In this episode of Voices On Art, I speak with Walter Gehlen, co-founder and director of Art Düsseldorf, about a career that took many different turns before leading him to the art fair business.

His early ambition was to become an artist, sparked in part by seeing Gerhard Richter at Kunsthalle Düsseldorf when he was 16. After being rejected by the Düsseldorf Academy, Walter studied art history, theatre and film, later economics, worked in psychiatric and infectious disease wards during his civil service, learned professional cooking and ran a catering business, before moving into business consulting and management.

Rather than seeing these experiences as disconnected, we talk about what each of them taught him: dealing with people, understanding systems and marketplaces, reacting to difficult situations, improvising, and finding solutions when there is no obvious blueprint.

Eventually, these different skills came together in the art fair business. Walter talks about his first fair projects with Andreas Lohaus, the move from Cologne to Düsseldorf and the development of Art Düsseldorf into an international platform.

We discuss what actually makes an art fair work: selecting galleries, bringing the right collectors into the room, creating spaces that encourage encounters, and constantlyadjusting the model.

We also talk about data, AI and the use of new technology behind the scenes — not as an end in itself, but as a way of taking care of repetitive work and making complex processes more efficient.

And we come back to something quite simple: however sophisticated technology becomes, art still needs people in a room together. An art fair is not only a marketplace, but a place for encounters, conversations and relationships that develop over time. Digital tools can make things easier and more efficient, but they cannot replace the physical experience of art — or the human connections aroundit.

A conversation about learning by doing, DIY thinking, curiosity, failure, entrepreneurship — and why a career doesn’t necessarily need a straight line.

Language: english, c. 1:15 h

Portrait photo by Achim Hehn

Book Pick:

My book pick for this Episode is Verschwende DeineJugend / Waste Your Youth by Jürgen Teipel. In Germanyoriginally published in 2001 by Suhrkamp Verlag. There is an English translation available through Suhrkamp, but the book hasn't been published yet. I think it's one of the most important books about the special culture of punk and new wave in Germany. As always you can listen to it at the end of the talk.

This book gives deep insights into the development of punk in Germany, particularly in Dusseldorf, Hamburg, and Berlin, from the late 70s to the early 80s. Built entirely from original voices, the book captures these times in Germany, when places like Düsseldorf became laboratories for music, art, fashion, and ideas. Musicians, artists, writers, and outsiders all shared the same DIY attitude. If what you want doesn't exist, make it yourself.

A strong reminder how powerful youth culture, any culture, can be. Not because it follows trends, because it invents them. If you're interested in how independence, fearlessness, and fun lead to creating contemporary art and independent culture, this is one of the essential books.

Links:
https://art-dus.de
https://van-horn.net/podcast/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6nU3l-pJLSkiPlpfD9BiOA

What makes someone dedicate an entire life to contemporary art? Collector Andra Lauffs-Wegner grew up surrounded by important works of post-war art. But collecting, she says, isn't inherited. It begins with an emotional response.

In this conversation we talk about how a private passion became her exhibition space KAT-A , why she buys emotionally rather than strategically, and why supporting artists starts with acquiring their work.

We discuss collecting without investment thinking, curating as acreative act, the importance of personal encounters with artists, and why enthusiasm is often more powerful than expertise when introducing people to contemporary art.

Above all, this episode is about trusting intuition, recognizingopportunities, and creating cultural value without following a master plan.

This Episode is in german. For other languages go to our YouTube channel @vanhorngallery and use the subtitles tool.

