KUNST KOLN, 2005: A First Look
By Thomas W. Kuhn
Though the art-market in Germany has become more and more diverse over the last 15 years, with several new fairs opening in cities like Karlsruhe and Stuttgart, Cologne still functions as its capital due to the vivid art scene in the Rhineland and its many collectors of contemporary art. Cologne is not only host to its prestigious Art Cologne, which exhibits modern and contemporary art in the fall, but also for the sixth time to the springtime art fair companion Kunst K�ln, which is focused on Art Brut / Outsider Art, limited editions and post-1980 art and photography. At the same time and location, the Kunst K�ln is joined by two other fairs, the 36th Westdeutsche Kunst Messe (showing old masters and antiques) and the 19th Cologne Antiquarian Book Fair. In 2004, over 27.000 visitors came to the three fairs, when they were accompanied by the biennial Exponatec, which specialized in museums, restoration and cultural heritage.
In 2003, US-born G�rard A. Goodrow signed a contract with the Koelnmesse GmbH, putting him in charge of all Cologne fairs and art related events. Formerly responsible for the auctioneer Christie’s European branch for contemporary art, Goodrow brings his expertise in communication with art dealers, artists and collectors to the city of Cologne. Generally Woodrow aims to make Cologne’s art fairs ready for the 21st century in a tougher competition with national and international events. His particular task for the spring fairs lies within the unification of the three (in respect four) fairs, without watering down their unique profiles, enforcing quality by harder standards for qualification. At the same time, works by young artists at affordable prices receive a warm welcome, as stated by Klaus Gerrit Friese, chairman to the Bundesverband Deutscher Kunstverleger (BDKV), the organization that co-founded Kunst K�ln.
Kunst K�ln will not only host around 80 galleries and editions, but also around 120 participants of the two other fairs, coming from Germany, Belgium, Denmark, France, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Austria and Hungary. Within its program there will also be the special exhibition of the ongoing series K�lnphoto IV. Under the title "Ausgezeichnet!" (literally meaning ‘excellent’ as well as ‘honored’) it presents a selection of works by young photographers selected from the Siemens Arts Program and the W�stenrot Stiftung. This show will provide insight into a project by students of Thomas Ruff (successor of Bernd Becher as professor at the Kunstakademie D�sseldorf) and (amongst others) photographs of Chrisoph Holzapfel, Anke Tillmann, Espen Eichh�fer, Nicola Meitzner and Andreas Thein.
Image gallery
Andreas Thein, Fremdenzimmer, 2002, Image courtesy of Dokumentarfotografie F�rderpreise 2001/2002 der W�stenrot Stiftung, Photo: Koelnmesse
