Our committee

Nahom Mehret

Cultural Worker

Norina Quinte

Art agent, 

co-founder of ato

Mehveş Ungan

Curator

Sophia Pompéry

Artist

Gülcan Nitsch

Biologist, 

CEO of Yeşil Çember – ökologisch interkulturell gGmbH 

Dr. Sarah Hübscher

Cultural scientist

Wolfgang Ullrich

Art scientist

Felicitas Klein & Ekkehard Kneer

Restorers

Handan Kaymak

Diversity Consultant

Hilka Dirks

Editor-in-chief Crisp and critic

Dr. Claudia Peppel

Advisor

Hannah Klein

Managing Director of ato,

Co-founder of ato

G. Kühnhardt Alvarez

Artist

Dr. Susanne Rockweiler

Curator, Chairwoman of the Board

Our application process

Every six months, we seek fresh perspectives from outside the organization. An independent panel of experts, including artists, curators, cultural professionals, academics, and journalists, advises us on selecting new members for our network.

This approach has many advantages.

• First, diversity of perspectives: Different experiences and backgrounds lead to a broader and more balanced assessment.
• High quality: Their professional expertise helps us discover exciting positions and maintain an engaging program.
• More transparency: Our selection process is based not only on our own opinion, but also on independent recommendations.

You can see the next application deadline here:

Art curated by Handan Kaymak

Handan Kaymak, diversity consultant and member of the ato committee, presents her selection of works.

The committee in an interview

Are you curious to know who is behind our recommendations? In these brief interviews, our committee members discuss their work, their perspective on art, and their reasons for being involved with ato. Take a look and get to know them personally:

Nahom Mehret

Cultural Worker

Nahom is involved in various projects. He is currently interested in creating platforms for artists from Basel and the surrounding area. With the Hybrid Project Space collective, he explores issues of accessibility and inclusion. One question in particular preoccupies him: “Who does he reach with his projects and why is that the case?”

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

I find it exciting that art institutions are claiming to be more accessible to reach a wider audience. However, this development raises a number of questions. What does it mean, in concrete terms, to become more accessible? How can art achieve a polyphony that gives equal attention to all perspectives? These questions are central to considering what responsibilities art institutions should take on. Physical accessibility is important, but so is creating inclusive and respectful spaces where diverse voices are heard and treated equally.

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

Phew! I would do away with Prosecco at openings. The Prosecco craze of recent years has overshadowed other sparkling wines.

Nahom Mehret

Cultural worker

Nahom is involved in various projects. He is currently interested in creating platforms for artists from Basel and the surrounding area. With the Hybrid Project Space collective, he explores issues of accessibility and inclusion. One question in particular preoccupies him: “Who does he reach with his projects and why is that the case?”

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

I find it exciting that art institutions are claiming to be more accessible to reach a wider audience. However, this development raises a number of questions. What does it mean, in concrete terms, to become more accessible? How can art achieve a polyphony that gives equal attention to all perspectives? These questions are central to considering what responsibilities art institutions should take on. Physical accessibility is important, but so is creating inclusive and respectful spaces where diverse voices are heard and treated equally.

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

Phew! I would do away with Prosecco at openings. The Prosecco craze of recent years has overshadowed other sparkling wines.

What is your relationship with art?

It is my daily work, an essential point of reference, and a constant companion. I have become familiar with the art world and its market from various perspectives, such as the off-scene, the gallery system, and institutional and academic contexts. I initially studied art history and theater studies in Berlin. Then, I studied art history, media theory, and exhibition design at the Karlsruhe University of Arts and Design. There, I ran an off-space with others for many years. I also learned to take the artist's perspective through my family, as the daughter of artists.

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

I would prohibit artificial scarcity, create more transparent structures, increase equal opportunities, promote collegiality instead of cutthroat competition, have honest conversations about income in the art world, and allow more freedom and leeway in museums. In short, I would reform academies, galleries, and institutions for the benefit of all artists and their representatives. ;)

Norina Quinte

Art agent,

Co-founder of ato

Norina Quinte is an art agent and co-founder of ato. She works in a multidisciplinary manner at the interface between theory and artistic practice. She lives and works in Karlsruhe.

