“My motivation is helping fellow artists”

“My motivation is helping fellow artists”

 

“Making the projects of fellow artists happen that’s my core motivation.”

The artist behind Berlin gallery space The Landing Strip, Michael Pohl, believes helping artists – especially young artists – with an opportunity to exhibit their work is just as important as his own projects.

The 36-year-old converted half his apartment living room into The Landing Strip in 2015 and has been exhibiting small shows there ever since.

“It makes me almost as happy as doing my own works to make something happen with other artists’ work I’m interested in.”

The Landing Strip has exhibited a diverse number of shows, from political projects to abstract paintings. When we caught up with him, Inga Krüger was displaying her latest works about allergy and playing her theme around Michael’s gallery cat.

Michael says he tries to make each show at his space different from the one before so the gallery always looks different with every offering.

“There are so many spaces in my neighbourhood, so many that sometimes I only hear about one when it’s already closed.

“Artist run galleries and little project spaces are not running out here anytime soon.”

Although the artist continued that the magic days of the 1990s when rents on spaces were easier to pay are over and the “crazy projects” from those times are much harder to orchestrate now.

He said by converting his apartment he has bypassed the struggle of rent many of his fellow artist run galleries face on a month to month basis.

“My plan for this space is that it will continue doing what it’s been doing so far but maybe we will add little one night things. But we will keep showing young artists that I’m interested in or that someone else makes me aware of.”

Find out more about The Landing Strip here.

Words by Beth Cherryman