Launched in summer 2013, by lawyer-turned-dealer Jan Sexauer, this discreetly located gallery is in Weisensee, north of Prenzlauerberg. It’s slowly becoming a bit of an art district, with influential players on the Berlin scene such as Jonas Burgert and John Isaacs having their studios there. Sexauer himself is well known around Berlin, not only as a fervent collector but perhaps the only one in Berlin to organize a regular chess night for the local arterati, ‘Night Of The Pawn’.
When not refereeing tense board-battles, Sexauer’s hands-on approach to his work is reflected in this unusual gallery space. Augmenting the usual stark white minimalism of most galleries, Sexauer’s is strewn with random detritus – chess boards, bits of vintage furniture, trinkets, a grand piano, big comfy leather sofas. It feels a bit like a gentleman's club. The main space is an impressive five metres high, allowing ample space for large-scale installations by the gallery’s esoteric roster, including contributions from Jay Gard and Herbert Volkmann.