An Exclusive Interview With
JÖRGEN GOLZ
Chief Director, Discovery Art Fair
| FRANKFURT | COLOGNE | BERLIN
By Ida Salamon
When it comes to discovering young, up-and-coming art, it’s hard to miss the Discovery Art Fairs.
The popular German art fairs are held annually in Cologne and Frankfurt, two metropolises that are particularly known for a lively and traditional art scene and are home to many art collectors.
The Discovery Art Fair‘s special characteristic: A carefully curated selection of renowned and young galleries, projects, and solo artists present themselves under one roof. In this way, the Fair reflects the spirit of the times and current developments in the international art market. In addition to established galleries, increasingly innovative projects such as pop-up stores, alternative art spaces, or online platforms are playing an important role, and numerous highly talented artists are choosing the path of self-marketing.
For many newcomers, in particular, the Discovery Art Fair – showcasing a diversity of contemporary art from around the world – has proved to be a springboard to success.
Clad in a friendly and communicative atmosphere, the organizers invite all visitors to enter the dialogue with artists and gallerists and connect with the international art community. For new buyers as well as experts or experienced collectors, every edition guarantees an exciting art fair experience and, last but not least, an excellent opportunity to discover lots of new and (still) affordable contemporary art.
The visitors enjoy an abundance of paintings, drawings, graphic prints, sculptures, installations, photography, or urban art, from large-scale pieces to miniature editions in pocket-size format. Above all, besides the most recent works, which have just been created in the studios, visitors also experience a lot of surprising, original, and innovative works.
A selection of art that is definitely worth discovering.
It’s a pleasure to announce Art Market’s new collaboration with the prestigious Discovery Art Fair and publish this most interesting exclusive interview with the man behind one of the largest and most popular German art fairs, Jörgen Golz.
An Exclusive Interview With
JÖRGEN GOLZ
Chief Director, Discovery Art Fair
| FRANKFURT | COLOGNE | BERLIN
By Ida Salamon
Art Market Magazine: Many thanks, Jörgen, for taking the time for this interview with Art Market Magazine. You are the chief director of three international leading art fairs operated by Discovery Art Fair, which became one of Germany’s largest and most significant art fairs during the past 15 years. Before we talk about the art market field today and what’s expecting us in the upcoming year, let’s talk about your art background. Obviously, you gained so much experience and knowledge, but how did it all start? Where did the passion for the art market field come from, and what led you to the current position at Discovery Art Fairs?
Jörgen Golz: I have grown up, so to speak, surrounded by art and artists. My childhood friends were mostly creative people who are nowadays successful painters, cartoonists, actors, and directors. My own attempts as an actor in the school theater group were not so bad but not so convincing that it opens a bright perspective for a successful acting career.
My attempts to bring the pictures in my head on a piece of paper were lousy, especially compared to my friends’ artwork. But I was very good at organizing and creating particular settings. In my opinion, every art fair is like a mise-en-scène. And that’s what I learned in my studies and my professional career.
Of course, an art fair is not rocket science. Still, it is a highly complex project where hard facts like logistics, the right marketing, reliable time planning, and soft factors such as atmosphere, the right mixture of artwork, and the human factor come together and determine a successful event. So my paintbrush is a telephone. It is the main tool for organizing a fair. It thrills me to detect and select all the little pieces that were needed to call a vibrant and colorful fair into existence. We create a special atmosphere that every Fair is not just a selling platform but also a unique experience for every visitor and exhibitor. Visiting one of our fairs is like a little break from the daily routine.
Our aim is to establish a solid community of “friends of Discovery Art Fair,” who will be delivered annually with a great variety of extremely fresh, young, and affordable artworks.
A. M.: You have more than 15 years of experience as the Discover Art Fairs’ managing director, which gives you a complete picture of the art market field’s developments during these years in sales, exhibitions, and collector’s interest.
If we compare the current period to 15 years ago, what are the most important developments you have seen during those years?
