Karsten Schubert

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Karsten Schubert is an Austrian artists representative and former gallerist, working in England.

Backed by Richard Salmon from 1986 to 1993, Schubert ran a gallery on Dering Street in London and was the first person to represent the Young British Artists, most notably Gary Hume and Rachel Whiteread. However, he is remembered primarily as the man who turned down Damien Hirst—a decision that contributed to Schubert being eclipsed by other dealers. Salmon discontinued funding for the gallery when the contemporary art market collapsed in the early 1990s, and in an interview estimated his losses in the £100Ks. When the Dering Street gallery closed, Michael Landy produced a special installation called Closing Down Sale that was an appropriate satire of artworld economics.

Schubert benefited from a number of loyal artists who were making money and were prepared to stick by him, including Whiteread. In 1994, he opened a new space with the backing of Leslie Waddington, but by 1997 this too had reached problems. By getting Whiteread to sign for another gallery, Schubert was able to dissolve the business partnership. Since then he has been based in the West End of London, representing a small number of artists including Michael Landy, Bridget Riley and Alison Wilding, as well as producing publications. He is the author of the book The Curator's Egg (2000), a complete critical account of the history of art museums and of the logic governing their evolution.