“Art is a universal language”
EXPAT PRESS CLUB · ART & CULTURE · HAMBURG
“Art is a universal language”
Our editor Maja Sellschopp met Hannah Weber-Heidenfels at the Affordable Art Fair Hamburg and, in a wonderful conversation, learned everything Hamburg lovers and art enthusiasts should know.
If art fairs make you think of reverent silence, white walls and price tags with lots of zeros, it’s time to meet the Affordable Art Fair. The idea comes from London: in 1999, Will Ramsay invited visitors to Battersea Park for the first time to an art fair where original works could not only be admired but actually bought. Today the fair takes place in more than a dozen cities worldwide, from Amsterdam, Brussels and Stockholm to New York, Hong Kong, Singapore and Sydney. More than 200,000 people visit every year.
The Affordable Art Fair has been at home in Hamburg since 2012, and it is far from a small fair. With around 25,000 expected visitors, it is one of the biggest art events Hamburg has to offer. From 5 to 8 November 2026, 90 galleries from 19 countries are showing painting, prints, sculpture and photography at the Hamburg Messe, at prices between 100 and 10,000 euros. And the best part: whatever you fall in love with, you can take home right away.
The woman in charge of the Hamburg edition is Hannah Weber-Heidenfels. Since June 2020 she has been the Fair Manager, responsible for content, gallery relations and special curatorial projects such as the Emerging Artists Space. Shortly before the opening, our editor took her aside in the middle of all the bustle, right in front of the wall of works under 1,000 euros. The result is a conversation about young talent, art for your own living room, and why this fair is a wonderful place to arrive for anyone who is new to Hamburg.
MS = Maja Sellschopp, HWH = Hannah Weber-Heidenfels
MS: How did you come to art, and what brought you to the Affordable Art Fair?
HWH: I studied cultural studies and found the courses on art and visual culture simply the most exciting. I really followed what inspired me, and then went back to do a master’s in art history. That’s how I came to the Affordable Art Fair, through encounters and contacts. What I love here is that I get to work directly with artists and galleries.
MS: You mentioned the Emerging Artists. Can you tell us how you go about it? Do they apply, or do you select them?
HWH: I select them. Throughout the year I visit various off-spaces and graduate shows. These are artists who have graduated from an art academy in recent years and are not yet represented by a gallery. Here they get the chance to show what they can do and to use the fair’s visibility.
MS: This year the Affordable Art Fair has 90 galleries from 19 countries in Hamburg. What makes the Hamburg edition special, and what role does international exchange play?
HWH: The fair originally comes from London. In Hamburg it has been running for 15 years, in Berlin for a few years, and those are the two editions in Germany. There are also fairs in Brussels, Amsterdam, Singapore, New York, Hong Kong and Australia. What makes Hamburg special is that we work with an incredible number of regular exhibitors. We have galleries that have stayed loyal to us for 15 years, and new galleries keep joining. Of course we have a strong base of Hamburg galleries, plus very international ones: several from the Netherlands, from Ukraine, from Asia, so from Hong Kong and Japan. There really is something for everyone here.
MS: And which Spanish galleries are represented?
HWH: You can find the Galeria Rodrigo Juarranz here, the Pigment Gallery, which is represented in Barcelona and Madrid, and L’Arcada Galeria d’Art. We have quite a few Spanish galleries with us this year.
Our tip: the Spanish galleries at the fair are Galeria Rodrigo Juarranz from Aranda de Duero (stand A1), Sergi Sanchez Art Gallery (B1), Espai Cavallers Gallery from Lleida (B2), Pigment Gallery from Barcelona (G1), Galería Espiral from Noja (H9), L’Arcada Galeria d’Art (I2), Galeria Contrast (I7) and Galeria de Arte Juca Claret from Madrid (J5).
MS: Can I find them sorted by country?
HWH: Yes, it’s also listed in the floor plan.
MS: What makes the Affordable Art Fair especially interesting for people who have just moved to Hamburg and want to get to know the city’s culture?
HWH: For people who have just moved to Hamburg: this is really the biggest art event of the year in the city. If you come by, you are right at the pulse of the times and see what the Hamburg galleries are showing and what art is being made in Hamburg. And of course the Emerging Artists exhibition.
