Gallerist Q&A – Simon Isaak and Snorre Fangel

How did you end up becoming gallerists?

We both began working as gallery assistants in Copenhagen at the start of 2022. At the time, we had just entered our twenties and had little prior insight into the art world or the business of running a contemporary gallery.

Through our work and daily exposure, we quickly became engaged in the scene and realised that this was something we wanted to pursue further. Beyond being business partners, we have been long-time friends, so the idea of establishing a gallery together came naturally—and relatively quickly—as we became more involved.

How do you complement one another in running the gallery?

It’s been great being the two of us, always having an ongoing dialogue about what we’re working towards. We started the gallery with a “learning by doing” approach, doing most parts together and building on our prior work experiences and references from exhibition platforms we liked. Over time, our roles have naturally evolved.

Simon balances a broader oversight of the gallery’s operations and business with an active role in conceptualising and curating exhibitions. Meanwhile, Snorre leads the gallery programme and shapes its overall identity, including the visual branding and marketing efforts.

We also value involving people in the process beyond just ourselves. This is especially true in the development of exhibition texts and the curation of exhibitions. For example, over the past six months we have worked with visual artist Sunniva Hestenes to help shape the exhibitions alongside us.

Why did you decide to create a platform focused on emerging artists?

It has been a central focus and an important part for us to create a space dedicated to the next generation of artists. There are relatively few platforms that focus exclusively on new voices in the art scene, despite the many talented artists currently breaking through.

Working closely with these artists, and in several cases supporting their first experiences within a commercial context, has been a great privilege and the best possible way for us to start.

What does it mean for you to be part of a new generation of gallerists in today’s art world?

Being part of a new generation of gallerists means a great deal to us. It feels like important work to collaborate with artists who, like us, are in the process of establishing their names, and for whom having an exhibition in a gallery setting is more than just a formality.

Having been introduced to the art world through traditional galleries, this is a format from which we have drawn a great deal of inspiration. This is reflected, among other things, in our white cube–inspired setting, the way we have presented exhibitions so far, and the fundamental structure surrounding our operations.

That said, we have consciously chosen not to define a profile that is a hundred percent developed and fixed, so we can grow organically through the experiences we gain at the start of our journey as gallerists.

Besides looking at other galleries and seeing how they approach things, we find it inspiring to keep an eye on other initiatives, such as non-commercial exhibition platforms including artist-run initiatives, which produce exhibitions in more alternative ways and often from a different starting point.

In terms of your general gallery programme, do you feel pressure to represent artists of your own generation and how do you discover the artists that you collaborate with?

We don’t feel a particular pressure to represent a specific generation, but we do find it very interesting to follow what’s happening at the academies and across other newly established exhibition platforms.

We typically meet artists through the exhibitions we attend, studio visits, online portfolios, social media, and by keeping an eye on art academies. For example, several of our collaborations have been with artists from HFBK Hamburg, Valand Academy in Gothenburg, and the Royal Danish Academy.

What does the demographic profile of your collectors/audience look like? Do you mostly cater to younger generations?

We have naturally experienced interest from younger collectors, likely reflecting our focus on emerging artists and a price range that aligns with that point in their careers. It’s our impression that many collectors keep an eye on artists who are just breaking through, so we feel that our clientele is quite diverse, which we really appreciate.

What has been the best part about opening a gallery so far - and vice versa - what has been the most unexpected and dreadful task?

Opening a gallery in our early twenties, with a limited network in the field and, to be honest, little overall experience, takes a lot of patience to reach the goals we set for ourselves.

Fortunately, there have not been any outright bad experiences so far. At the beginning, there were many aspects that felt uncertain and required careful attention. It was our first experience of running a business, and managing a company around the artistic aspect was new to us.

The best part is having a platform through which we can reach out to others who inspire us and whose work we respect, and being able to initiate collaborations. It is exciting every time a new dialogue begins, whether with an artist, a curator, or a third party. We are looking forward to more.

Looking ahead, what are your ambitions for Isaak Fangel. Is there a “dream project” or collaboration you hope to realise in the next coming years?

It is not a specific collaboration, but we very much look forward to creating stronger connections between the artists we work with and possible institutional contexts—something we have not realised yet, but hope to develop in the coming years, both in relation to exhibitions and collections.