Invaliden 1 has to be seen in the context of a renaissance of artist-run-spaces or rather Produzentengalerien which have a long tradition in Germany but were not quite at the core of Berlin’s booming art scene of the past ten years until very recently. The new boom of Produzentengalerien (producers galleries) was started by academy graduates from Leipzig who got together, found themselves a space in Berlin and someone to take care of the gallery business and got running, (...) Best known are Liga, Rekord, echolot, Amerika and later also Diskus with students from the Dresden academy. Common objective of all these spaces was to get the artists out in the public and find them established galleries. Meanwhile most of them have closed and their managers have opened ‘real’ galleries in their own names continuing to work with a few artists from the former crew.

The difference with Invaliden 1 is that they were no fresh graduates. All of the founding artists already had started a career and have galleries whom they work with on a regular basis. They had left home behind and moved to a different country to explore a new art scene and find new impulse for their work. From the beginning it was clear that Invaliden1 was not going to be a Produzentengalerie in the narrow sense of the word but rather an artist-run-space, a concept better known in the Anglo-Saxon sphere especially in England and Canada.

The programme of Invaliden1 thus includes exhibitions of the founders as well as other artists whose work they appreciate and each project is discussed in the group. Everybody comes up with a few suggestions of artists whom they think would be interesting to show and if all agree an exhibition gets scheduled. (...). The project gives both a certain freedom and a new sense of responsibility to the founders who are no longer only artists but suddenly also organizers and curators. Freedom as artists because they can set up their personal shows the way they prefer and choose works which they really wanted to be seen together without having to compromise about what might be sellable enough. And a responsibility towards their colleagues because they have to provide them with a proper setting to present their exhibitions and collaborate in the shape the exhibition takes.

Acting as a collective body of curators which offers a whole different form of critique towards a colleague installing a show certainly has been one of the major assets that Invaliden 1 has to offer. These aspects also of course have a certain influence on the work of the founding artists and it would not be bold to say that it is inspiring, as the split-role of the artist-curator enables a more sophisticated level of self reflexivity and critical approach to one’s own work

The interest in Invaliden 1 and the concept of their venture is steadily on the rise. They have a good number of exciting exhibitions lined up for the coming months and are curious to find more, - until maybe some day they think “this is it now” and close shop.

Sabrina van der Ley

LEERSTELLE - Invaliden1

Sergio Belinchón, Rui Calçada Bastos, Paul Ekaitz, Antonio Mesones, Noé Sendas, Santiago Ydañez
Curated by Sabrina van der Ley