My professional journey
Katharina Arimont
My passion for innovation and the use of creative forces for business processes has led me to occupy the interface between creativity and business in theory and practice in many ways producing user-centred products of the most diverse kind: from exhibition curation and workshop conception for different target groups in museums, to trade fair concepts for galleries and the strategic-creative development of brands, to activities in the areas of innovation & technology development and consulting for a major corporation.
I studied history of arts and philosophy at the Ruprecht-Karls-University in Heidelberg (Germany) and the Université Lyon II (France) as well as museology at the École du Louvre in Paris (France). My studies of museology (museum science) at the École du Louvre included exhibition design, psychology of art education, press, marketing and basic legal aspects. It qualifies for the management of a museum as a company and as a sustainable economic and artistic site.
Thanks to my work experiences in museums, galleries and commercial enterprises I am familiar with the potential needs of both sides. It has always been my mission not to put art in a glass box, but to show it outside its museum context and to realize projects that make art accessible to society in as many places as possible. At the same time, innovation, creative-strategic idea development and the communication of content run like a thread through my career. Already during my studies, I assisted amongst others the Galerie Zulauf in Freinsheim in the field of press/text.
Parallel to the above I was working at ISL GmbH, Heidelberg, as a German-French project coordinator for health care projects in Africa; during my time in Paris, I advised a private cultural institution called "Le Laboratoire", founded by David Edwards, a Harvard professor and medical doctor.
My time in the department of event management and one-time sponsorship cooperations at the Städel Museum, Frankfurt( Germany), gave me an insight into the world of cultural sponsorship with its opportunities and challenges; during my two years of permanent employment at the Ludwig Museum, Koblenz I was especially responsible for the management of exhibition project, assistant-conception of content for exhibition, moderating artist talks/events/giving guided tours trough the exhibitions. Furthermore I headed the public relations and marketing department
After two years working in the museum I was drawn to the art market - i was driven by the desire to learn more about the way artists think, to experience and understand who they are, who they want to be and to take up the challenge of presenting, implementing and advancing them successfully on the market in such a way that they do not have to adapt their artistic identity to the market.
I worked at Galerie Michael Schultz, Berlin, organized exhibitions, wrote concepts for art fairs and various projects and sold art. At the same time I was already working as a freelancer on a small scale.
Through an opening speech I gave at Platoon Kunsthalle as part of a wine-art event hosted by the Weinkrake company, talking about art-wine labels and detailing thoughts on how art can enhance the authenticity of advertising, I discovered commonalities between curatorial activities in the arts and marketing needs and gradually developed the idea for art in strategy®.
After two years of gallery work, I accepted a two year-full-time position at Le Manoir Cream Manufactory where I was responsible for the business development (corporate image, sales and product innovation etc). Therefore I established a Creative Office and -Team in Berlin. We have successfully built the brand and designed as well implemented strategic projects.
Through the close collaboration with the designer Christian von der Heide, who holds the position of Senior Art Director at Le Manoir Cream Manufactory, I was also able to benefit from his experience in the fields of Art Direction and Design as well as realization of shootings, which enabled me to further qualify myself on this matter.
In addition to my permanent position, I realized several corporate art marketing projects for Le Manoir. In August 2019, I further developed the concept of art marketing idea, named it art in strategy® and also started to work freelance in different areas of strategic creative conception/innovation.
Along the way, I continuously acquired knowledge/certifications in new business development, innovation development, agile project management (e.g. Scrum certified PSM I and PSPO I) and digital transformation, among others.
After a project-related position as Innovation & Technology Consultant at the management consulting firm Early Brands in Bremen, where I helped companies, primarily a large corporation, to develop attractive business opportunities outside of their core business, I had the idea to extend art in strategy® in the field of (tech) innovation and founded Galerie Arimont.
Furthermore I engage myself also in the field of freelance general corporate responsability & Innovation consulting.
"L'art pour l'art" does not attract me. Rather, it is the power of art and creativity as a mirror of society and the curiosity/interest for so many different topics that determined my path and always let me bundle activities to react in a solution-oriented way - in all relevant areas. Thus, brand building and user-centred development of new product ranges/distribution channels of companies, strategic development of business ideas outside the core business, technology and user research are just as exciting for me as the conception of content and texts that are not only fun to read and experience, but also give lasting pleasure - even, for example, when it comes to content that is dry for a certain target group or to advertising.
For more information about me, please find my LinkedIn profile and my portfolio. And for further references, don't hesitate to ask.
Happy to connect and exchange with inspiring people; always looking for new challenges.