Successful Collaboration with Galleries – An Introduction (DE)

Simon Melchers directs the ARTCO Gallery (Berlin, Aachen, Brussels). He represents artists such as Roger Ballen, Johanna Maria Fritz, and Gideon Mendel. He regularly tours around the world to fairs such as Photo Basel, Paris Photo, or Photo London.

In this workshop, he explains how the photography art market functions, outlines its dynamics, and uses real-world examples to illustrate the processes behind successful collaborations between artists and gallerists. The workshop is intended for photographers who are seeking to work with galleries and want to understand their structures, workflows, and logic.

Structure and Topics
After a brief introduction and a discussion of participants’ goals, expectations, and interests, the workshop will dive into topics such as the photography market, pricing, editioning, and selling through galleries.

Key questions will be explored in depth: Why does an artist need a gallery? How are prices determined? What exactly are editions? A central focus will be on developing sustainable sales strategies and identifying the right approach for your own body of work.

Processes and needs of the gallery will be explained. What responsibilities fall to the gallery, and where do the artist’s obligations begin? Participants will also gain an overview of best practices in data management and communication, including handling image files for online use, preparing work for print, and maintaining edition lists.

Biography:
Simon Melchers was born in 1992 in Würselen, near Aachen. In 2017, he completed a Bachelor of Arts in Visual Communication with a focus on Photography at ABKM Maastricht. He went on to complete extended work residencies in the USA, South Africa, and Morocco. In 2023, he served as a juror at the San Diego Medium Photo Festival. Since 2020, he has been the managing director of ARTCO Gallery Berlin GmbH, and since 2023, also the managing director of Culture Invest UG. He runs the gallery together with his partner Benjamin. In addition to the Berlin space, they operate a gallery in Aachen and a project space in Brussels.

The gallery program features artistic positions across painting, sculpture, and photography, with a particular emphasis on contemporary works that reflect and engage with global themes.

For more information:
www.artco-gallery.com