Q: You started collecting art at 18, ran a movie theater at 22, spent decades in film, and then opened a gallery. What did cinema teach you about art that a traditional art education couldn't have?

A: What I only realized with some hindsight was that I was looking for the same thing in art as I was in film: a good narrative. And that behind a story that manages to draw you in, there is always solid craftsmanship—and the accumulated intelligence of all the stories that came before. That’s why it was always art history and—the much shorter—history of film that shaped my views. What amused me were the many parallels between the two industries! I remember my first art fair as gallerist, thinking "Hang on - this feels familiar!"

Q: You converted a 1950s gas station into your home, then into a museum for George Grosz, now into a shared space with Pace and Die Zeit. What does that building mean to you, and what comes next for it?

A: I have done many things in my life that came as a surprise to others. But buying this crumbling gas station—which was inevitably facing demolition—and transforming it into a little oasis was perhaps one of the best ideas in my life. I absolutely adored living there for 15 years - and sharing it only with my ducks! But I always felt quite a bit of guilt. So moving out and making this special place available to the public was a belated redemption of sorts.