Sophie Tappeiner: "Hybrid, collaborative art projects can be sustainably successful"

At the end of January, INTERCONTI WIEN will take place for the first time, a boutique fair that you and two other Viennese galleries have created together. What is behind the new project?
Sophie Tappeiner: The idea for this self-organised project came about together with the two gallery owners Henrikke Nielsen (from Galerie Croy Nielsen) and Emanuel Layr (from Galerie LAYR). At a time like this, when so many things have to be postponed or cancelled, we are very happy to be able to realise a new project together with like-minded people, including an innovative online initiative. The 13 participating galleries are each allowed to invite one artist to exhibit in a historical showcase from the Museum of Applied Arts (MAK). I will be presenting works by the Danish artist Lone Haugaard Madsen, with whom I have been working since 2018, and I am confident that the project, despite the lockdown, will open up perspectives for all participants. One of our goals is for INTERCONTI WIEN to contribute to making the city of Vienna and its vibrant art scene more visible internationally, even if only a fraction of its diversity can be represented through the fair and the accompanying online presence. Since it is an art fair, it is also a matter for the participating galleries to communicate the works of the artists they present, to maintain contacts with curators, collectors and art lovers, and to establish new ones.

Has the demand and interest for art changed in the wake of the Corona pandemic?
Sophie Tappeiner: It's difficult for me to say whether the demand and interest for art has fundamentally changed in the last year. But, as in so many other areas, the pandemic has greatly accelerated the digitalisation processes on the art market. This has changed some parameters and in a way art has become more "accessible" online for many people. All you need is a computer with internet access. If you can't travel to see an exhibition or an art fair in another city, you can get an impression on the net; and the threshold fear that visitors sometimes feel in galleries doesn't exist on the internet. Another interesting aspect is that virtual art fairs are now increasingly quoting prices. This was hardly ever the case with physical fairs.

What are you particularly looking forward to in 2021?
Sophie Tappeiner: I believe that in the long term we will not be able to return to our previous way of life, as it was simply not sustainable in terms of climate change, among other things. Nevertheless, I hope to be able to move freely again soon - in space, away from the screen. I am looking forward to realising INTERCONTI WIEN with my colleagues Henrikke Nielsen and Emanuel Layr, and also to the exhibition projects coming up this year: three exciting solo exhibitions are planned at the gallery from February to June with Lone Haugaard Madsen, Tenant of Culture and Sophie Thun. 

INTERCONTI WIEN will take place online and at the InterContinental Vienna from 28 January to 7 February 2021.