Norina Quinte

Art agent,

Co-founder of ato

Norina Quinte is an art agent and co-founder of ato. She works in a multidisciplinary manner at the interface between theory and artistic practice. She lives and works in Karlsruhe.

What is your relationship with art?

It is my daily work, an essential point of reference, and a constant companion. I have become familiar with the art world and its market from various perspectives, such as the off-scene, the gallery system, and institutional and academic contexts. I initially studied art history and theater studies in Berlin. Then, I studied art history, media theory, and exhibition design at the Karlsruhe University of Arts and Design. There, I ran an off-space with others for many years. I also learned to take the artist's perspective through my family, as the daughter of artists.

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

I would prohibit artificial scarcity, create more transparent structures, increase equal opportunities, promote collegiality instead of cutthroat competition, have honest conversations about income in the art world, and allow more freedom and leeway in museums. In short, I would reform academies, galleries, and institutions for the benefit of all artists and their representatives. ;)

Mehveş Ungan

Curator

Mehveş Ungan is a curator and public educator.

Her curatorial practice is grounded in intersectional, feminist, ecological and decolonial approaches.

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

In a time when our achievements, such as democracy, women's rights, environmental protection, and peace, are under threat, critical positions in contemporary art counter these developments. Feminist artists from the Global South inspire courage.

Do you remember your first encounter with art?

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

Mehveş Ungan

Curator

Mehveş Ungan is a curator and public educator.

Her curatorial practice is grounded in intersectional, feminist, ecological and decolonial approaches.

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

In a time when our achievements, such as democracy, women's rights, environmental protection, and peace, are under threat, critical positions in contemporary art counter these developments. Feminist artists from the Global South inspire courage.

Do you remember your first encounter with art?

I remember visiting an exhibition by Joan Mir in Istanbul as a teenager. I wanted to write poems about the works and sat on the floor in front of them 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 one thing about the art world, what would it be?

Overcoming identity politics in order to return to substantive debates.

Sophia Pompéry

Artist

Sophia Pompéry is an artist and was a lecturer at the Weißensee Academy of Art Berlin from 2017 to 2024. Her artistic practice today moves between the fields of art, physics, and philosophy. She lives and works in Berlin.

Sophia Pompéry

Artist

Sophia Pompéry is an artist and was a lecturer at the Weißensee Academy of Art Berlin from 2017 to 2024. Her artistic practice today moves between the fields of art, physics, and philosophy. She lives and works in Berlin.

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 one thing about the art world, what would it be?

Overcoming identity politics in order to return to substantive debates.

Sarah Hübscher

Cultural scientist

Dr. Sarah Hübscher is a cultural scientist and research assistant in research and teaching at TU Dortmund University. Her research focuses on cultural analysis and cultural mediation in the museum context and urban space, as well as exhibitions as spaces for interaction and political education. She lives and works in Dortmund.

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

I like irritations. For me, it's less about provocation or shock and more about reflexive knowledge and cultural practices that are inscribed in artistic action. I seek out challenges.

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

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

Sarah Hübscher

Cultural scientist

Dr. Sarah Hübscher is a cultural scientist and research assistant in research and teaching at TU Dortmund University. Her research focuses on cultural analysis and cultural mediation in the museum context and urban space, as well as exhibitions as spaces for interaction and political education. She lives and works in Dortmund.

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

I like irritations. For me, it's less about provocation or shock and more about reflexive knowledge and cultural practices that are inscribed in artistic action. I seek out challenges.

If you could change something about 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 not been a purely highbrow phenomenon for several years now, but why—as has long been the case in music and literature—there are increasingly pop culture and fan-driven art scenes. How does this change the character and function of visual art as a whole? Does it have more reach than ever before? Or is it losing its distinctive character?

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 “The Battle of Alexander,” but never finished...

Wolfgang Ullrich

Art scientist

Wolfgang Ullrich is an art historian and freelance author. His work focuses on the history and critique of the concept of art, topics related to the sociology of images, and digital image cultures. He lives in Leipzig.

Wolfgang Ullrich

Art scientist

Wolfgang Ullrich is an art historian and freelance author. His work focuses on the history and critique of the concept of art, topics related to the sociology of images, and digital image cultures. He lives in Leipzig.

