Contact:
Dirk Mangold
Phone: +49 221 821 2907
E-Mail: d.mangold@koelnmesse.de
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| Tom Christopher, Time Square 4:00 |
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Cologne (pts021/16.02.2005/11:00) - Scaled down in size but with gains in quality, this year's KUNSTKÖLN is set to stimulate visitors' curiosity with outstanding works, the presence of prominent dealers, an exciting supporting programme and a new, streamlined layout. An attractive innovation this year is the re-positioning of KUNSTKÖLN, the Antiquarian Book Fair and the Westdeutsche Kunst Messe Köln all on the upper level of the Trade Fair Centre. All three fairs keep their own exhibition space and their special identities. Visitors are invited to explore, to experience, to enjoy and to purchase two thousand years of fine art, applied art and antiques.
The fair runs from February 23 to 27 2005.
The ninety exhibitors at KUNSTKÖLN deal in the immediate present and their focus is on the areas indicated in the fair's subtitle - graphic art in limited editions, Art Brut (Outsider Art) and photography. The majority of the exhibits are by young artists and are offered at reasonable prices. KUNSTKÖLN is a fair for collectors with small budgets. As dealer and publisher Klaus Gerrit Friese of the Bundesverband Deutscher Kunstverleger points out, something bought quite cheaply now "can be very expensive indeed tomorrow."
Dealers all have their favourite recommendations. The choice is vast. Cologne dealer Stefan Roepke, for example, recommends Oliver Jordan's work on paper entitled über den Dächern von Paris at Eur 1,400 and Julio Rondo's reverse painting on glass entitled Otra muy bonita at Eur 4,000. For collectors
with larger budgets Röpke suggests two etchings with aquatint by Eduardo Chillida at Eur 20,000 each.
Wesselmann graphics
Galerie Benden & Klimczak (Viersen) are staging a special show of prints by Tom Wesselmann, besides putting together a show of Pop Art. They will also be introducing the work of Georg Ettl (b. 1940, Bavaria).
manuspresse (Stuttgart) is introducing Dieter Krieg, who lives and works near Cologne, and is showing three large-format sheets from a much larger body of work. manuspresse also has Indian ink drawings and recent oils by Simon Pasieka and recommends a medium-sized etching by printmaker Karin Kneffel entitled Kirschen 2004.
The American artists Tom Christopher, David FeBland and Robyn Whitney are protégés of Barbara von Stechow (Frankfurt). Stechow also has Justine Otto and Maren Flößer, graduates of the Frankfurt Städelschule, under her wing and is hoping their work proves popular at KUNSTKÖLN.
Prints can be a good investment
Galerie Fahnemann (Berlin) is planning a one-man show of photoworks by Michael Wesely. Fahnemann reckons photo enthusiasts should buy Wesely's C-prints Windmühlen bei Beerfelde and New York Veritals, both unique copies. And he notes that Imi Knoebel's multiple Face C is "a real bargain at only Eur 1,400." In this connection Fahnemann recalls those collectors who originally got into art collecting by buying prints and multiples. He quotes an example: "One collector bought a Warhol at the beginning of the seventies, a 'black Marilyn', when no one wanted it, for DM 3,000. In 1988 I sold it for him at DM 125,000."
Photography and Art Brut
Erhard Witzel (Wiesbaden) is hoping for a "long-term impact on photography enthusiasts and serious photography collectors from the collective presence of a larger number of galleries" in the kölnphoto section. Witzel will be offering deluxe editions of prints by Brömmel, Herrmann, Rosteck and Harder published by the gallery. His tip: Marina Herrmann's Flughafen III, in a limited edition of only five copies and experimental photographer Dirk Brömmel's Schiff Nr. 2, a diasec print published in an edition of only seven.
Cologne dealer Franz van der Grinten says that judging by recent experience,"young people are getting into photography in a big way." Specifically targeting young collectors and first-time buyers, he is showing print portfolios and editions published by the gallery in the years 2000 to 2004. Works are priced at Eur 100 to Eur 300 for limited editions of 20 to 40 copies. Van der Grinten will be also offering deluxe editions of original prints by photographers Benno Schlicht, Markus Lokai, Dirk Königsfeld, Marc Curran, Pierre Faure, Karl-Hugo Schmölz and Walde Huth. The gallery is offering photo connoisseurs both modern and vintage prints; modern print highlights include the portfolio Werbefotografie der 60er Jahre [Advertising Photography of the 1960s] by Schmölz/Huth published in an edition of only three and Daniel Gustav Cramer's forest motifs, published in an edition of only five at
Eur 1,750 Euro each. Vintage prints include images from the series Architektur der 50er Jahre [Architecture of the 1950s], also by Schmölz/Huth, at prices between Eur 1,500 and Eur 1,800 each. This range of photos is "specifically designed to appeal to visitors to the Westdeutsche Kunst Messe Köln too," says van der Grinten.
Cologne dealer and Art Brut specialist Susanne Zander has two new discoveries for KUNSTKÖLN - works by Thomas Grundmann and Jürgen Eckel. Zander explains: "Both artists work as tattooists and use the vocabulary of the tattoo, motifs like skulls and snakes. This art form has been little exhibited in Germany although there is a big market for it in the United States." Zander is also showing work by Alexander Lobanov (Zander: "an insider tip") and Michel Nedja, one of the established Art Brut artists.
The three fairs are open daily from 11am to 7pm. On February 25 2005 they will be open until 9pm. The vernissage is on February 22 2005 - from 4pm to 9pm. Dayticket: 12,00 EUR, Evening Ticket (from 5 p.m.): 7,00 EUR
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