the field of “art”, more freedom and room for maneuver in museums - in short, actually a reform of academies, galleries and institutions for the benefit of all artists and their representatives ;)

Norina Quinte

Art agent,

Co-founder of ato

Norina Quinte

Art agent,

Co-founder of ato

How do you relate to art?

Art is my daily work, an essential point of orientation and a constant companion. I got to know the art world and the associated market from different perspectives - for example in the off-scene, in the gallery system, in an institutional and academic context. I initially studied art history and theater studies in Berlin, then art history, media theory and exhibition design at the Karlsruhe University of Arts and Design, where I ran an offspace with other people for many years. However, I also learned to adopt the artist's perspective through my private environment, as the daughter of an artist couple.

If you could change something in the art world, what would it be?

Banning artificial scarcity, creating more transparent structures, increasing equal opportunities, collegiality instead of elbows, having honest conversations about income in the field of “art”, more freedom and room for maneuver in museums - in short, actually a reform of academies, galleries and institutions for the benefit of all artists and their representatives ;)

Mehveş Ungan

Curator

What developments in the art scene do you find particularly exciting at the moment?

At a time when our achievements such as democracy, women's rights, the environment and peace are under threat, critical positions in contemporary art are opposing these developments! Feminist artists from the global South are encouraging.

Do you remember your first encounter with art?

I remember an exhibition by Joan Mir in Istanbul that I visited as a teenager. I wanted to write little poems about the works and sat on the floor in front of the paintings for a long time with my notebook.

Mehveş Ungan

Curator

What developments in the art scene do you find particularly exciting at the moment?

At a time when our achievements such as democracy, women's rights, the environment and peace are under threat, critical positions in contemporary art are opposing these developments! Feminist artists from the global South are encouraging.

Do you remember your first encounter with art?

I remember an exhibition by Joan Mir in Istanbul that I visited as a teenager. I wanted to write little poems about the works and sat on the floor in front of the paintings for a long time with my notebook.

What developments in the art scene do you find particularly exciting at the moment?

Conceptual art, physical phenomena, ecology and economics.

If you could change something in the art world, what would it be?

Overcoming identity politics to get back to substantive debates.

Sophia Pompéry

Artist

Sophia Pompéry

Artist

What developments in the art scene do you find particularly exciting at the moment?

Conceptual art, physical phenomena, ecology and economics.

If you could change something in the art world, what would it be?

Overcoming identity politics to get back to substantive debates.

Sarah Hübscher

Cultural scientist

What do you look for when selecting artists and art agents?

I like irritation. I am less interested in provocation or shock than in reflective knowledge and cultural practices that are inscribed in the artistic act. I am looking for a challenge.

If you could change something in the art world, what would it be?

More diversity, more criticism of power, more courage, more reflection.

Sarah Hübscher

Cultural scientist

What do you look for when selecting artists and art agents?

I like irritation. I am less interested in provocation or shock than in reflective knowledge and cultural practices that are inscribed in the artistic act. I am looking for a challenge.

If you could change something in the art world, what would it be?

More diversity, more criticism of power, more courage, more reflection.

What developments in the art scene do you find particularly exciting at the moment?

I am interested in why visual art has no longer been purely a phenomenon of high culture for some years now, but why - as in music and literature for a long time - there are also increasingly pop-cultural and fan-driven art scenes. How does this change the character and function of the visual arts as a whole? Does it have more reach than ever? Or is it losing its power of distinction?

Do you remember your first encounter with art?

When I was four or five years old, I visited the Alte Pinakothek in Munich with my father. I started counting the soldiers in Albrecht Altdorfer's “Alexanderschlacht”, but I never finished...

Wolfgang Ullrich

Art scientist

Wolfgang Ullrich

Art scientist

What developments in the art scene do you find particularly exciting at the moment?

I am interested in why visual art has no longer been purely a phenomenon of high culture for some years now, but why - as in music and literature for a long time - there are also increasingly pop-cultural and fan-driven art scenes. How does this change the character and function of the visual arts as a whole? Does it have more reach than ever? Or is it losing its power of distinction?

Do you remember your first encounter with art?

When I was four or five years old, I visited the Alte Pinakothek in Munich with my father. I started counting the soldiers in Albrecht Altdorfer's “Alexanderschlacht”, but I never finished...

Hilka Dirks

Author, Critic &

Editor of CRISP

What do you look for when selecting artists and art agents?