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

I am interested in why visual art has not been a purely highbrow phenomenon for several years now, but why—as has long been the case in music and literature—there are increasingly pop culture and fan-driven art scenes. How does this change the character and function of visual art as a whole? Does it have more reach than ever before? Or is it losing its distinctive character?

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 “The Battle of Alexander,” but never finished...

Hilka Dirks

Author, critic &

editor-in-chief of CRISP

Hilka Dirks is editor-in-chief of Crisp and a critic. She works at the intersection of text, graphics, art, and the internet. She is also the Berlin culture editor at taz and writes regularly for various publications. She lives and works in Berlin.

What criteria do you use to select artists and art agents?

Critic Peter Herbstreuth once wrote: “An artist, if he wants to survive as such, will always have to answer the question through his work whether he has followed his ideas to the end and made something out of them that has meaning in itself and therefore stands out from others.” I think the distinct assertion of one's own position is a very suitable criterion for selecting artists. For art agents, it is their motivation, their previous projects, and an original way of thinking."

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

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

Hilka Dirks

Author, critic &

editor-in-chief of CRISP

Hilka Dirks is editor-in-chief of Crisp and a critic. She works at the intersection of text, graphics, art, and the internet. She is also the Berlin culture editor at taz and writes regularly for various publications. She lives and works in Berlin.

What criteria do you use to select artists and art agents?

Critic Peter Herbstreuth once wrote: “An artist, if he wants to survive as such, will always have to answer the question through his work whether he has followed his ideas to the end and made something out of them that has meaning in itself and therefore stands out from others.” I think the distinct assertion of one's own position is a very suitable criterion for selecting artists. For art agents, it is their motivation, their previous projects, and an original way of thinking."

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

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

What is your relationship with art?

I am a painting restorer by profession. I engage intensely with works of art because understanding the artist's intention is crucial to successful restoration. Working with art daily has not dulled my senses. In fact, it has allowed me to refine my personal approach. Although works of art can be disturbing and unsettling, I find comfort in knowing that artists continue to create art.

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

More works of art should be on display in public spaces. They provide food for thought, reveal connections, tell stories, and aid in remembrance. As an indispensable part of our society, art must be more visible. Artists with creative and imaginative approaches should be more involved in socio-political decisions and think tanks.

Felicitas Klein

Restorer

Felicitas Klein is a restorer. She lives and works in Berlin.

Felicitas Klein

Restorer

Felicitas Klein is a restorer. She lives and works in Berlin.

What is your relationship with art?

I am a painting restorer by profession. I engage intensely with works of art because understanding the artist's intention is crucial to successful restoration. Working with art daily has not dulled my senses. In fact, it has allowed me to refine my personal approach. Although works of art can be disturbing and unsettling, I find comfort in knowing that artists continue to create art.

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

More works of art should be on display in public spaces. They provide food for thought, reveal connections, tell stories, and aid in remembrance. As an indispensable part of our society, art must be more visible. Artists with creative and imaginative approaches should be more involved in socio-political decisions and think tanks.

Gülcan Nitsch

Biologist,

CEO Yeşil Çember – ökologisch interkulturell gGmbH

Gülcan Nitsch is a certified biologist and managing director of Yeşil Çember – ökologisch interkulturell gGmbH. Her work focuses on environmental education for migrant communities, establishing intercultural networks and dialogue formats, and advising German environmental actors. She lives and works in Berlin.

What criteria do you use to select artists and art agents?

First, I determine if a work of art appeals to me on an emotional and aesthetic level. If so, I focus intensively on the question, "How?" I closely examine the colors, shapes, and overall composition. Then, I try to put myself in the artist's shoes and consider what they were thinking, feeling, and intending. I usually look at a piece of art at least twice, from different distances and perspectives.

Do you remember your first encounter with art?

I feel that art has always been there for me and is part of who I am.

Gülcan Nitsch

Biologist,

CEO Yeşil Çember – ökologisch interkulturell gGmbH

Gülcan Nitsch is a certified biologist and managing director of Yeşil Çember – ökologisch interkulturell gGmbH. Her work focuses on environmental education for migrant communities, establishing intercultural networks and dialogue formats, and advising German environmental actors. She lives and works in Berlin.

