SCREENings 2011 Jury : Anke Degenhard, curator and gallerist; Crossover agency

Anke Degenhard is a curator and gallerist. She is an expert on contemporary photography art and her well-know status transcends the borders of her hometown, Hamburg. In 1998, she co-founded the Camera Work Gallery in Berlin with Gert Elfering and later opened a second space in Hamburg too. She develops and realises projects nestled in between art and commercial through her Crossover agency with her husband Michael Drinkhahn.

The deputy chairman of the board of the Lead Academy has been working in the international art business for two decades and is considered one of the most competent agents worldwide in the field of contemporary art with a focus on photography.

Her list of curated exhibitions reads like who’s who of photography: Peter Lindbergh, Ellen von Unwerth, Rankin, Man Ray, David Bailey, Sarah Moon, Irvin Penn, Elliott Erwitt, Will McBride, Jean Loup Sieff, Horst. P. Horst., Richard Avedon, Leni Riefenstahl, Michel Comte, David LaChapelle, Anton Corbijn, Albert Watson, Herb Ritts, Douglas Kirkland and many more.

Recently, she produced a calendar for the traditional glass company ZEISS with photographer and GoSee member BRYAN ADAMS. In the leading role: super model Tatjana Patitz and actor Michael J. Fox. A sneak preview was presented at the Deichtorhallen in Hamburg, as reported by GoSee .

Another project is the current Kate Moss museum show featuring several artists.

Anke Degenhard was born in Hamburg in 1963 and worked as the deputy editor in chef of the legendary McDonald’s Kino News whilst completing a degree drama studies. Next up were companies such as Warner Bros., Senator and Columbia. She was responsible for supervising an array of international artists and the marketing of films. To all those who remember Max Magazine – she contributed towards its production too.

Anke’s life is all about visual language and when asked by the Welt newspaper, what constitutes a good picture, she answered: “A good picture touches you, somewhere under the skin and stays with you, in your head.” What might stay in her head after the SCREENings? We shall see.