Artnet News's Wet Paint column reports that former David Zwirner director Felix Rödder is opening his own gallery, Rodder (no umlaut), on September 18 at 22 East 80th Street on the Upper East Side, in the same building as Sprüth Magers. The jewel-box space, formerly Barbara Mathes Gallery, will debut with a solo show of sculptural paintings by Wyatt Kahn. Rödder, a lawyer-turned-dealer, plans to mix contemporary programming with historical exhibitions, keeping overhead low and avoiding art fairs for now. The column also teases a mention of Aby Rosen's involvement in the New York mayoral race.
This matters because it offers a counter-narrative to the current art-market gloom, where galleries like Clearing are closing and uncertainty prevails. Rödder's launch exemplifies how ambitious dealers can seize opportunities during bear markets, focusing on quality, intimacy, and cross-period collecting. His approach—low overhead, no fairs, a residential-style space—signals a potential shift in gallery models, and his background as a former Zwirner director and Gerhard Richter liaison adds credibility. The story also underscores the ongoing drama of New York's mayoral race intersecting with the art world.