There is nothing ready-made

Bernd Weise

Bernd Weise is looking forward to the interview. He welcomes visitors to his gallery in the city centre in a friendly, open and even warm manner. You realise that someone here has something to say and you are immediately in the middle of the conversation. Close to the town hall, you are also close to the city and its reputation, its image, the image that people have of it and that cannot be created, as he says. Bernd Weise is prepared and has a critical mind when it comes to his city, Chemnitz, when he was born in Halle. He doesn't want to just complain, that's not his nature. On the other hand, he is not a smooth talker either. With a fairly clear view of things, he ultimately remains positive. He talks enthusiastically about the young talents he discovers and promotes in his gallery, whose path he accompanies, as good gallery owners do. He is a doer and a persistently creative spirit when it comes to establishing the work of his protégés. He talks enthusiastically about how young artists assert themselves on the art market and develop further, explaining why a painting sells well. It is not just floating in the air, it is almost tangible that here is someone who is doing this city and its art good, because he is committed to his field, because he recognises the achievements of others. When you leave his gallery, you once again see Chemnitz with completely different eyes.

In recent years, the art collections and their general director have almost subversively created the image of Chemnitz as a city of art. Does this go together - Chemnitz and art? Is Chemnitz on the way to becoming the new Capital of Culture?
I don't know whether the city is on its way to becoming the new cultural capital. But it is already a city of culture thanks to the art collections, the Gunzenhauser Museum, the State Museum of Archaeology that now exists in Chemnitz and the Industrial Museum. The art and culture scene is simply outstanding.

Chemnitz has the reputation and history of an industrial city. How do art and industry go together?
I think it's all interdependent. When culture and business work together, it attracts people. Then - and this is important for city marketing - it increases the length of stay in a city. We know how well the economy is working in Chemnitz at the moment. And the museums in the city do the rest. If you run a gallery in Chemnitz, you benefit from the good reputation of the museums. The good reputation of the museums is so good because the people who work there do a good job. But they do it - or can only do it - because the economy and culture are interdependent. For me, that is a unity.

The image of the city of art radiates outwards. Do the people of Chemnitz realise this themselves?
I think so, yes.

On a broad scale?
They perceive it just as broadly as they do in Pforzheim or Darmstadt or anywhere else. Not 100 per cent of the population is interested in culture and not 100 per cent of a city's population goes to every sporting event. That overlaps.

Let's go back to Chemnitz in connection with the topic of "industrial city". What is it that tells you that a gallery in the city centre of Chemnitz makes sense?
I didn't say from the outset that a gallery in the city centre makes sense. I'll have been doing this for 25 years next year and it's always a process. Just like a city is subject to a constant process. It simply grows.

Is there a picture you could draw of Chemnitz? What would it look like?
No, I couldn't do that. If you're asking what my vision of Chemnitz is, what it should look like: I think it's important that people are interested in each other. That people work transparently. That's what makes a city for me. Under no circumstances should you play off the stadium against the new museum building. That doesn't work. You simply shouldn't do that. And anyone who does that is sometimes blind in this eye and sometimes blind in that eye.

Speaking of the stadium: is there a place in Chemnitz where you can relax?
I like the city park, I live very close to it and can get there by bike or on foot. That's a luxury for me. I don't need a car for that.

How often do you visit the art collections?
I go to every exhibition. When I'm there, I also like to go to the vernissage. I think it's the right thing to do. Firstly, it interests me, but secondly, you simply show respect to those who work there. The artists who exhibit there and the employees.

I know that you like to promote young artists. Who are they at the moment?
Because I've been doing this for a long time, it changes, of course. You can't assume that it's only young or very old or established artists. Michael Goller had my very first exhibition and he's been with me for a long time now. Peggy Albrecht and Uwe Mühlberg are now also established artists and no longer the very youngest. Lydia Thomas is a young artist who was a trainee with us eight years ago. She then applied to study, is now in the final stages of her studies at the Academy of Arts in Munich and will be a master student of her professor Anke Doberauer next year. A very good relationship has developed between us and also between collectors and her.

Back to you: Are you from Chemnitz?
I've lived in Chemnitz since I was 11 and I was born in Halle an der Saale.

What do you think characterises the feeling of living in Chemnitz?
I'm relaxed here. And a network has formed when you live in the city for a long time and know a lot of people. You know that you can rely on creative minds and good old friends when you need them. You really do become calmer and more relaxed over time. That's how I feel about life. I could live anywhere else. Why Chemnitz in particular? Because I'm at home here. That's the point.

Someone once said that Chemnitz is an unfinished place. How do you see that?
I have no idea. Well, I think a city is always unfinished. There are always new pictures being painted. There are always new houses being built. You can't leave every old house as a listed building. It's a constant change. And I think that's the case with urban architecture. We are all learning for the rest of our lives. There is no such thing as a finished product.

To put it another way, and with regard to the music scene in Chemnitz, for example. It is also said that there is still a lot of room for manoeuvre in the city, for creativity. How do you see that?
I think it's down to the people themselves. If people have enough creative potential, if they have enough subcultural interest, then you can do something anywhere that interests others. I don't think that Chemnitz's unique selling point is that you can still do so much here. We have to move a lot because we live here. But if we lived somewhere else, we would do it there too. You can't create an authentic image yourself, you get it from creative minds. We can't say: we're so great. Others have to say that our work is good.

How would you encourage the people of Chemnitz?
Encourage the people of Chemnitz? They have courage, otherwise they wouldn't still be here! No, that's not necessary. Everyone encourages themselves every day. Perhaps teachers sometimes have to encourage their pupils. Everyone has to know for themselves why they get up early every day. I think you have to take care of yourself. This applies to artists and everyone else who works in creative fields and other professions. And if you realise that the attention for what you do every day is waning and nobody is interested in it anymore, then we can't blame those who aren't interested. Then we have to do better. Again and again, every day.