Cologne, Germany – The 45th annual Art Cologne fair runs from April 13th to 17th at the Internationaler Kunstmarkt. The 2011 edition of Art Cologne marks a new high point in the history of this prestigious event. This year sees an even greater emphasis on quality. The world’s oldest modern art fair will again be staged in Hall 11 of the Cologne Exhibition Centre. Around 200 international galleries will be showcasing Classic Modernism, Post-War and Contemporary art. The high-profile gallery list includes a strong turnout of well-known national and international exhibitors returning for another successful run. It also features an exciting showing of newcomers to Art Cologne. The popular sections ‘Open Space’, ‘New Contemporaries’ and ‘New Positions’ will spotlight cutting-edge trends in contemporary art. A top-quality supporting program will once again round off the fair. Art Cologne will open its doors to art lovers and collectors from all over the world with a vernissage on 12 April, 2011 from 5 pm to 9 pm.
‘Open Space’ breaks with the format of separate booths in favour of a communal exhibition space and a shared experience of art. It was first introduced at Art Cologne in 2005 and has since been successfully experimenting with new ways of presenting works at an art fair. ‘Open Space’ is thus a future laboratory, marketplace and discussion forum. The featured artists are selected by an independent committee (2011: Ulrike Groos, Kunstmuseum Stuttgart; Matthias Mühling, Lenbachhaus Munich; Heike Munder, Migros Museum Zurich) and invited to present striking artistic positions. Occupying an area of 3,000 square metres, ‘Open Space’ weaves together the featured positions to form a unique installation and momentary community of art.
‘New Positions’, Art Cologne’s international sponsorship programme for young, innovative artists, is celebrating its thirtieth year. The programme is supported by the German Federal Government, the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, Koelnmesse (the Fair organizers) and the Bundesverband Deutscher Galerien und Editionen (BVDG). There is a special prize, the ‘AUDI Art Award for New Positions’, for the best young artist. The prizewinner is also given a solo show at the Cologne artothek. The Award includes publication of an exhibition catalogue. Funding will be in the region of €10,000. This year’s selection panel has chosen twenty young artists from eight countries. Each young artist was allocated a free exhibition stand of 25 square metres. The stands for the young artists adjoin the stands of the galleries representing them.
‘New Contemporaries’ is the place to make unusual and exciting discoveries. Young international galleries are selected by the Advisory Board of Art Cologne to present between two and four selected positions from their programme. The galleries featured in ‘New Contemporaries’ appear in stands of 30 square metres in the contemporary fair proper, giving these young enterprises the chance to exhibit among the most respected and active galleries in Germany and the world today. The presentation is supported by Maurice Lacroix, Art Cologne’s partner in making the ‘New Contemporaries’ section possible. During the course of the fair an international jury will select and present the ‘Maurice Lacroix Art Award for New Contemporaries’ to the best stand in the ‘New Contemporaries’ 2011 section.
Once again, the international galleries attending the 45th Art Cologne cover the entire spectrum of the fine arts of the 20th and 21st centuries. Offering a showcase of select works and carefully assembled presentations, they provided a fascinating insight into the past and present of the artistic avant-garde. No other art fair offers an overview of such concentration and quality. Among the galleries in attendence will be almost 150 German galleries, plus european representatives from Austria, the UK, France, Switzerland, Poland, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Hungary, Spain, Finland, Greece, Italy and Luxemourg along with galleries from the USA, Canada, Japan and Argentina. Visit the ARt Cologne website at … http://www.artcologne.com
