Is it unrealistic for a small gallery to swim against the tide of structural change and to champion contemporary art? This question can be answered by referencing the findings of neurologists who suggest that there might be a deeply rooted need for the visual arts. Artists are driving forces, the seismographs of the zeitgeist — individually or in groups, they form the basis of the system that is art. The phrase “the bargaining table that is the art gallery” explains the art system and how it is decided what kind of art is recognized as such and what meaning will be at- tached to it. This book recapitulates texts from the fields of the humanities and social sciences which reference the connection between relevant spaces in the context of art history and man’s need to be recognized and feel that he belongs. They can make the works of art in question both irresistible and incomprehensible. The attraction of running a small gallery is paradoxical, unbroken and can be explained by a passion for the visual arts.