There have been some rumors lately about TELIC expanding to Berlin, which we’ll address in the new year. But for now, it is enough to acknowledge that Berlin is undoubtedly one of the most fashionable places to open a gallery. One anecdotal statistic offered by Stephan Balleux (one of the artists in our Digital Art from Belgium show, who currently resides in Berlin) is that in the month of September, thirty new galleries opened in Berlin!
Of course, these aren’t all completely new galleries. No, in fact, many galleries have a presence in other established art markets like New York, London, and our own Los Angeles, before they expand to Germany. On Chung King Road, the cluster of galleries in Chinatown where TELIC is located, Peres Projects has for some time announced their locations with vinyl lettering: Los Angeles Berlin (to which Athens was just added). Susanne Vielmetter is another (Los Angeles, not Chinatown). The websites of these expanding galleries inevitably need a splash page whereupon you choose which city you want, Los Angeles or Berlin (or Athens)?
Berlin Berlin Berlin Berlin Berlin. Say that five times fast. Something of the sort might be happening in reverse. On Chung King Road, despite the faltering real estate market, rent prices continue to increase. (TELIC’s rent went up by 33% in October!) There are several strongly European galleries in the neighborhood now who can perhaps tap into international collectors and take advantage of the weak dollar. It makes me wonder about the interaction of the local economy and the international art market, and what the function of the gallery is when it becomes something like the Hard Rock Cafe.
