Art Matters with Nicolaus Schafhausen

In 1993 Nicolaus Schafhausen was an artist, and when he was invited to participate in the Venice Biennale, he used the opportunity to transform his practice into that of a curator and invite other artists instead. This decision finally led him back to the Venice Biennale in 2007 and 2009 as the curator of the German pavilion. Having established his reputation as one of Europe's leading curators and directors of museums, biennials, festivals and large-scale thematic exhibitions in Germany, Austria, Canada, Russia and China and Korea, as well as the Witte de With in Rotterdam, Schafhausen decided to change his practice again and open a commercial gallery in Brussels. 

Having worked as an artist, curator and gallerist, he has an intrinsic understanding of the art system that is uniquely informed by varied practices. After 3 decades of museum and curatorial experience Schafhausen opened KIN Gallery in Brussels with a philosophical practice based on the concept of an art community, friendship, network and collaboration.

In a world that is becoming increasingly divided and extremist, could art be the key that opens the doors to restoring our humanity ? Can a commercial gallery sustain hope within an art market that reduces the work of art to a price tag and investment ? Is the role of art to  confront or distract the viewer in our age of unprecedented conflict ?

Join Nicolaus Schafhausen on 16 December for a riveting discussion about why Art Matters right now even more than ever.