Pace Gallery Introduces Careful Strategy for Global Growth Through New Berlin Outlet
Last Thursday marked the launch of a collaborative art space in Berlin's Schöneberg neighborhood, with international powerhouse Pace Gallery and hometown dealer Judin Gallery joining forces at Die Tankstelle, a converted 1950s gas station.
As part of this dynamic partnership, Pace rents half of the Die Tankstelle from Judin, who has owned the property since 2005. The two galleries will share the costs of running the space, with exhibitions set to rotate between them every few months. The inaugural exhibitions featured Tom of Finland's works on paper in the downstairs area of Judin Gallery, while Pace displayed pieces by Jean Dubuffet, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Robert Nava upstairs.
The collaborative venture fits well with the changing art landscape in Berlin, where galleries are increasingly working together to navigate the challenging realities of the contemporary market. In a statement during the May 1 opening preview, Judin Gallery founder Juerg Judin expressed the need for collaboration amid a shifting world: "Galleries have to collaborate more, not less, to also get through the difficulties we face now."
The Die Tankstelle, which boasts a unique, narrow, rectangular layout reminiscent of shipping containers, is not the grand commercial and architectural statement one might expect from a gallery like Pace, which operates in seven international cities. However, the project aligns with Berlin's character, making it a suitable space for the exchange of ideas and art.
The main exhibition space measures 3,200 square feet across two stories and is accompanied by a café and bookshop. To distinguish the former gas station from its past life, Judin commissioned architect Guido Hager to landscape the outdoor courtyard into a peaceful garden with a gurgling fountain and pond, completed in 2008.
Berlin itself is also undergoing change, facing rising costs of living and a diminished budget for arts funding. The city's cultural senator, Joe Chialo, recently resigned due to government cuts to the arts, which amount to €130 million ($147 million). Despite these difficulties, art world veterans like Pace CEO Marc Glimcher and Judin remain optimistic about the future of Berlin's art scene.
During the weekend of the Gallery Weekend Berlin, the city was abuzz with gallery, institutional, and pop-up events. Notable highlights included Olafur Eliasson's show-stopping exhibition at neugerriemschneider and Thomas Bayrle's exhibition at the gallery's second space, featuring historical and new works that highlight the artist's visionary use of technology in art.
Berlin's Gallery Weekend continues to attract an international audience, as it offers an unusually high number of art viewing opportunities. Standout exhibitions range from Sun Yitian's compelling solo at Esther Schipper to a museum-like show of French self-taught painter Camille Bombois at Judin's other Berlin space.
The collaboration between Pace and Judin marks a strategic move by Pace to better cater to the changing preferences of the next generation of art collectors. As Laura Attanasio, Pace's senior director, explained, "New buyers want a different surrounding when buying art... They want another experience-a social, communal space that they're part of."
Local collector Filip Dames, 41, expressed his appreciation for the unconventional setup of the new space: "It's a bit of an unorthodox setup with the shared space... It's also pragmatic as other galleries in recent years have been spending way too fast, and taking on huge real-estate projects that didn't really make sense from a financial point of view, and it's also why, today, a lot of these galleries are struggling."
Despite the challenges facing Berlin's art scene, experts remain hopeful about its future. Antonia Ruder, director of Gallery Weekend Berlin, has introduced new programs aimed at drawing a broader, more international crowd to the event, while emphasizing Berlin's unique artist-centered identity.
In the end, the collaboration between Pace and Judin is emblematic of the evolving art landscape in Berlin, combining historical significance with contemporary artistic expression. By working together, the two galleries are helping to shape a dynamic and vibrant arts community in the heart of the city.
- The collaborative art space, Die Tankstelle, in Berlin's Schoeneberg neighborhood, is a joint venture between international powerhouse Pace Gallery and hometown dealer Judin Gallery.
- The partnership between Pace and Judin will see exhibitions rotate between the two galleries every few months, with the inaugural exhibitions featuring works by Tom of Finland and Jean Dubuffet, among others.
- The art world is witnessing a change in Berlin, where galleries are collaborating more to navigate the challenges of the contemporary market.
- The Die Tankstelle, with its unique layout, is not a grand commercial statement like Pace's usual spaces, but it aligns with Berlin's character, making it suitable for the exchange of ideas and art.
- The main exhibition space at Die Tankstelle, spanning 3,200 square feet across two stories, is accompanied by a café and bookshop.
- Berlin's cultural sector is facing rising costs of living and a diminished budget for arts funding, with the city's cultural senator, Joe Chialo, recently resigning due to government cuts to the arts.
- During Gallery Weekend Berlin, the city offers an unusually high number of art viewing opportunities, with standout exhibitions including Sun Yitian's solo at Esther Schipper and Camille Bombois' museum-like show at Judin's other Berlin space.
- The collaboration between Pace and Judin is a strategic move by Pace to better cater to the changing preferences of the next generation of art collectors, who prefer a social, communal space when buying art.