Topics include

- Growing up with contemporary art

- Emotional collecting vs. investment

- How collections evolve

- Curating as storytelling

- Why galleries matter

- Supporting artists through collecting

- Women collectors today

- The future of private collections

Portrait photo by Sabrina Rothe

Links:

https://sammlung-alw.com/de/

https://van-horn.net/podcast/

Darren Flook on art, sobriety, and amplifying other voices

In this very personal and wide-ranging conversation Daniela speaks with gallerist, curator and writer, Darren Flook about art, identity, sobriety, and the changing realities of the contemporary art world. They discuss Darren's journey in the art world, from hisworking-class background in England to co-founding the gallery Hotel in London in 2003, which later closed in 2012. Darren expands on his decision to stop making art himself, preferring to focus on curating and supporting other artists. The conversation also turns deeply personal as Darren shares his personal struggles with alcohol, ultimately achieving sobriety. He describes how alcohol shaped his confidenceand relationships, and how becoming sober transformed both his life and his perspective on art and community. The conversation explores how the art world has evolved over the decades, with both participants reflecting on the changes in art fairs, commercial pressures, and the challenges of maintaining authenticity in the contemporary art market. They also discuss the importance of art as a form of expression and community building, beyond commercial transactions and highlight the enduring impact of art, particularly focusing on art's ability to create an emotional response beyond its physical materials.

At its core, this episode explores what art can offer: meaning,emotional resonance, human connection, experiences that resist easy explanation and a way to live ones life with purpose.

Topics include:

• ​Growing up working class and entering the art world
• ​Founding and closing Hotel Gallery
• ​The evolution of art fairs and collecting culture
• ​Curating versus making art
• ​Alcohol, recovery, and rebuilding a life
• ​Why art matters in a commercial world
• ​Emotional responses to art beyond meaning or material
• ​Community, artists, and sustaining creative ecosystems

Book pick: Hermann Hesse, Siddharta, a novel about growth, transformation and becoming yourself.

Links:

Instagram @darren_flook

https://fadmagazine.com/2025/10/25/happy-now/

https://van-horn.net/podcast/

Thinking Together

Recorded live on February 7, 2026 – This episode is in German.

In this live conversation, I speak with Nicolaus Schafhausen — gallerist, curator, author, and exhibition maker. Nicolaus began his career as an artist before consciously stepping into other roles within the art world, shaping institutions and discourses from multiple perspectives.

Over the decades, he has co-founded the gallery Lukas & Hoffmann in Berlin and Cologne and has held numerous influential positions: Artistic Leader at Künstlerhaus Stuttgart, Director of Frankfurter Kunstverein, Founding Director of the European Kunsthalle in Cologne, Director of Witte de With in Rotterdam, Strategic Director of the Shorefast Foundation on Fogo Island, Commissioner of the German Pavilion at the 52nd and 53rd Venice Biennales, Director of Kunsthalle Wien — and most recently, Founder and Director of KIN, a gallery for contemporary art in Brussels.

We begin briefly with the question of how Nicolaus carved out his own path in the arts — and then move directly into the present moment and its challenges.

Who buys art today — and why?

How has that changed in recent years?

What shifts do we see coming?

And how do we, as gallerists, respond?

But also: To whom do we sell? Is there something like a moral radar when placing artworks? What responsibility do we carry toward artists, collectors, institutions — and toward one another?

We speak openly about relationships: between artists and galleries, between money and values, between conviction and compromise. There are more questions than answers — but we both agree that thinking together, publicly and honestly, is a powerful place to begin.

After the book recommendation, there is a bonus Q&A with the audience.

Book Pick

I recommend the Gereon Rath series by Volker Kutscher, the literary basis for the acclaimed TV series Babylon Berlin.

Published in Germany by Kiepenheuer & Witsch, in English by Sandstone Press, and as an audiobook by OsterwoldAudio.

The novels paint a vivid portrait of Berlin in the late 1920s and early 1930s — a city vibrating with jazz, avant-garde art, nightlife, and radical political energy during the Weimar Republic. What begins as a time of cultural freedom and experimentation gradually gives way to fear, propaganda, and conformity. Art and the press come under pressure — and with them, free thought itself.

Kutscher shows how quickly an open society can erode when extremism, economic instability, and disinformation converge. It is a powerful reminder that art and culture are never neutral — they are deeply tied to freedom, and therefore often the first to be threatened.

https://kinbrussels.com/

https://nicolausschafhausen.com/

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicolaus_Schafhausen

https://van-horn.net/podcast/

"Always Learning, Always Looking: Collecting Art as an Endless Journey"

I'm celebrating Episode 100 - a personal milestone, with a special guest and an honest conversation about art, power, and belonging.

