Art de Cologne
Words | Sandra Rehme Move over Berlin. Cologne is where it’s at when it comes to a vibrant German art scene. In fact, with its numerous commercial and public galleries – not to mention its music and fashion scene – it really does rival the capital’s cultural chutzpah MENTION COLOGNE, OR Köln, and the first [...]
Words | Sandra Rehme
Move over Berlin. Cologne is where it’s at when it comes to a vibrant German art
scene. In fact, with its numerous commercial and public galleries – not to mention
its music and fashion scene – it really does rival the capital’s cultural chutzpah
ALT="insects play in our ecosystem">
MENTION COLOGNE, OR Köln, and
the first things that come to mind are
probably Kölsch beer and Karneval
(carnival); maybe also the Kölner Dom,
the vast Gothic cathedral towering
over the city centre. But art? Few
people are aware that the German city
boasts hundreds of galleries, museums and independent art
spaces – and that it is home to a very happening art scene.
Cologne has long been a significant cultural hot-spot; long
before Berlin. It is the birthplace of the world’s oldest art fair,
Art Cologne, which was established 42 years ago and still
takes place annually every spring. With its close proximity to
the renowned Arts Academy in Düsseldorf, which nurtured
artists including Joseph Beuys and photographer Andreas
Gursky, Cologne has attracted artists from all over the world.
From Nam June Paik’s revolutionary Fluxus happenings
in the 1960s, which blended different artistic media and
disciplines, to John Cage’s first performance of Etude for
Piano – it all happened in this central Rhineland city.
alt="Heinrich Hoerie’s Monument To The Unknown Prosthese, 1930 – one of the modern masterpieces on show at Museum Ludwig">
When Berlin became Germany’s new capital in the mid-
1990s, Cologne’s reputation as an art destination started
to diminish. A growing number of artists left for Berlin,
attracted by cheap housing. Once the artists moved in, the
hype followed. But now many gallerists predict that once
the buzz about Berlin dies down, the art world will focus its
gaze back on Cologne.
Things have already started looking up. While some
galleries have moved to Berlin, a new wave of artist-led
exhibition spaces and young curators has spread new
optimism in Cologne. Local gallery owner Linn Lühn
told German art magazine Monopol earlier this year:
“[In Cologne,] it’s not like in Berlin, where you’re one of
many – you have a special position.” Melanie Weidemuller,
art editor of Cologne’s listings magazine Kolner Stadtrevue
explains: “Berlin may be the new German metropolis but
Cologne has different things to offer.”
alt="cologne art trial">
For the visitor, the huge density of great art galleries and
museums located within the small area around the city centre
and surrounding quarters also makes it easy to get around.
Just a stone’s throw away from the city centre,
between the Aachener Strasse and Venloer Strasse, are the
picturesque squares and cosy cafés of the Belgische Viertel
(Belgian Quarter). The area takes its title from its streets,
which are named after the major cities of its neighbouring
country, and are centred around Brüsseler Platz (Brussels
Square). A steady influx of new art galleries, record shops,
boutiques and bars has quickly turned it into a cool hangout
for art students and young designers as well as media types.
The latest addition to the area and the Cologne art
scene is the independent Blast gallery, situated at the far
end of Venloer Strasse. Run by eight graduates from the
local KHM art academy, it promotes contemporary art
by young German artists. Of the current art scene here,
Blast’s Tim Shearer says: “The Cologne scene is small yet
comprised of internationally renowned gallerists, curators
and collectors, so you become part of a complex artistic
community. We established Blast’s space to support
younger artists and experimental projects.”
Every six weeks, Blast organises new exhibitions
as well as artist talks, film screenings, concerts and
performances. This month it presents an exhibition of
young artists from Frankfurt.
Just around the corner, in Moltkestrasse, exhibition
and performance space Moltkerei Werkstatt regularly
opens its hinterhof (backyard) doors to those who are
interested in unconventional performance and installation
art rarely seen in traditional art galleries. Founded in
1981 as a non-commercial institution and workshop,
it has become a platform for young artists as well as
a place for artists and their audiences to meet together.
alt="Artist Thomas Palme performing an experimental work at Blast Project Space">
While pretty art nouveau buildings dominate the heart
of the quarter, the plain post-war architecture of many
houses and shops which infiltrated the area in the 1950s
creates a strong contrast. Eyesores to some, they have been
rediscovered by the younger generation and turned into cool
retro-bars like the Hallmackenreuther on Brüsseler Platz, and
have also given many galleries a unique “Cologne charme”.
Figge von Rosen, one of the leading commercial art
galleries situated on Aachener Strasse is one example.
Located in what used to be a shop, the design of the
space still hints at its former life. Spread over two floors, a
wide staircase with handrails in typical utilitarian 1950s’
design leads down to a large second gallery used as a
main exhibition space for cutting-edge installations. In a
recent exhibition of works by Ulrich Rückriem the entire
downstairs space was covered in wallpaper featuring the
artist’s minimalist black-and-white graphic designs.
alt="Kölnischer Kunstverein (Art Association of Cologne)">
Galerie Christian Nagel, situated on the slightly grubby
outer edges of the quarter on Richard Wagner Strasse, is
housed within the walls of a former supermarket. With its
low ceiling, wooden floors and plain white walls, the space
is a strange mix of intimate showroom and cool white-cube
gallery. Founded in 1990, it presents works by international
established artists working in various media. Since 2002,
Nagel also represents a younger generation, including
graffiti artist Kalin Lindena and painter Andreas Diefenbach.