What criteria do you use to select artists and art agents?

First, I determine if a work of art appeals to me on an emotional and aesthetic level. If so, I focus intensively on the question, "How?" I closely examine the colors, shapes, and overall composition. Then, I try to put myself in the artist's shoes and consider what they were thinking, feeling, and intending. I usually look at a piece of art at least twice, from different distances and perspectives.

Do you remember your first encounter with art?

I feel that art has always been there for me and is part of who I am.

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

In recent years, a new genre called weather art has emerged. Works that fall under this broad term include meteorological elements or address environmental issues or climate change and its consequences. These works range from land art to newer eco-critical art forms. I am curious to see how artists will respond to the pressing issue of climate catastrophe, and what new forms of solidarity and developments will emerge as a result. Another topic that interests me greatly is whether new structures will be established in museums, galleries, and art fairs regarding female and feminist artists and curators, and if so, whether this will reshape the art market.

What criteria do you use to select artists and art agents?

Artworks should raise questions and be fearless. Artworks impress me most when they make life more meaningful, even if most people's lives have nothing to do with art. Art agents should address the challenges and opportunities of artists.

Dr. Claudia Peppel

Scientific coordinator, ICI Berlin

Dr. Claudia Peppel is a scientific coordinator at ICI Berlin. Her research encompasses historical avant-garde movements, aestheticization processes, and consumer culture in the early 20th century, as well as questions of fakery and authenticity in the context of art. She lives and works in Berlin.

Dr. Claudia Peppel

Scientific coordinator, ICI Berlin

Dr. Claudia Peppel is a scientific coordinator at ICI Berlin. Her research encompasses historical avant-garde movements, aestheticization processes, and consumer culture in the early 20th century, as well as questions of fakery and authenticity in the context of art. She lives and works in Berlin.

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

In recent years, a new genre called weather art has emerged. Works that fall under this broad term include meteorological elements or address environmental issues or climate change and its consequences. These works range from land art to newer eco-critical art forms. I am curious to see how artists will respond to the pressing issue of climate catastrophe, and what new forms of solidarity and developments will emerge as a result. Another topic that interests me greatly is whether new structures will be established in museums, galleries, and art fairs regarding female and feminist artists and curators, and if so, whether this will reshape the art market.

What criteria do you use to select artists and art agents?

Artworks should raise questions and be fearless. Artworks impress me most when they make life more meaningful, even if most people's lives have nothing to do with art. Art agents should address the challenges and opportunities of artists.

Ekkehard Kneer

Restorer

Ekkehard Kneer is a restorer. He lives and works in Berlin.

What criteria do you use to select artists and art agents?

For me, it's important to see and understand the language artists develop and how they use it consistently to create independent and authentic works. These qualities can be expressed through various media and forms of expression.

Do you remember your first encounter with art?

I remember visiting artists' studios and seeing their living environments when I was a child in kindergarten, as well as baroque churches and castles with magnificent artistic designs. I found all of this fascinating.

Ekkehard Kneer

Restorer

Ekkehard Kneer is a restorer. He lives and works in Berlin.

What criteria do you use to select artists and art agents?

For me, it's important to see and understand the language artists develop and how they use it consistently to create independent and authentic works. These qualities can be expressed through various media and forms of expression.

Do you remember your first encounter with art?

I remember visiting artists' studios and seeing their living environments when I was a child in kindergarten, as well as baroque churches and castles with magnificent artistic designs. I found all of this fascinating.

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

A special quality of contemporary art lies in deliberately breaking down perceived boundaries between materials and genres while continuing to focus on accessibility.

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

Greater visibility for marginalized social groups and their structural participation. Access to artistic activities from childhood onwards should contribute to this. Change begins not only in large institutions, but also in how we embed art and its worlds in our everyday lives. Fairer redistribution of financial resources, all artistic work should be paid for.

G. Kühnhardt Alvarez

Artist

G. Kühnhardt Alvarez (Kükelhahn) is an artist. Their work focuses on decentralizing familiar hierarchies and discriminatory structures in the context of art. They work with the tools of community building, intimacy, visualization, representation criticism, and “cuteness.” They live and work in Cologne, Stuttgart, and throughout Germany.

