Matching talents and tasks at David Zwirner with the gallery partner Greg Lulay and director Veronique Ansorge

by leslierankowfinearts

Installation view
Mamma Andersson: The Lost Paradise
David Zwirner, NY 2020
Courtesy David Zwirner


DAVID ZWIRNER IS AN INTERNATIONAL GALLERY ARTISTS ASPIRE TO SHOW WITH,  COLLECTORS FLOCK TO FOR WORKS OF THE HIGHEST QUALITY BY BOTH ESTABLISHED CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS AND MODERN MASTERS, CURATORS DEPEND UPON AS A SOURCE FOR ARTISTS WORTHY OF ACQUIRING FOR THEIR MUSEUMS AND ART CAREER PROFESSIONALS VIE TO WORK AT SUCH A PRESTIGIOUS VENUE. THE GALLERY HAS ALWAYS BEEN ALWAYS ARTIST-CENTRIC AND OVER THE COURSE OF ITS TWENTY-SEVEN YEAR HISTORY, ITS PROGRAM  HAS DEVELOPED AND MATURED GLOBALLY, ESTABLISHING LOCATIONS IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT COUNTRIES AND CITIES AND A PRESENCE WORLDWIDE. DAVID ZWIRNER OFFERS ITS ARTISTS AND ARTIST ESTATES AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE A PART OF A GLOBAL NETWORK OF EXHIBITIONS, ART FAIRS, AND  BOTH INSTITUTIONAL AND PRIVATE ART COLLECTIONS.

Greg Lulay
Partner
David Zwirner Gallery

TODAY, THE LRFA BLOG IS VERY PLEASED TO CONTINUE TO POST ITS CONVERSATION, HELD IN APRIL 2020, WITH GALLERY DIRECTOR VERONIQUE ANSORGE, AT THE 19th STREET GALLERY (525 WEST 19th STREET) IN CHELSEA, AND WITH GALLERY PARTNER GREG LULAY, AT THE TWENTIETH STREET GALLERY ( 538 WEST 20th STREET).

RUNNING AN INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS TAKES AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF HARD WORK AND DEDICATION, NOT ONLY ON THE PART OF ITS FOUNDER BUT ALSO ON ITS EXTENSIVE STAFF, EVERYONE FROM PARTNERS TO DIRECTORS TO THE SUPPORT STAFF OF REGISTRARS, INSTALLERS, EXHIBITION CATALOGUERS, RESEARCHERS AND A  HIGHLY SOPHISTICATED TECH TEAM.

HERE WE HOPE TO SHED A LITTLE LIGHT ON SUCH AN ENORMOUS UNDERTAKING.

Interior view of library
537 West 20th Street Gallery, 2013

VERONIQUE AND GREG, WELCOME BACK AND THANK YOU BOTH!

DO YOU EACH HAVE RESPONSIBILITIES AS A LIAISON TO SPECIFIC ARTISTS AND ARTISTS’ ESTATES AND IF SO, WHO ARE THE ARTISTS THAT YOU CONCENTRATE ON IT?

Greg Lulay: The overarching gallery structure is one that was built so that it serves all of us together in all locations. There are members of our staff who are specialists in research, conservation, inventory management, finance, installation,  public relations, sales, and artist relations, like myself and Veronique. My artist management responsibilities are split between living Contemporary artists and Estates.

I work closely with Philip-Lorca diCorcia, an incredible photographer; and Lucas Arruda, a very talented young Brazilian painter. I also work with the Fred Sandback Estate, the Al Taylor Estate, the Gordon Matta-Clark Estate, and the Franz West Estate. I’m charged to help foster the careers of those artists, both within the gallery and outwardly in their exhibitions and programs around the globe. In addition to artist management I also have sales responsibilities and oversee all of our art fair participations around the world.

Philip-Lorca diCorcia
Heavenly Bodies
David Zwirner Gallery Viewing Room

Veronique Ansorge:  I think given the nature of how I started at the gallery, and given the fact that I’m from Germany, I was naturally working with David on a lot of his German clients and activities. I began working with German artists and Estates such as the Estate of Sigmar Polke, Thomas Ruff, and Isa Genzken. I also now work with the New York–based photographer James Welling, which I am very excited about. While I have cultivated client relationships across the globe, I feel my focus is within the German-speaking market.

GL: One of the strengths both of our sales team and of the larger gallery is that David has really paired our individual talents with the tasks which give the most benefit to our artists and thus to the gallery. This informs our specific duties and responsibilities.

VA: Yes, and I think it is fascinating that the gallery really allows for this talent to be expressed – to identify their strengths and nurture them.

Screen capture
David Zwirner Online
Harold Ancart: Pools

HOW DOES THE MANAGEMENT OF A LIVING ARTIST DIFFER FROM AN ESTATE?

VA: With a living artist, you are in constant dialogue and they are actively producing work. You manage exhibitions of new work, not only in the gallery but in institutional environments. Within this, you are working to cultivate their career. With an Estate, it’s not necessarily new work, but you try to do the same.

GL: Certainly there are some strong parallels between the two approaches. In both cases we operate somewhat like an agent; working collaboratively with artists or estates to promote their careers and strengthen their position within the history of art by presenting their artwork on various platforms to audiences around the world. In the early days of the gallery, David began representing our first estate – the Estate of Gordon Matta-Clark.

Then in 2004 we began working with the Fred Sandback Estate, and today we represent 26 estates. It is in collaboration with these people that you  are charged to further the conversation about their work and encourage new discovery. One of the biggest challenges we face working with a living artist is to support and guide them without interfering with their creative process. This is completely different from working with an Estate. Their voice is more active.

VERONIQUE AND GREG WILL CONTINUE TO SHARE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WORKINGS OF DAVID ZWIRNER GALLERY IN OUR NEXT LRFA BLOG POST!

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR FOLLOWING. PLEASE JOIN US!