Anke Degenhard
Anke Degenhard is a Hamburg-based curator, agent, and gallerist working at the intersection of contemporary photography, visual culture, and exhibition and book production. She leads Crossover, a consultancy and production studio that develops exhibitions and public programmes for museums, galleries, fairs, and private collections.
Her practice brings editorial clarity to complex projects, aligns artists with the right institutions and audiences, and steers each show from concept through delivery. With more than thirty years of market experience, she combines cultural insight with rigorous craft to realise ambitious photography projects worldwide.
“During her Theatre Studies course, she served two years as deputy chief editor at a people magazine. She then spent four years with Warner Bros, UIP, Senator, Columbia and others, managing international artists and marketing new films. She moved into visual communications and editorial work for German publishers, helping to develop MAX and MAX CityGuide and Park Avenue magazines. In 1995, she began preparing and managing art collections worldwide, which led to co-founding Galerie Camera Work in 1998 with famous collector Gert Elfering , locations in Berlin and Hamburg.”
“At Camera Work, she helped assemble portfolios for notable photographers such as Helmut Newton, Peter Lindbergh, Horst P. Horst, Peter Beard, Albert Watson, and Leni Riefenstahl. She built collaborations with Camera Work in Berlin and within Leica’s exhibition ecosystem, including Leica Gallery London and the Ernst Leitz Museum in Wetzlar. Her projects include touring shows and print editions with Bryan Adams, the exhibition Survivors, Faces of Life after the Holocaust by Martin Schoeller, which she produced, The Opel Adam art calendar, by Bryan Adams and the Zeiss Art Calendar with Ellen von Unwerth, Wim Wenders and several others. She also co founded the Lead Awards, reflecting an engagement with media culture and professional standards.”
“Degenhard now leads Crossover as a curator, agent, gallery owner, and strategic producer. She shapes projects from concept to public programme, defining curatorial intent, securing loans and rights, and directing schedules and budgets. She oversees transport, insurance, customs, and installation, and manages editions, printing and and framing and sales. For each venue, she adapts narrative flow, sequencing, wall texts, and captions, and plans talks, tours, and digital assets that extend audience engagement. And she produces catalogues and books with Steidl, Rizzoli, Kehrer and others. The Crossover Showroom in Hamburg supports production and collector services, including colour proofing, registrar documentation, condition reporting, and private viewings.”
“She works with artists, estates, publishers, sponsors, and venue staff, and coordinates touring exhibitions and print purchases for Bryan Adams and others with partner museums and galleries. Her planning integrates lender agreements, insurance certificates, packing plans, courier schedules, and installation drawings, giving projects creative focus and operational precision. Across the programme, she prioritises educational value and clear storytelling, linking exhibitions with talks, essays, and targeted outreach that connect artists with audiences in meaningful ways.”
Anke mentors emerging photographers and curators through portfolio reviews, workshops, and juries, and contributes catalogue texts and panel moderation for partner institutions. Her long-standing collaborations with Camera Work in Berlin and with Leica’s exhibition ecosystem include curator talks, media briefings, and online guides that extend the reach of shows. Areas of focus include contemporary art, photography, and print, supported by more than twenty years of market experience and an international network across artists, estates, institutions, and collectors.