MUNTHE ART MONDAY: VERENA KERFIN

Please introduce yourself and tell us about what you do.

My name is Verena Kerfin, and I am the founder of Verena Kerfin Gallery. Life in Berlin often develops spontaneously and without a fixed plan. During my studies in health management, I began organizing small exhibitions and parties with artists. I quickly noticed how sensitive artists are and how much they appreciate professional organization of logistical aspects. This led me to become a gallerist almost overnight.

I represent artists of all ages and I am continuously impressed and moved by the passion with which they dedicate their lives to art, despite the high risks associated with the absence of social safety nets. This unwavering dedication has a magical allure and deserves my deepest respect. I see my role as supporting these artists, minimizing risks, and creating space in my gallery for new ideas, sensitive reflections, and emotional depth that are accessible to everyone.

I particularly enjoy organizing exhibitions with artists from other countries and continents. It brings me joy when a successful exhibition not only presents the artworks but also allows the personality, aura, and thoughts of the artist to fill the space. The traces on the canvases, the pleasant smell of the studios that lingers in the objects and paintings – these are things that the internet cannot convey. Only a visit to my gallery guarantees this complete sensory experience.

Verena is wearing Lalalu silk shirt and Expandra skirt.

Can you name some other female (gallery owners or women in the arts) that inspires you and explain why they do so?

I observe many confident women leading galleries and doing excellent work in this field. Whether they are established galleries in Berlin or younger ones like Laetitia Gorsy's She Bam Gallery in Leipzig, or Kunsthaus Dahlem Berlin which is led by a dynamic woman like Dr. Dorothea Schöne – women have made themselves visible in strong positions. I believe that we radiate a joy for art that resonates with visitors and creates a shared intimate experience. Our primary task is to create access, and we succeed very well in that! The American artist Cat Spilmann is also an ally when it comes to strong women in art, where strength primarily means sensitivity, especially regarding the visibility of female sensitivity!

What has been the most challenging aspect of being a woman in the arts?

I encounter so many dedicated women in the arts – artists, curators, gallerists. Every entrepreneurial beginning is difficult, regardless of whether one is a woman or a man. The more complex aspect is establishing themes of female art as a given. Motherhood is a secondary theme during my visits to studios. It is all the more gratifying that a collector family with two daughters regularly visits me and programmatically collects art only by women. The daughters have full authority in the selection; they buy only what all four like. And that delights me greatly because they learn from childhood that women are important, interesting, and great. That's how it should be!

Verena is wearing Lalalu silk shirt and Expandra skirt.

Verena is wearing Lalalu silk shirt and Expandra skirt.

Can you explain more about how being a woman has affected your career?

Art functions best when the viewer opens up and allows their personality and sensitivity to freely react to the works. We are more open to new experiences when we do not feel pressured. Often, I feel that as a woman, I can offer an inviting approach where there is no right or wrong. Everything visitors experience becomes part of engaging with the art.

What would you like people to notice in the way you work with your gallery?

A gallery is an economic project; everything depends on the flow of finances – the lubricant of art. Artists who create their works depend on this. It's easy to develop the impression that sales figures, profits, or losses are the true indicators of the value of artworks. That's not the case. When engaging with my gallery work, I hope that people first perceive the art and the personalities behind it. I want to convey that the true value of art is not material but spiritual, and that proper care of it creates inner well-being, akin to good nutrition for the body. Mental well-being is crucial. Artists often sacrifice a lot, and I try to convey that with great appreciation.

Verena is wearing Lalalu silk shirt and Expandra skirt.