In this episode, I sit down with Jeff Magid—former songwriter and music producer turned art collector—for a wide-ranging conversation about creativity, access, and power in the art world.

Jeff shares his path from growing up immersed in music and film in Boston to discovering the art world later in life while living in Brooklyn. What began as curiosity—sparked by friendships with art handlers and mentorship from artists like Slater Bradley—soon became a deeper commitment to learning, collecting, and questioning how the art world functions.

Together, we explore:

• The differences between the music industry and the visual art world

• Why access to the art world often depends on who you know

• The importance of mentorship and cross-disciplinary learning

• Art openings, collectors, and the invisible social hierarchies in galleries

• Why inclusivity does not mean simplifying art

• The tension between commercial success and artistic merit

• Challenges faced by young and emerging collectors

• Why collecting should be driven by genuine connection—not status or speculation

• Quality over quantity in building meaningful art collections

The conversation also looks forward, touching on emerging global art scenes, focused on collaboration, exchange, and community-driven art practices.

A candid, thoughtful episode for artists, collectors, and anyone curious about how the art world is built—and how it might be reimagined.

69 min., Language english, recorded January 25, 2026

Portrait photo by Courtney Sofiah Yates for FRIEZE

Links:

Jeff on Instagram @magideye

https://totalanimalsoup.substack.com/archive?sort=top

https://www.artnews.com/art-news/opinion/art-market-open-door-policy-jeff-magid-1234753579/

https://www.frieze.com/article/jeff-magid-collecting-frieze-masters-magazine-2025

https://van-horn.net

„A Punk in thinking - but not in production“

In this episode of Voices On Art I talk with Claus Föttinger, an artist based in Düsseldorf, known for developing a unique artistic language rooted in craft and a deep interest in diving into a variety of relevant themes.

Föttinger creates objects that are artworks designed for use—social sculptures in the form of bars, tables, chairs, and especially lamps. His work is informed by extensive travel and long-term research, addressing themes that range from the deeply personal to questions of society, politics, the humanities, and culture.

Wespeak about his early years growing up in Nuremberg his formative studies at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf,and his reflections on past, present, and future. Claus also shares why he decided to stop making work directly responding to current global developments.

This episode was recorded in March 2025 in German language and serves as a personal recap of the year 2025, as well as an glimpse on what's to come.

It took place on the occasion of Claus Föttinger’s solo exhibition at VAN HORN.

We're recording on site, so please excuse glitches in sound quality.

We wish you a wonderful end to 2025 and a very happy New Year.

Subscribe to „Voices On Art“ on our YouTube channel @vanhorngallery and follow the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or the platform of your choice. Leave us a rating if you like it.

Links:

https://van-horn.net/exhibition/claus-foettinger/https://van-horn.net/exhibition/2016-claus-foettinger/https://www.wz.de/nrw/duesseldorf/nachbau-der-wm-bar-ist-reif-fuers-museum_aid-29030571https://park-der-sinne.com/unsere-kuenstler/claus-foettinger/

In today’s episode, my guest is Felicity Korn, Head of the 20th/21st Century Collection and Deputy Director to FelixKrämer at the Kunstpalast Düsseldorf.

Art has always been Korn’s driving force. After her studies in Glasgow and Karlsruhe, she gained formative experience at institutions such as the ZKM and the Städel Museum Frankfurtbefore joining Felix Krämer at the Kunstpalast. Having worked on major exhibitions—from „Battle of the Sexes“ to Emil Nolde—she reflects on the diverse workings of museums, their collections, and what it means to lead a collection rooted in a strong local yet internationally connected art scene.

