goes Löwenbräu: David Khalat’s Journey in Printmaking

In his career, David Khalat merges his dedication to preserve Switzerland’s tradition of printmaking with the disruption of the traditional hierarchies within the art market. 

He currently serves as the managing director of Edition VFO located at Löwenbräukunst, an organization tracing its roots back to 1948, yet embodying a truly innovative approach to art in its accessibility. Here, Khalat and his team help world renowned artists produce museum quality work, often time by the means of historical techniques, which are then offered to the public through a transparent and affordable sale. But Khalat’s love for printmaking doesn’t stop there, as he is also the founder of ZPI, or Zurich Print Institute, a much younger organization intended to be a younger and more playful space for artists to collaborate and enrich each other with ideas. 

In this episode of Swizz Art Biz, our host, Tanya König asks Khalat about his fascination with printmaking as a medium, diving into how the organizations headed by him serve to disrupt the art market we know today. This they do, often by relying on the philosophies of the past, as he cites examples from “the early prints by Rembrandt and Dürer” and their importance in disseminating ideas among the greater public. 

Finally, in the interview, we also learn how mega-collections such as that of UBS acquire works from the same series that any of their employees would be able to afford as well, and Khalat even sheds some light on the artwork of his choice, which proves to be the most accessible of them all! 

Photo credit: Vic & Chris Photography

Recorded at Tablecast Studio and co-produced by Marcell Márthon.