Gallerist Q&A - Alice Folker

How did you come to enter the art world?

My background is in law, and I have been a lawyer for 12 years. However, I have always had a strong interest in art history. 15 years ago, while on maternity leave with my first child, I began studying art history by attending evening classes at university. When I had my second child, I continued my studies and later took some courses in London, focusing more on the art business and management.

After many years of visiting galleries, attending art fairs, and spending more and more time immersed in the art world, I began to consider whether I should make the leap from law to the art world—and I did so in 2017.

How did you do that—take that leap?

The way I approached it was by talking to good friends about how to go about it, as I had never done it before.

I thought it would be exciting to work with completely new and young artists, so a great place to start was, of course, the academy. I reached out to the former rector, Sanne Kofod Olsen, and asked if she thought it would be okay for me to speak with some of the students. That’s how I got to know Frederik Næblerød and Anna Stahn, who were both at the academy at the time. I met various artists by attending Rundgang (the Academy’s annual open house exhibition), visiting Q (the Academy’s exhibition space), and, of course, going to graduation exhibitions.

Then, in 2017, I opened the gallery in a small space at Esplanaden 6 in inner Copenhagen. A lot of students from the academy came to the opening, which I thought was fantastic. At the same time, many of my lawyer friends came as well, creating quite an interesting mix. That mix has actually stuck around, and I really like the energy it brings.

What was your first exhibition at the gallery?

The first exhibition that was really popular was with Frederik Næblerød in 2017, where there was even a queue outside the gallery. It was definitely a breakthrough exhibition for both Frederik and me.

Do you find that you use any of the same skills in your work as a gallerist from your time as a lawyer?

One of the things I have carried with me from my previous career is that I have regular meetings with the artists. Here we discuss their dreams and goals for the future, and how I can help make that happen.

I believe most lawyers actually have quite a creative mind, as they often need to see scenarios that haven’t yet happened and think abstractly. Most lawyers I know have a strong interest in either jazz, opera, film, or a particular drumming technique. There are so many lawyers with highly developed creative minds.

How would you describe your job title as a gallerist?

For a long time, I actually struggled with the identity of calling myself a gallerist. When you're a lawyer, you pass an exam, get a certificate, and receive an official letter from the Ministry of Justice. It’s very clear-cut. In the beginning, I felt a bit like I was wearing borrowed feathers. I would say, “I have a gallery,” but I wouldn’t say, “I am a gallerist.” It actually took me four years to feel like I had earned that title.

What is your primary responsibility as a gallerist?

I would say to help the artists achieve the things they dream of.

One of the key things I try to teach them is that when you say your dreams and aspirations out loud, there’s a greater chance of them coming true than if you keep them to yourself. That’s what we work on together. No two artists have the same goals or dreams, so it varies greatly. We brainstorm ways to get there, what steps we need to take, and which directions we should explore. In that sense, a big part of my role is strategic planning.

I also provide practical support, figuring out how to make things happen—from logistics and production to organising large exhibitions, both in Denmark and internationally. And, of course, there’s the commercial side, as sales are important too; after all, we all need to make a living.

How would you describe the gallery to someone who isn’t familiar with it?

Our programme consists of a wide range of different practices. What characterises it, in my view, is that the artists I work with are incredibly bright and talented—if I may say so myself. There is a strong sense of communication in their work, which is very important to me—the ability to transform a thought into a medium, make it tangible, and give it meaning for others.

So it’s more about the artist's artistic approach rather than the medium they work with?

Yes, in 2021, for example, a curator pointed out to me, 'You haven’t had a single painting exhibition this year.' That year, I had an exhibition with Anna Stahn and Ragnhild May, who worked exclusively with sculptural and sound-based pieces, a show with Nat Bloch Gregersen, who created light works using different noble gases, and an exhibition with Tue Greenfort, who transformed the gallery into a wheat field, with bronze tables and jellyfish. It hadn’t even crossed my mind at the time; there wasn’t any deliberate planning behind it, but I ended up having four consecutive exhibitions focusing on performance and sculpture, as that was what the artists were producing at the time.

Also, when I first met Frederik Næblerød, I saw his paintings, but by the time he had his graduation exhibition, it was purely sculpture. When I met Anna Stahn, she was working with prints, but when we did our first exhibition together, it was all textile sculptures. So the medium is not what I focus on at all—it’s much more about intuition, communication, and what speaks to me.

How has the gallery evolved since the beginning - both for good and for bad?

There has definitely been a shift towards the more established, but I still find it really, really exciting to follow what’s happening at the academy—I simply cannot help myself. That’s why we still occasionally work with artists from the academy, though it’s no longer the main focus. But I think it’s incredibly exciting to keep up with.

The artists have also grown alongside the gallery—almost all of them have now had major institutional exhibitions and are part of both private and public collections.

In terms of challenges, you could say that it hasn't necessarily gotten easier as the gallery has grown in size. In many ways, running a smaller gallery makes it simpler every day. But I wanted more space and a larger gallery and that requires more resources, more staff, and more exhibitions. It demands more overall, but I don’t see that as a negative challenge. I enjoy it; otherwise, I would have scaled back to a smaller space.

Right now, considering the gallery is turning 8 in April, I think it’s in a really good place. But as the gallery grows, so does the machinery behind it, which takes more time and effort, and there’s naturally more to manage.

What does participating in art fairs mean to you as a gallerist?

I really enjoy being at fairs because of the sense of collegiality. It means a lot to me personally, but also to the artists, as it gives them the opportunity to get to know other galleries. I think there is valuable exchange and dialogue to be found—not only between galleries but also between artists across different galleries.

I also see fairs as a crucial platform for introducing artworks, not just to new collectors but also to curators and institutions. It is a great opportunity for people to see works they might not have had the chance to see at the gallery in their day-to-day lives. We do get a decent number of museum representatives and curators visiting the gallery, but I definitely notice even more of them attending fairs.

What does the future look like for the gallery?

We moved three times in five years, so for now, we’re staying here for some time. I’m really happy with this space as it offers great opportunities to show larger exhibitions and to also invite talented international artists which is definitely part of the future plan.

Since day one we have been developing various international collaborations which is growing steadily. More and more people outside Denmark become familiar with us and our artists. These relationships open up exciting opportunities and strong collaborations that we look forward to pursue in the near future.