Arrived in the city of your dreams

New York. Sometimes you just have to jump in at the deep end. Or cheekily write to the most important galleries. Then an internship with Anton Kern works out. For Silke Lindner, this was her introduction to the scene during her studies. But the art historian from near Rendsburg also got to work, and what can we say: in the middle of the turbulent Tribeca, she now runs her own gallery, with which she is making her debut at ART COLOGNE in November.

Ms Lindner, how do you manage to open a gallery so young in expensive New York?
Saving money, seeing as much art as possible and being sociable.

Were there any bureaucratic hurdles when you started two years ago?
I had more bureaucratic hurdles in the years before with residence permits, visas and green cards. When I found the gallery space, it was relatively easy to open. I registered a business and off I went.

Did the experience in Jack Hanley's gallery help?
Absolutely. Jack gave me a lot of freedom, and since I was the only employee most of the time, I did everything: sales, exhibitions, exchanges with the artists and even part of the programme.

You took a big risk, but the potential of a city like this should be even greater?
Yes, the collaboration with the artists and the feedback I have received since opening the gallery is already worth it. I also think that risk-taking is rewarded more here in New York than anywhere else.

There is a manageable number of female artists on your website. It seems to be a conscious decision to really concentrate on just a few.
At the moment there are five female artists, with another artist in discussion. The fact that it's mainly women is more of a coincidence. But I run the gallery all by myself and want to make sure that I can really look after each and every one of them. My female artists simply deserve that. For me, it's about long-term collaboration and not about representing as many positions as possible in a short space of time. It has to be a good fit on a personal level, trust plays a major role - and I have to be 100 per cent convinced by the art.

Your programme is very individual, the differences are great. You can't speak of a unifying style or comparable content. Why these artists in particular?
In the beginning it's intuition, often combined with a physical reaction. Then the work should reflect something. If there's an ‘aha’ moment, that's always a good sign. The subject matter should also appeal to me. But I am very interested in a lot of things, which is why my artists are very different. It's also important that a position seems different and new to me. But honestly, that's often a gut feeling.

Your competition is fierce, there are over 1500 galleries in New York. How do you stand out? And how do you assert yourself?
It may sound naive, but art itself prevails. In the long term, you shouldn't rely on market trends when setting up a programme. It is also important to have a large network of curators, critics, collectors, interested visitors and today, of course, social media. You should cultivate this and try to expand it. Nevertheless, if the art doesn't stand out, even the best network is useless.

You also know the German scene. How does it differ from the American scene?
I'm not very familiar with the German scene. That has to do with the fact that I moved to New York straight after my studies in Berlin. It's no secret that the New York gallery scene is more commercial than the German one. But this is also due to the immense rents. The market often dictates what is shown in the galleries. In Germany, things are even more relaxed. There is hardly any state or public funding in New York. Certain positions that can be shown in art associations in Germany, for example, often go unnoticed here.

Which collectors do you deal with?
I work a lot with young collectors, mainly from the USA.

Are these people more daring than in Germany and elsewhere, or is that perhaps a prejudice?
I don't want to judge that, I actually think Europeans are very daring.

Where do you go for advice?
On the whole, I rely on my intuition, but I still exchange a lot of information with other gallery owners in New York and elsewhere.

The question of whether it is more difficult to be a woman has probably become obsolete by now, hasn't it?
Yes, but when I started out in New York, things were a little different. I often had to listen to stupid comments or have men explain to me how things worked. That rarely happens now. Apart from that, I have a lot to do with female colleagues and collectors.

You are exhibiting at ART COLOGNE for the first time. What are you bringing with you?
A solo presentation by the Canadian painter Ang Ziqi Zhang. She lives in New York and is currently a fellow of the New Folkwang Residence. At the end of the year she will have her first solo show at the Neuer Essener Kunstverein and in Germany. Ang Ziqi Zhang often combines several panel paintings that tend to be abstract, although they still hint at traces of figurative painting. East and West meet in her sign language. The colour scheme is dominated by shades of grey and green, as well as bright neon, reminiscent of the lights in a techno club. You have to see it, it has a great intensity.

Are you planning to stay in New York?
Definitely, especially now with the gallery. New York is still my absolute dream city!