Maria Agostini
Staff Writer
Name: Alisa Ehlert
Profession: Gallerist, Curator, Pr/Concept-Freelancer
Nationality: German
Location: Berlin
Contacts: www.imnamendesraumes.de
Age: 29
Who would not want to go around the cool neighbourhoods of Berlin scouting new art for a tiny art gallery? It sounds like a dream job! Alisa, though, tells us what reality is like, and how tough it is to make it happen at times…but everything seems to have eventually worked out amazingly for her! Oh – don’t forget to check out her Berliner’s tips: accomodation just seems wow and, apparently, Sundays are all about hearing that bass line around the corner and jumping in…
1. Tell us about what you do…
I have been running a project room and cultural communication agency for the past two years. It is called “im namen des raumes”, and I work with two other colleagues in Berlin. In 2009 we got the chance to rent an amazing space in a very interesting area of the city so we thought – let’s try it and do what we love: working with art and artists and share our passion, interests and discoveries with the public.
2. How did you end up doing it?
I started studying German and Sociology in my hometown near Frankfurt, but I got bored pretty soon. So, a year later I did an internship at a German culture sponsoring institution and took an interest in the relation between art and economics, which is why I decided to study Cultural Management in Lüneburg, near Hamburg.
Besides university I did internships in the cultural sector in Berlin and Los Angeles. 
3. Where are you from originally & what has taken you where you live now?
I grew up in a small town in the South of Germany; I left it soon after the end of school because despite being a wealthy area, I found it quite boring. In fact, many people from there come to live in Berlin. I felt the need to see more of the world and was interested in things my hometown could not offer me. Surely I do miss the forests and vineyards, family and old friends sometimes, but I appreciate it much more now when I go back.
4. Where else would you ever live? Why?
If I had to stay in Germany, Hamburg would be a good alternative, it’s like Berlin’s little sister city.
But if I ever got the chance, I would love to live in Los Angeles for a few years. I fell in love with the city and its open minded people 10 years ago and have been there many times since.
5. What is missing in your city’s art scene?
Nothing I could think of. It is very eclectic, creative and colourful, full of interesting people from all over the world, offering a lot of opportunities to follow the relevant developments in the art world and get in touch with the “big players”. But , oh wait – there is one thing missing: money.
6. What has contributed the most towards what you have achieved?
The 2 main things: my 2 lovely colleagues and close friends Janine Busch and Hannah Linder and having had the guts to open up our own little gallery. We were fully responsible and in charge of everything, from building the place, to writing exhibition-concepts, to doing the PR, taking care of the artists, promoting our project and so on.
7. At the age of 20, what did you think you were going to do “in life” – where did you see yourself in the future? Has your dream come true already?
That’s a tough question. I think I expected to be financially well off after having studied for ages, which is something I still see so far away. But the rest is quite as I imagined it, I did not change much to be honest. I still am too curious when it comes to new exciting things, I want to see and experience everything. I live in a great city that inspirires me on a daily basis and allows me to look into various social surroundings. I am flexible and free to manage my time nearly as I like and am surrounded by a lot of great people, whose opinion I value highly: I love them as close friends and inspirational partners. I just work more to make a living, as parently sponsored study-times are over.
8. What projects are you currently working on?
Right now we are relaunching our project “im namen des raumes” as a cultural communication agency to work freelance for various cultural projects, mostly doing conceptual work, organisation and public relations in the art field. After working with the gallery rooms for one year and a half and realising 12 successful exhibitions we thought it was time to leave the rooms to be more flexible and work on external projects aswell. Besides that, I have worked, as project manager, on a publication of the history of German Fashion Design this summer, while at the moment, I am working in various galleries and as a freelance concepter in a cultural production company to pay rent and gain new experiences!
9. If you could meet any artist – living or dead – who would it be?
I think having an absinth-drenched evening with Van Gogh and watching him cutting his own ear off would be an experience that couldn’t be beaten in its absurdity. Seriously – I am very happy with all the artists I met along my way in Berlin and all the inspirational, productive and mentally-seductive hours we spent together.
The traveller corner – Alisa’s tips if you were to go to Berlin
Art Gallery: Just walk along Linien- and Auguststr. in Mitte, the Gallery District near Checkpoint Charlie or browse the Index, Pigs and other gallery flyers and see what catches your attention. Art ist not about the gallery label, but about the subjective benefit you get from feeling it and thinking about it.
Theatre: HAU 1&2 (http://www.hebbel-am-ufer.de/en/spielplan_1_hau1.html?HAU=1).
Band: Bachstelzen (http://de-de.facebook.com/bachstelzen). Also, you should be strolling through public parcs on a summer Sunday. As soon as you hear a bassline coming through the trees, follow it and jump into the spontaneous joys of the typical illegal Berlin Open Airs. Last tip: don’t go out to the big clubs on Saturday, if you don’t want to be surrounded by easy jet-setters and party tourists. Go out on Sundays!
Area of the city: Neukölln, Kreuzberg, Friedrichshain for the wild life, shops and food, Mitte for galleries and hipsters.
Shops & Cafes: There are constantly new ones, so the best is to drift along the streets of Mitte, Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg. Needless to say, check out the various fleemarkets on Sundays!
Hostel/B&B: I am not too sure as I always host everyone at home!! I hear Michelberger (http://www.michelbergerhotel.com/#/en/hotel) at Warschauer Str. seems nice, the changing mottos on their billboard caught my attention more than once.