J. G.: When we started many years ago to develop a fair concept that unites galleries, project spaces, and individual artists without gallery representation under the roof of an art fair, we were absolute pioneers and outsiders. It was a time when only the established galleries got visibility at the art fairs.
Since then, the art market has become much more diverse. We are increasingly seeing individual artists who are deliberately seeking the path of self-promotion. There are numerous temporary projects, producer galleries, or online platforms emerging that present exciting and high-quality art in addition to traditional galleries. So we are very happy to have opened the door to an art fair much wider from the beginning, to have made it much more accessible. The development of the last few years proves us right in this.
The orientations and preferences of art lovers and collectors have also become more diverse. Fewer and fewer are allowing their tastes to be dictated by self-appointed art market experts. They prefer to embark on their own journeys of discovery into the world of art and buy what appeals to them personally the most.
A good example of this is the triumphal march of the street and urban art, which met with great interest among the younger public – that is so important for the continued existence of the art market – and thus found its way from the streets of the metropolises into the galleries and museums. We are also seeing that many artists are working across genres and are not easily pigeonholed into traditional categories. Today, we see artists working with various modern means of the digital world and art with interfaces to design, architecture, or various natural sciences, to name just a few examples.
A. M.: You are the head manager of three art fairs located in Frankfurt, Cologne, and Berlin. Would you say each art fair has its unique artistic style and approach based on the location and visitors?
J. G.: Absolutely. Each of our fairs is always curated for the specific city and location. For example, in Cologne, collecting art is often part of the family tradition, while in Frankfurt, we have a financially very strong environment. This also has an effect on the composition of the exhibitors at our fairs. Also, the location and the exhibition hall play a decisive role. Last year, for example, we were able to occupy a very large hall in Frankfurt, which enabled us to set up large sculpture spaces.
Berlin is where our roots are – we are the oldest art fair in the capital – but unfortunately, we had to realize that the purchasing power here is considerably lower than in our other two locations. Therefore, we are currently suspending our fairs in Berlin. After all, our main task is to bring our exhibitors together with an audience that is as optimally suited as possible and to ensure many sales.
A. M.: Let’s talk about the art featured in these art fairs. Over 100 galleries are exhibiting along with local and international artists and fine art photographers at each event. Can you point to the ‘most Wanted’ artistic style by collectors in the past few years?
J. G.: Traditional art disciplines such as painting or sculpture are still very popular. Mixed media works, unusual materials, and techniques are also in demand. Among the younger target groups, urban art and editions are among the bestsellers, partly because they are often more affordable. Quality and originality always play the decisive role, of course, but the courage to experiment is also rewarded.
When collectors say, I’ve never seen that before, it definitely catches their attention and often increases their buying mood. In our segment, young and up-and-coming art, it’s not so much the well-known and renowned names that count in encouraging people to buy art. Rather, it’s about an individual taste, a personal approach, which leads to the fact that one absolutely has to have a work of art. Therefore, we often experience that if the art – regardless of the genre – tells a special story, reveals a special view of the artist, and conveys an intense emotion, then it finds its fans.
A.M.: Can you share with us some names of newcomers at the Art Fair who became shooting stars?
J. G.: I could mention many names of artists here who have been shown at our fairs, who have made international careers in the meantime, and who certainly have a great future ahead of them.
Let me point out three examples here, which some readers may already know, but for others may still represent something like insider tips:
Russian-born artist Katerina Belkina uniquely combines visual art forms with digital image editing in her works. Belkina herself has a triple role in the process: she is a motif, director, and visual artist all at once. Her mysterious, “painted” photographs have already been shown in numerous renowned exhibitions. She has been nominated for the Kandinsky Prize in Moscow (the Turner Prize’s Russian equivalent). She has been awarded the International Lucas Cranach Prize and the prestigious Hasselblad Masters Award.