We talk about Düsseldorf’s vibrant cultural landscape and themuseum’s mission to stay relevant for everyone: newcomers and art lovers alike. Korn shares how the Kunstpalast offers new perspectives through storytelling, rethinking the “white cube,” and creating meaningful, welcoming experiences.

With museums competing against streaming platforms and shrinking attention spans, Korn discusses how she and her team adapt to shifting cultural expectations. We explore her path into art, her hands-on learning philosophy, and how contextual storytelling shapes her approach to exhibition-making—past, present, and future.

RecordedOctober 2025, 55 min., language english. Portrait photo by Andreas Endermann

Links:

https://www.kunstpalast.de/en/event/kunstlerinnen/

https://www.staedelmuseum.de/en/exhibitions-programme

https://van-horn.net/podcast/

www.youtube.com/@vanhorngallery

In this episode of "Voices on Art", I talk to Daniel Hug, Artistic Director of Art Cologne. Dan’s story is deeply rooted in art and culture — born into a Swiss and American family, growing up in an academic and artistic household as grandson of the legendary László Moholy-Nagy, one of the key figures of the Bauhaus.

Our conversation flows from his upbringing and personal connections to art, through to his sharp observations of how the art market has developed since the 1980s. We talk about the cycles of the market — the ups and downs that are not necessarily signs of crisis, but part of a normal rhythm — and how galleries have evolved in response to shifting times.

Dan shares a wealth of knowledge and experience, and we both bring in plenty of personal reflections and opinions — about what’s changed, what remains, and why Art Cologne continues to play such a vital role in the German art landscape.

Dan also announces the new Art Palma de Mallorca, which will be inaugurated in April 2025.

A rich and honest conversation about art, passion, and the ever-changing world they take place.

As always, I end with a book recommendation: "Out of This Century – Confessions of an Art Addict" by Peggy Guggenheim — a fascinating and fearless account of a life entirely devoted to art.

Links:

https://www.artcologne.com/

https://www.moholy-nagy.org/

https://van-horn.net/

'Die Kunst gehört allen' | ‘Art belongs to everyone’

In this episode, I talk to Reinhard Ernst – entrepreneur,philanthropist, art collector and founder of the Reinhard Ernst Museum in Wiesbaden.

We follow his journey: from humble beginnings to building a successful business to the years-long project of planning and realising his own museum.

This raises some interesting questions:

How do you get into art if it wasn't part of your family environment?

When does buying individual works turn into a real passion for collecting?

And why would you ultimately make your private collection available to the public in your own museum?

Reinhard Ernst speaks very openly about his attitude towards art, society and his role as a benefactor. His guiding principle, ‘You are not alone in the world,’ runs through everything he does. Together with his wife Sonja, he has established a foundation that supports childrenand the elderly, preserves historical monuments, and promotes art and culture. For both of them, this is not just a financial commitment, but a conviction to strengthen the values they personally hold dear.

His great passion is abstract art – from the post-war period to the present day. Particularly noteworthy is his collection of 52 works by Helen Frankenthaler, the largest privately owned collection in the world. For him, abstract art opens up the freedom to decide for yourself what to see. Colours and forms have an effect without guidelines, leaving room for one's own thoughts, feelings and memories.

We also talk about his close relationship with Japan and his friendship with architect Fumihiko Maki, which gave rise to the vision for a museum that not only offers state-of-the-art architecture, but above all space for people. A house for art – and for encounters.

At the end of the conversation, I will give you a bookrecommendation. This time, it is the book ‘Moral Ambition’ by Rutger Bregman.
Published in German by Rowohlt Verlag.

rutgerbregman.com/

As always, you can find the conversation on your podcast platform of choice and, starting with this episode, on our YouTube channel @vanhorngallery.

Feel free to follow us on Instagram @voicesonart and@van_horn_duesseldorf and subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcast or your platform of choice. We appreciate good reviews.

The conversation with Reinhard Ernst was recorded on 21 July 2025, in German, 49 min.

Further information here:

museum-re.de/de/

www.ernst-stiftung.de/

van-horn.net/podcast-1/