Alex Schlesinger started his career as a language tutor, teaching French and Spanish in Zurich. But he also developed a second calling while he worked. Art. Starting early on, he fascinated his students with the magic of art and culture, but it wasn't enough.

He wanted to plumb the depths of managing and leading the organization of cultural projects.

How to Open a Gallery?

In 2000, he started to study culture management at the Academy for Marketing and Communication (SAWI). It would change his life. He also made important connections with finance when finishing his graduate work at a project launched and sponsored by the Zurich Cantonal Bank for students in the area.

It was a time of learning and discovery, as he says in an interview with finews.art, and he started to intensively tackle and confront the mechanisms and structure of the art market. «How do you start something and how do you keep it going?», he asked himself. Those questions would preoccupy him for a long time. 

«Limmatquai» by Raphaël Renaud, 2023 (Image: Galerie Schlesinger)

After the failure of a large-scale project that sought to establish a house for Jewish culture in Zurich, Schlesinger decided to open his gallery. «Sometimes a door has to close for another to open», he reflects. The gallery wasn't a hobby but a company that had to cover its costs from the outset.

Meeting Alex Katz

An exhibition by the artist Alex Katz in Vienna was a seminal moment for Schlesinger and something that had a strong influence on the direction his gallery took. Katz's painting style impressed him so much that he decided to focus his gallery on photo-realistic, contemporary abstract paintings and photographic art. Today, he represents 25 artists.

«Tram», 2018, by Patrick Tschudi, C-Print (Image: Galerie Schlesinger)

Galerie Schlesinger is currently at the Toedistrasse in the Enge neighborhood. Although it is up a side street, it is frequently visited. Its window display attracts everyone from joggers to bankers - the latter given the numerous financial institutions nearby.

Special Banking Connection

Schlesinger has a special connection to banks. He discovered two of his artists, Tobias Weber and Patrick Tschudi, both of whom have been with him almost from the start, at the Galerie art one based on the advice of Julius Baer's then curator Christian Zingg.

Even the Swiss National Bank bought a work of Tschudi's for its collection recently. «I managed to get two very important artists for the gallery thanks to the connection with Julius Baer», Schlesinger said.

Penchant for Reinvention

Another important aspect of his success is his ability to reinvent himself and change. During the pandemic, he organized window display exhibitions and pick & collect events. «You have to keep going on and try new ideas», he says. This flexibility and innovation is appreciated by the artists and public alike.

Schlesinger is firmly convinced that a gallery needs both individual and group showings to keep things lively. «Thematic exhibitions attract the public», he maintains. With that, he chooses themes that are both contemporary and relevant, and he curates with a great deal of attention to detail.

One-Man Show 

It is not just the strategic decisions that have made the gallery successful. Schlesinger has put a great deal of effort into it. «My secret is to be authentic», he says. «Every single client that enters has to be received as if they are entering my home.» It is a philosophy that separates him from many other gallery owners, who can often be distant or even off-putting.

The gallery is still a one-man show after 20 years. The current choice of location is strategic. «Buying art is different now», he declares. «There are very few vernissages that people still stand in line for.» However, his targeted exhibitions show that he has a clear affinity for trends and talent.

Robert Bosisio, o.T. 2021/22 (Image: Galerie Schlesinger)

Currently, he is showing new works by Robert Bosisio (portraits and interiors). A collector of his, and a friend, is famed filmmaker Wim Wenders. He is also creatively linked with Donata Wenders, the director's wife. He compiled an art book with her and they have displayed works together. Bosisio is particularly in demand in Asia and he has a large following there.

Good Time to Invest?

Schlesinger also indicates that there will be a large exhibition in China showing the works of Bosisio and Wenders in 2025. That is likely to increase prices for the works, possibly making it a good time to invest in them now. The prices for the works currently on exhibition range from 4,000 to 20,000 francs.

Today, just before he retires as a teacher, Schlesinger can look back at a long and fulfilled career. «It was a great pleasure to build and try new things», he says. His untiring efforts and his passion for art have made him an integral part of the Zurich art scene. 

•  More information on the Galerie Alex Schlesinger is at the following Link.