Working mainly in public spaces, French street artist OX is one of the most acclaimed in his field. The billboard artist participates in major urban art festivals and biennials, and his works, often designed with wit and humor, are part of renowned collections such as the URBAN NATION Museum for Urban Contemporary Art in Berlin. In 2017, we presented numerous of his unique works in Cologne and realized a large billboard art action in public space together with him.
The large-scale installation “Birth of Nobody” by Slovakian artist Viktor Frešo, presented in Cologne in 2019, caused quite a stir. In the Czech Republic and Slovakia, the Czechoslovakia territory, the versatile artist is one of the most important players in the contemporary art scene. His often socio-critical works are exhibited worldwide and can be found in renowned collections such as the Czech National Gallery, Slovak National Gallery, or the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts.
A. M.: Are you an art collector, and what are your personal favorite artistic styles or favorite artists? What is the most precious artwork you possess?
J. G.: Yes, I collect art, and I do it in a spontaneous and pulse-triggered way. I don’t have the aspiration to build up a systematic collection. Every piece of art surrounding me has its own little story, and the purchase was not planned. Every piece is placed in my house- I don’t have a stock. They are like friends, and I want them to be around. Every year the group of friends grows. That’s wonderful to have companions in these irritating times. Even though I am fascinated by kinetic art, there is no special style or direction. The single artwork must cause an impact, regardless of whether it’s style, material, or price. And I think I have to belie your expectations: There is no single artwork over 5.000,00 € in my collection. If you go through the art world open-minded with some sensitivity, you will find extraordinary artworks for reasonable money: Trust your own judgment! Buy what you like. Trends will come and go, but you will have to stay with yourself and your preferences for the rest of your life.
A.M.: You have been the head of the Art Fair for almost two decades, starting with “Berliner Liste” in 2004. What is the secret of your sustainability performance?
J. G.: You mean, is there a secret recipe for persevering this long? The beautiful and exciting thing about the art world is that it is constantly changing, new ideas, new concepts, new techniques…
So if you stay curious, open-minded, and interested, this creative world offers so much that one lifetime is too little. You gain a lot of experience over time, and you overcome many hurdles, but it never gets boring. Every edition of our fair offers so much that is new. It’s not called the Discovery Art Fair for nothing. Being part of this ever-changing universe and helping to discover young and emerging artists in particular and accompanying their development is very motivating. It is also very important to put together a strong, dedicated team that shares my commitment and passion for art. Organizing art fairs involves countless tasks that can only be mastered together with a great team and reliable partners.
A. M.: Since the beginning of 2020, we have been experiencing challenging times, mainly in the cultural field, art fairs, and exhibitions. Simultaneously, the world has seen a growth in online sales through auctions and private sales. How did Discovery Art Fairs handle the forced changes?
J. G.: Last year was really particularly difficult, both for us as art fair organizers and for our exhibitors and the contemporary art scene as a whole.
After the cancellation of last year’s Discovery Art Fair Cologne, which with its traditional date in April fell into the period of the first absolute lockdown in Germany, we were very happy to be able to hold our Frankfurt fair in the fall. Impressively, we all realized how important the live presentation of art is. This may be different for large and well-known artists, but those who are not yet established, who do not yet have large collector circles, are clearly dependent on the fact that there are sales and presentation platforms where you can present your art live to a large audience. We also organized two virtual fairs in 2020 to bridge the time when everything was really closed and to help our exhibitors present their art in the online sector.
However, especially in our field of emerging art, I would put it this way: An online presence can be a useful addition to marketing activities, but it definitely does not replace personal contact and the artwork’s direct experience.
Last year and this year, too, it meant for us to invest a lot of extra time and a lot of money to realize real art fair events. To organize fairs that are successful for our participants and, at the same time, safe for everyone involved. We proved that this is possible in Frankfurt, where very good sales were reported, and at the same time, there was not a single case of infection. However, this meant in the run-up to the event that, we had to deal very intensively with authorities, new regulations, hygiene concepts, disinfectants, masks, etc. Almost everything had to be thought of in a new or different way. Looking at it positively, however, we were able to gain a lot of valuable experience from which we can certainly benefit this year as well.