G. Kühnhardt Alvarez

Artist

G. Kühnhardt Alvarez (Kükelhahn) is an artist. Their work focuses on decentralizing familiar hierarchies and discriminatory structures in the context of art. They work with the tools of community building, intimacy, visualization, representation criticism, and “cuteness.” They live and work in Cologne, Stuttgart, and throughout Germany.

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

A special quality of contemporary art lies in deliberately breaking down perceived boundaries between materials and genres while continuing to focus on accessibility.

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

Greater visibility for marginalized social groups and their structural participation. Access to artistic activities from childhood onwards should contribute to this. Change begins not only in large institutions, but also in how we embed art and its worlds in our everyday lives. Fairer redistribution of financial resources, all artistic work should be paid for.

Dr. Susanne Rockweiler

Curator, Chairwoman of the Board

Dr. Susanne Rockweiler is a curator and chair of the board. She lives and works in Berlin and Erfurt.

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

We are living in a new era. Generative artificial intelligence (AI) presents us with opportunities and challenges as individuals, as a community, and as a society. Which concepts of authorship, autonomy, creativity, and intelligence must we reevaluate? What does the blurring of the line between human and machine intelligence mean for us, especially in ethical and social terms? How do artists reveal the levels between potential and danger in their works?

What is your relationship to art?

Art of all genres has been an important part of my life. Classical music, especially contemporary, has always been a part of my life. I started ballet lessons at age three and danced, mainly modern, until the birth of our first child. Instead of going to school, I sometimes went to Basel with a friend to visit exhibitions. I didn't tell anyone at home, but my mother could see it in my eyes. Ultimately, it was Anish Kapoor's work, "VOID," that introduced me to visual art.

Dr. Susanne Rockweiler

Curator, Chairwoman of the Board

Dr. Susanne Rockweiler is a curator and chair of the board. She lives and works in Berlin and Erfurt.

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

We are living in a new era. Generative artificial intelligence (AI) presents us with opportunities and challenges as individuals, as a community, and as a society. Which concepts of authorship, autonomy, creativity, and intelligence must we reevaluate? What does the blurring of the line between human and machine intelligence mean for us, especially in ethical and social terms? How do artists reveal the levels between potential and danger in their works?

What is your relationship to art?

Art of all genres has been an important part of my life. Classical music, especially contemporary, has always been a part of my life. I started ballet lessons at age three and danced, mainly modern, until the birth of our first child. Instead of going to school, I sometimes went to Basel with a friend to visit exhibitions. I didn't tell anyone at home, but my mother could see it in my eyes. Ultimately, it was Anish Kapoor's work, "VOID," that introduced me to visual art.

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

The world is talking about times of multiple crises. It's about existential fears, war, and climate change. Art, too, must ask itself what role it can and wants to play in this context. I believe that art is essential for society to understand, process, and overcome the current challenges. However, the current art scene is very insular at the moment. Artists try to create relevance by indulging in media trends and working in a self-referential way. Art does not have to be political, but it should be relevant not only in the art discourse, but also in society as a whole. In times of crisis, this is more important than ever.

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

The right balance between aesthetics and relevance.

Hannah Klein

Management of ato,

Co-founder of ato

Hannah Klein is the managing director and co-founder of ato. As part of the management team, she is responsible for corporate and financial strategy and internal organization. She lives and works in Berlin.

Hannah Klein

Management of ato,

Co-founder of ato

Hannah Klein is the managing director and co-founder of ato. As part of the management team, she is responsible for corporate and financial strategy and internal organization. She lives and works in Berlin.

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

The world is talking about times of multiple crises. It's about existential fears, war, and climate change. Art, too, must ask itself what role it can and wants to play in this context. I believe that art is essential for society to understand, process, and overcome the current challenges. However, the current art scene is very insular at the moment. Artists try to create relevance by indulging in media trends and working in a self-referential way. Art does not have to be political, but it should be relevant not only in the art discourse, but also in society as a whole. In times of crisis, this is more important than ever.

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

The right balance between aesthetics and relevance.

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