MS: So everything we see here is up to date. Can art connect people of different backgrounds and cultures? Do you see art as a kind of universal language?
HWH: Yes, I would underline that. I think it’s wonderful when people with completely different backgrounds, cultures, education and interests stand together in front of a work of art, perhaps feel something completely different, perhaps see something completely different, but also start a dialogue and exchange ideas. Art simply stands on its own. When you look at a work of art, it’s just there at first, and what the person looking at it feels can be completely subjective. Talking about that, regardless of where you come from, is something I find truly wonderful.
MS: What kinds of artworks are particularly in demand at the moment?
HWH: We see that alongside our main segment, painting on canvas, sculpture is gaining importance and a lot is happening there. We want to give these three-dimensional works more attention, so that people can also put a sculpture in their own home. Right now we’re sitting in front of the wall of works under 1,000 euros. Here you’ll find lots of prints, editions and photography. We’re seeing these works on the rise as well.
MS: Another interesting aspect is accessibility. The Affordable Art Fair wants to make art accessible to many people. What does “affordable” mean to you?
HWH: Affordable means accessibility rather than just a low price. What we do is break down barriers and make it easier to approach art. Art shouldn’t only happen in an ivory tower; it should be there for everyone. And we don’t only want to reach the people who would find us anyway. We send very targeted invitations and use quite different marketing channels to reach people who might not yet be excited about art and culture. We want to invite them here and show them what art can do on its own when it is seen.
MS: Which channels do you use?
HWH: We’re very active on social media, our press work is very strong, and above all outdoor advertising placed right in the cityscape makes a big difference.
MS: What sells best in the end?
HWH: We have art that people take home. So art that looks best above the sofa in the living room. We have a lot of painting on canvas, abstract works, figurative works, landscape painting. You really can’t say what sells most. It’s a real mix.
MS: So the whole range, or more the affordable end?
HWH: On average we’re at around 2,000 euros. But there are also outliers at the top end.
MS: How is the fair developing internationally? Are more locations planned?
HWH: We’re always looking further, of course in Germany too, because the concept is so promising, and also elsewhere in Europe, for example in the Netherlands. It’s definitely a very successful concept.
MS: What is your personal highlight?
HWH: The Emerging Artists exhibition, the projects the artists have realised. I think that’s wonderful.
MS: Do you have a particular favourite among the Emerging Artists?
HWH: I think all three are great, I don’t have a favourite. But bringing nature into an exhibition space, into a hall, I find that wonderful.
MS: I’ll have to take a closer look in a moment. Which artwork or which corner should visitors definitely not miss?
HWH: The Emerging Artists exhibition. And we also have an outdoor installation, the Pool Painting by Christian KERA Hinz. You can actually walk into it, so it’s an interactive work, and I would really recommend it.
For the Pool Painting, Christian KERA Hinz worked with the Uhlig Gallery to create a water basin of around seven by three and a half metres in front of the fair entrance. Its painted floor is the artwork: through the surface of the water, straight lines turn into gentle waves. In 2026 the Emerging Artists exhibition is titled “Common Ground”.
MS: Is that by the entrance?
HWH: It’s right at the front, by the entrance.
MS: What awaits children here?
HWH: We have a painting wall for kids, and also for everyone who’d like to paint like a child again. The wall is inspired by the artist Hilma af Klint. We think it’s wonderful that we can show her work a little more, as she was only rediscovered after such a long time. We also want to offer something for children, to be an accessible fair for all age groups.
MS: So do you learn something about the artist?
HWH: There’s information material about the artist, and the pieces you can paint are based on her art.
MS: One more thing that matters to me is the audience that comes here. You mentioned earlier that you also reach out to other target groups.
HWH: We reach out to everyone. That’s very important. We want everyone to feel welcome, of every age, every background, every level of education. And you can see that here. If you come to the Late Night on Thursday, it’s more of a younger crowd; at the opening on Wednesday it’s more the art crowd; and at the weekend the families come. Otherwise it’s a colourful mix. Anyone can come and everyone is welcome.
As we say goodbye, one thought lingers: you don’t need to know much to love art. You just need to go, look and talk to someone about it. At the Affordable Art Fair, that is surprisingly easy.
Thank you, Hannah Weber-Heidenfels, for this lovely conversation
Interview: Maja Sellschopp