A.M.: How do you see the art market’s future in general?
J. G.: First of all, it has to be said that there is no such thing as a single art market. If you look closely, you will see that several art markets exist in parallel and differ significantly in their characteristics and functional mechanisms. The question of future prospects must therefore also be considered in a more differentiated way.
At the moment, it looks like the high-priced art market can also achieve relatively high sales in online trading. But it is hard to predict how quickly and if at all the protagonists there and the international jet-set public will fly around the world again to acquire artworks in the millions as investment objects. It may very well be that things will change there in the coming years and that there will be even more concentration on a few large global players. However, the sale of the works we are talking about here represents only a small percentage of the total art market.
What is much more interesting and decisive is what happens below this elitist sphere, there where young, fresh art is created and built up, where it is decided what the contemporary art scene of tomorrow will look like. And this is where I see how flexible, innovative, and courageously the art market players will act or are already acting as a decisive factor. The motto “We’ve always done it this way” has had its day. If you want to succeed in the future art market, you have to be open to change. Whether online or offline, whether in the composition of programs or in addressing new target groups, there are challenges to be mastered everywhere, but also sustainable successes to be achieved.
A.M.: What are the highlights of the upcoming Art Fairs?
Will there be some changes and surprises, and what are you focusing on at the Fair this year?
J. G.: The selection of participants for the next two art fairs is not yet complete; exhibitors can still apply for the Cologne fair until the end of April and for the Frankfurt fair until the end of June, but I can certainly already reveal a few details.
In Cologne, we have a special situation, as there has not been an art fair in this tradition-rich region with an incredible density of collectors for more than one and a half years. We would like to make a suitable offer to the hopefully shopping-hungry but also heterogeneous public, which combines the young, emerging art, which continues to focus on our fair, with established positions. Thus, visitors this year can enjoy the world-famous relief-like works by Günther Uecker or the masterful hyper-realistic sculptures by American artist Carole A. Feuerman presented by Galerie Klose, as well as relevant positions from the field of urban art, which the renowned Cologne gallery 30works has in its program, or the young talents of Rotterdam’s Chrysalid Gallery, which specializes in art photography and hybrid art.
For Frankfurt, we are also planning large sculpture spaces for this year, which already enriched our fair last year and were very well received by the public. Above all, of course, there will be much that is new, surprising, and worth discovering at both fairs.
A.M.: Do you have a plan B in case you have to postpone the upcoming Art Fair in Cologne due to the pandemic situation, or are you positive that the problem in Europe will be solved until summer?
J. G.: As sorry as I am, unfortunately, we have to assume that the pandemic problem in Europe will not be solved by early summer. For us, this means that in addition to Plan A, we must always work on Plan B and Plan C. In other words, we are currently preparing everything to be able to hold our art fair planned for June on time, successfully, and absolutely safe for all involved. However, since we have all had to learn that nothing can be guaranteed, and especially in times of pandemic circumstances that can change from one week to the next, we have to be prepared for anything.
In order to keep the financial risk of a fair registration as low as possible for our exhibitors, we have decided that, in the case of a fair cancellation, they can postpone their participation in one of our upcoming art fairs in Cologne or Frankfurt without financial loss. It is essential, especially in such uncertain times, to maintain continuous and sincere contact and exchange with all parties. Whether with applicants and exhibitors, partners, service providers, location operators, or authorities. We are all in the same boat and are trying to master these difficult times together as best we can.
A.M.: In your position as the head manager, are you also involved with the decision of accepting artists to be featured in the art fairs? Can you name some criteria for your selection, and how many artists do you have to refuse?