Nothing and everything exists without art. In this simultaneity, it permeates my life.

What developments in the art scene do you find particularly exciting at the moment?

What should and must a global art history look like? The old, Eurocentric canon is being questioned more and more. How could a diverse, transcultural art history of the future be written? And what needs to happen to pave the way for this?

Hilka Dirks

Author, Critic &

Editor of CRISP

What do you look for when selecting artists and art agents?

Nothing and everything exists without art. In this simultaneity, it permeates my life.

What developments in the art scene do you find particularly exciting at the moment?

What should and must a global art history look like? The old, Eurocentric canon is being questioned more and more. How could a diverse, transcultural art history of the future be written? And what needs to happen to pave the way for this?

What is your connection to art?

My profession is a restorer of paintings. I have to deal intensively with works of art, as the artist's intention is an important aspect of a successful restoration. Everyday contact with art has not dulled me; on the contrary, I have been able to refine my personal approach. Even though works of art themselves can be disturbing and unsettling, the fact that there were and are artists who make art reassures me.

If you could change something about the art world, what would it be?

Many more works of art should be on display in public spaces. They can provide food for thought, show connections, tell stories or help with remembrance. As an indispensable part of our society, art needs to be more visible. Artists with creative and imaginative approaches need to be much more involved in socio-political decisions and think tanks.

Felicitas Klein

Conservator

Felicitas Klein

Conservator

What is your connection to art?

My profession is a restorer of paintings. I have to deal intensively with works of art, as the artist's intention is an important aspect of a successful restoration. Everyday contact with art has not dulled me; on the contrary, I have been able to refine my personal approach. Even though works of art themselves can be disturbing and unsettling, the fact that there were and are artists who make art reassures me.

If you could change something about the art world, what would it be?

Many more works of art should be on display in public spaces. They can provide food for thought, show connections, tell stories or help with remembrance. As an indispensable part of our society, art needs to be more visible. Artists with creative and imaginative approaches need to be much more involved in socio-political decisions and think tanks.

Gülcan Nitsch

Graduate biologist,

CEO Yeşil Çember - ökologisch interkulturell gGmbH

What do you look for when selecting artists and art agents?

I first pay attention to whether a work of art appeals to me on an emotional and aesthetic level. If so, I am intensely concerned with the question of "how". I take a close look at the colors, shapes and the entire composition, then I try to put myself in the artist's shoes - what did they think, feel, intend, etc.? I usually look at a work at least twice, especially from different distances and from different perspectives.

Do you remember your first encounter with art?

I have the feeling that art has always been there for me and is a part of me.

Gülcan Nitsch

Graduate biologist,

CEO Yeşil Çember - ökologisch interkulturell gGmbH

What do you look for when selecting artists and art agents?

I first pay attention to whether a work of art appeals to me on an emotional and aesthetic level. If so, I am intensely concerned with the question of "how". I take a close look at the colors, shapes and the entire composition, then I try to put myself in the artist's shoes - what did they think, feel, intend, etc.? I usually look at a work at least twice, especially from different distances and from different perspectives.

Do you remember your first encounter with art?

I have the feeling that art has always been there for me and is a part of me.

What developments in the art scene do you find particularly exciting at the moment?

In recent years, a new genre called weather art has appeared. Works that are summarized under this rather broad term, consist of or include meteorological elements or engage with environmental components and/or climate change and its consequences besides stretch from land art to recent eco-critical art forms. I am curious to see how artists will respond to the pressing theme of climate emergencies and what new developments and new forms of solidarity will stem from there. Another issue I am passionate about is the question of whether new structures in regard to female and feminist artists and curators will be established in museums, galleries, and art fairs and In case of yes, whether it will reframe the art market.

What do you look for when selecting artists and art agents?

Artworks should be undeterred and raise questions. For me, works of art are most striking when they succeed in living life more sensitively, even though most people's lives have nothing to do with art. Art agents should care about the problems and prerogatives of the artist.

Dr. Claudia Peppel

advisor

Dr. Claudia Peppel

advisor

What developments in the art scene do you find particularly exciting at the moment?

