Go West: Cora Hillebrand
- C-print
- 4 hours ago
- 5 min read
Following our recent interview with Stockholm-based Coulisse Gallery, we turn our focus to Gothenburg, where artist-turned-gallerist Cora Hillebrand has been running her eponymous gallery since 2018, positioning it as a pivotal part of the local art scene. “Every time I ask an artist if they want to exhibit at the gallery and they say yes—it’s a highlight!” she reflects when asked about the past years.
K.Z: Hi Cora, where are you today?
C.H: Hi, Koshik. Right now, I’m sitting in my kitchen at my summer house, which is on the Skaraslätten. I’m here together with my daughter, and Storm Dave has just passed us.
K.Z: Your name first caught my attention over a decade ago, when C-print Journal surveyed recent MFA graduates from Valand (now HDK-Valand). Since then, you’ve perhaps become even better known for running your own gallery, founded in 2018. What prompted your shift from your artistic practice to also taking on the role of gallerist?
C.H: I think it happened for various reasons. At that point, I was struggling with my own practice and inspiration. At the same time, I was contacted by a friend, Anders Olofsson. He and two other artists were running a gallery named Fabriksgatan 48 and had decided to do other things. So, Anders called me and asked if I wanted to take over the space and continue some kind of exhibition platform. I thought it sounded fun—and like an obligation you can’t turn down. The rent was favorable at the time. I was working part-time at HDK-Valand, and my daughter was one year old, so I could have her with me a lot.
At that time, being an artist, I felt there was a conflict of interest in being both an artist and a gallerist, so I stopped my own practice not long after I started the gallery. As a gallerist, you want to reach out as much and as far as possible with the artists you exhibit, and that was not compatible with trying to find exhibitions for myself at the same time. I also discovered it was more fun and more rewarding for me to work with other artists.
K.Z: Operating out of Gothenburg, what would you say are the main advantages and challenges?
C.H: I would say that the advantages are also the disadvantages. For example, Gothenburg is relatively small. There are still a few areas in the city center where rent is cheap, which makes it possible to start projects with a small budget. But with that said, being in a small city means there is an inherent difficulty in growing a business and sustaining it.
The contemporary gallery scene has always been relatively small in Gothenburg, and the municipality mainly focuses on events they produce themselves and is not interested in working together with the “scene” created by its citizens. I think that is the most challenging thing about living in this city.
K.Z: Over the years, you’ve exhibited a number of artists I greatly appreciate, including your current exhibitor, Danish-born lens-based artist Luna Lopez, a fellow HDK-Valand graduate. When shaping your programme, what qualities do you look for in the artists you choose to work with?
C.H: I am interested in the artistry as a whole and want to provide a gallery where artists can experiment and try out new work or ideas. So, in a way, I am looking for artists whom I believe can benefit from that.
K.Z: As I understand it, you don’t formally represent artists. From observing the field, many galleries tend to move toward representation over time—even if that wasn’t their initial intention. What is your perspective on artist representation, and is it something you have considered?
C.H: Yes, that’s right—I started out not representing artists. The idea was that I could be more flexible with the exhibition program. When I started running the gallery, I ran it as a hybrid gallery - a mix between commercial and artist-run.
But I realized that it’s beneficial for the business now that it's commercial to follow artists over a long period of time, so you can create a close collaboration. So, like many others, I recently decided to start representing artists and will begin with one or two—more info to come.
K.Z: The gallery has also participated in art fairs, including multiple editions of Chart Art Fair in Copenhagen. Art fairs are often both time-consuming and costly, particularly for smaller galleries. What has your experience been like participating in them?
C.H: My experience has been nothing but positive. Yes, it’s a lot of work, but it’s worth it—it increases one’s understanding of the commercial art market and the relationship between gallerists and art collectors.
It is also a lot of fun. My experience is that the atmosphere at the fairs is very collegial.
K.Z: Alongside running the gallery, you also work as an art technician at your alma mater. How do you balance your time between the gallery, your role at the school, and your own artistic practice?
C.H: Hehe, tricky question. I don’t think my life is balanced. I just keep going, doing what needs to be done, without reflecting too much on how I feel about it. I work seven days a week and often ask my daughter to give me five more minutes to finish work. The reason it works is the help and support I get from friends and family.
I think the combination of the two jobs also matters. My job as an analog photo technician is very practical—I don’t think I would have been able to combine the gallery with teaching, for example. I really have a lot of fun, and I like it a lot despite the hard work.
K.Z: Finally, looking back over the past eight years, are there any particular highlights or milestones that stand out to you?
C.H: Oh, let me think… Yes, lots of highlights. Every time I ask an artist if they want to exhibit at the gallery and they say yes—it’s a highlight! And the fact that I have managed to sustain the business for over three years is also something I consider a major achievement.
It was also a milestone the first time Chart Art Fair invited me in 2021, and of course all the people I’ve met through the gallery. But I hope the greatest highlights are still to come.
For more info, please visit: https://corahillebrand.se/