J. G.: Yes, I am involved, but first and foremost, we have a team of three great fair curators, Dr. Peter Funken, Barbara Fragogna, and Stefan Maria Rother, who look very carefully at all the applications received and then make a selection. We have already had fairs where we had to reject more than 50 percent of the applicants, which then depends above all on the size of the available fair space. On average, however, we have to turn down about 30 percent. It is important to us that our selection of participants is based on the quality of the works and the entire art fair program’s diversity. As they exist in the vast majority of art fairs, many other criteria do not play a role for us.
We believe that whether you have fixed premises and regular opening hours, or even whether you have an art degree, should not play a decisive role. It’s the art that counts.
A.M.: You offer free coaching to the art fair participants. What are you going to teach them?
J. G.: We are especially focused on young galleries and projects as well as emerging artists. For some of them, the Discovery Art Fair is the first art fair in which they participate, many of them have little experience on the art market floor, and even more experienced gallery owners and artists are always happy to learn something new. That’s why we offer free coaching for our exhibitors at every fair. In addition, we always choose different topics and invite experts to participate. For example, in the past, the focus was on self-marketing or trade-related communication; this year, the focus is on the professional use of suitable social media channels.
But even beyond this coaching, our team is always open to questions and offers support in many areas. Whether it’s about art transportation, hanging, or compiling suitable press material, we don’t see ourselves simply as organizers of an art fair but rather as supporting and accompanying partners.
A.M.: Are you also offering some guided tours for the visitors?
J. G.: What is true for our exhibitors is also true, in a modified form, to our visitors. We also want to address younger, new target groups and get them excited about contemporary art with our fairs. Even someone who has little previous knowledge and has perhaps never visited an art fair before should feel comfortable with us. That is why a relaxed and open atmosphere is so important to us, and you will always find someone who has an open ear for whatever question you may have. On each day of the Fair, one of our curators offers a guided tour, which I highly recommend for newcomers and experienced pros alike. We call the tours “Curators’ Choice” because each curator sets his or her own personal focus, explains background information, and reveals one or two secrets behind many works of art. These tours provide a very special insight into our exhibition program.
A. M.: What advice do you have for the emerging artists struggling with determining the prices of their works of art?
J. G.: Pricing is always a difficult subject and depends on so many factors that it is hard to give general advice here. Then, there’s the psychological aspect: How can I give an appropriate price to such a personal product, a unique piece that’s practically a part of me? If we’re talking about our market segment, then, of course, it’s always a balancing act. On the one hand, artists have to finance their lives and cover their expenses;
on the other hand, they often do not yet have a big name that ensures them large collector circles and secure high-priced sales. Appropriate pricing is composed of many aspects. The artist’s position in the art market certainly plays an important role, as well as the size and type of the artwork. In the beginning, I recommend visiting many exhibitions and fairs, exchanging ideas with colleagues and professionals, and comparing yourself price-wise with artists of the same field and similar career levels.
In any case, you should not start too high because you first need to be noticed and build a customer base. As with many other questions, our curators and I are happy to advise on the pricing of the works we exhibit.
A.M.: Some two years ago, you said, “It’s the state of the world I worry about – both physically and ethically.”
Are your worries getting even stronger after the crisis we all go through?
J. G.: Certainly, the global corona pandemic and its effects have also influenced my view of the world.
When I gave this interview back then, no one, including me, would have thought how fragile our existence and our accustomed way of life would prove to be. How quickly it can happen, practically overnight.
It comes as little surprise to me how unable politicians and administrators are to cope, how greedy some crisis profiteers prove to be – whether politicians or corporate leaders – or how certain sections of the population oppose scientific knowledge and take refuge in unreal conspiracy theories. There are certainly still many reasons to worry, especially because we are far from being able to foresee the economic consequences of the crisis. How little is being done for visual artists in the current situation is scandalous. We, humans, long for transcendence. A need that art satisfies. Something is comforting about being able to surround oneself with art in these times. We are currently living through a crisis that raises many new questions.
Overcoming this crisis will lead to an increase in the importance of art and the art market. In this respect, I’m not worried about the future of art in the medium and long term.