In recent years, a new genre called weather art has appeared. Works that are summarized under this rather broad term, consist of or include meteorological elements or engage with environmental components and/or climate change and its consequences besides stretch from land art to recent eco-critical art forms. I am curious to see how artists will respond to the pressing theme of climate emergencies and what new developments and new forms of solidarity will stem from there. Another issue I am passionate about is the question of whether new structures in regard to female and feminist artists and curators will be established in museums, galleries, and art fairs and In case of yes, whether it will reframe the art market.

What do you look for when selecting artists and art agents?

Artworks should be undeterred and raise questions. For me, works of art are most striking when they succeed in living life more sensitively, even though most people's lives have nothing to do with art. Art agents should care about the problems and prerogatives of the artist.

Ekkehard Kneer

Conservator

What do you look for when selecting artists and art agents?

It is important for me to see and understand which language artists develop, how they use it consistently and how they create independent and authentic works. This can be shown in different media and forms of expression.

Do you remember your first encounter with art?

As early as kindergarten age, I can remember visiting artists' studios and their living environments in my family environment, as well as baroque church interiors and castles with magnificent artistic designs. All of this had a great fascination for me.

Ekkehard Kneer

Conservator

What do you look for when selecting artists and art agents?

It is important for me to see and understand which language artists develop, how they use it consistently and how they create independent and authentic works. This can be shown in different media and forms of expression.

Do you remember your first encounter with art?

As early as kindergarten age, I can remember visiting artists' studios and their living environments in my family environment, as well as baroque church interiors and castles with magnificent artistic designs. All of this had a great fascination for me.

Which developments in the art scene do you currently find particularly exciting?

There’s a unique quality to the here and now: the conscious breaking of boundaries—both in terms of material and genre—while still maintaining a focus on accessibility and low-threshold approaches.

If you could change one thing about the art world, what would it be?

Greater visibility for marginalized communities. This also means ensuring access to artistic practices from an early age. Change doesn’t start only within major institutions, but also in how we integrate art and its worlds into our everyday lives. A more equitable redistribution of financial resources is essential—all artistic work should be paid.

G. Kühnhardt Alvarez

Artist

G. Kühnhardt Alvarez

Artist

Which developments in the art scene do you currently find particularly exciting?

There’s a unique quality to the here and now: the conscious breaking of boundaries—both in terms of material and genre—while still maintaining a focus on accessibility and low-threshold approaches.

If you could change one thing about the art world, what would it be?

Greater visibility for marginalized communities. This also means ensuring access to artistic practices from an early age. Change doesn’t start only within major institutions, but also in how we integrate art and its worlds into our everyday lives. A more equitable redistribution of financial resources is essential—all artistic work should be paid.

Dr. Susanne Rockweiler

Curator, CEO

Which developments in the art scene do you currently find particularly exciting?

We are living in a new era. Generative artificial intelligence (AI) is opening up new possibilities while simultaneously challenging us—as individuals, as a community, and as a society. What concepts of authorship, autonomy, creativity, and intelligence must we question or redefine? What does the blurring of boundaries between human and machine intelligence mean for us—especially in ethical and social terms? What layers do artists reveal in their work, navigating between potential and risk?

What is your relationship to art?

Art of all genres is a vital part of my life. Classical and especially contemporary music have been constant companions for as long as I can remember. I started ballet lessons at the age of three and danced—mostly modern—until the birth of our first child. Sometimes, instead of going to school, I’d sneak off with a friend to visit exhibitions in Basel. I never told anyone at home, but my mother could always tell by the look on my face. Ultimately, it was Anish Kapoor’s VOID that drew me into the world of visual art.

Dr. Susanne Rockweiler

Curator, CEO

Which developments in the art scene do you currently find particularly exciting?

We are living in a new era. Generative artificial intelligence (AI) is opening up new possibilities while simultaneously challenging us—as individuals, as a community, and as a society. What concepts of authorship, autonomy, creativity, and intelligence must we question or redefine? What does the blurring of boundaries between human and machine intelligence mean for us—especially in ethical and social terms? What layers do artists reveal in their work, navigating between potential and risk?

What is your relationship to art?

Art of all genres is a vital part of my life. Classical and especially contemporary music have been constant companions for as long as I can remember. I started ballet lessons at the age of three and danced—mostly modern—until the birth of our first child. Sometimes, instead of going to school, I’d sneak off with a friend to visit exhibitions in Basel. I never told anyone at home, but my mother could always tell by the look on my face. Ultimately, it was Anish Kapoor’s VOID that drew me into the world of visual art.

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