(Watch out for the black-and-white poppy gallery sign on
the outside wall by Austrian artist Heimo Zobernig.)
alt="an artwork by Matthias Lahme at Linn Lühn">
Between the Belgian Quarter and the city centre lies
the Kölnischer Kunstverein (Art Association of Cologne).
Founded in 1839, it is one of the oldest art institutions in
Germany and fosters contemporary art by international
artists. And with Kathrin Jentjens and Anja Nathan-Dorn
as new young curators, its finger is firmly on the pulse
of contemporary culture. It is located in the Brücke, the
former headquarters of the British Council, built in 1950
by Wilhelm Riphahn who also designed the Cologne Opera
House. Besides gallery spaces and workshops, it also
houses a cinema and theatre, and runs film screenings and
lectures. This month, the Kunstverein presents an exhibition
by influential Cologne artist Michael Krebber, who was
recently featured in an exhibition at Tate Liverpool.
alt="Cologne’s Sculpture Park">
While the new wave of art galleries and artist-led
spaces are mainly in and around the Belgian Quarter, more
established galleries and art museums are located within the
city centre around Ehrenstrasse and the Cologne Cathedral.
With its mix of trendy clothes shops, bars and cafés,
Ehrenstrasse has become a popular alternative to such
touristy shopping streets as Breite Strasse or Schildergasse.
In the quaint, cobblestoned side streets, you’ll find a mix
of fine art galleries, bookshops, antiques stores and small
boutiques, comparable to the London art gallery enclave of
Cork Street. Gisela Capitain in St Apern Strasse and Daniel
Buchholz in the nearby Neven Du Mont Strasse are two of
the leading galleries. While both gallerists have decided to
open project spaces in Berlin this year, their headquarters
remain in Cologne. With well-known names like Cuban
artist Jorge Pardo and painter Martin Kippenberger, Capitain
showcases internationally established artists, but also
presents German pioneers like Günther Förg whose abstract
work will be exhibited this month. Buchholz’s intimate gallery
space is tucked away behind his antiquarian bookshop near
the German broadcasting house WDR. Don’t be misled by
the stuffy shop with its old leather-bound books. Far from
old-fashioned, it champions works by contemporary artists
including photographer Wolfgang Tillmans and Jutta Koether.
alt="A work by Cologneborn Robert Elfgen recently shown at Sprüth Magers">
Closer to the city centre – between the Cathedral,
the River Rhine and the main railway station – lies the
well-known Museum Ludwig. Founded in 1976, it houses
an impressive range of 20th-century and contemporary
art, including the biggest collection of pop art outside the
USA, including Andy Warhol’s famous Brillo boxes, and it
also owns several hundred works by Pablo Picasso.
alt="An installation by German-born, LA-based Sterling Ruby at Galerie Christian Nagel">
It is also worth venturing to the outskirts of Cologne,
to peaceful Südstadt, which is only a short tram ride
away and home to the well-known Sprüth Magers gallery
which also has spaces in London and Munich, as well
as new independent art spaces Neues Kunstforum and
Simultanhalle. And if you need a break from treading
concrete, the Skulpturenpark (Sculpture Park) near
Cologne Zoo offers an impressive collection of
contemporary sculpture by artists from Jenny Holzer to
Thomas Scheibitz, set in a peaceful, idyllic green space.
Twin Town
Twin brothers Gert and Uwe Tobias (pictured from left), 34, are two of Cologne’s
most exciting up-and-coming artists. The Romanian-born duo create largescale
woodcuts, drawings and ceramic sculptures which are often combined in
multimedia installations. The vivid colours and playful graphic compositions
of their work are inspired by a wide range of sources, from historical art
movements like constructivism to Eastern European folk tales and Hollywood
horror films. Their fantastical gouaches and woodcuts have been exhibited in art
galleries worldwide, including a solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in
New York earlier this year. Untitled, 2008, by Gert and Uwe Tobias.
Cologne, see Gert and Uwe Tobias’s work at Galerie Michael Janssen,
14-16 Norbertstrasse, +49 (0)221 130 0830; www.galeriemichaeljanssen.de
Little Black Book of cutting edge culture in Cologne:
- Museum Ludwig, 1 Bischofsgartenstrasse, Cologne,
+49 (0)221 2212 6165; www.museum-ludwig.deTues, Wed, Thur, Sat & Sun 10am-6pm, Fri11am-6pm
- Kölnischer Kunstverein, Die Brücke,
6 Hahnenstrasse, Cologne, +49 (0)221 217 021; www.koelnischerkunstverein.deTue-Fri 1-7pm, Sat & Sun 11am-6pm
- Artothek, 50 Am Hof, Cologne,
+49 (0)221 2212 2332; www.museenkoeln.de Mon-Thur 1-7pm, Fri 10am-5pm - Moltkerei Werkstatt, 8 Moltkestrasse, Cologne,
+49 (0)221 739 1994; www.moltkerei.de Mon-Fri 3-6pm, Sat 1-3pm - Blast Project Space, 24 Venloer Strasse, Cologne,
email info@b-l-a-s-t.de, Fri 6-8pm, Sat & Sun 1-5pm - Skulpturenpark (Sculpture Park), Riehler Strasse
(entrance); www. skulpturenparkkoeln.de April-Sept 10.30am-7pm, Oct-Mar10.30am-5pm (free)
- Sprüth Magers, 23 Wormser Strasse,
+49 (0)221 380 415/6; www.spruethmagers.com Tue-Fri 10am-1pm & 3-6pm, Sat11am-4pm
- Galerie Christian Nagel, 28 Richard Wagner Strasse,
Cologne, +49 (0)221 257 0591; www.galerie-nagel.de Mon-Fri 11am-6pm, Sat 11am-6pm - Galerie Daniel Buchholz, 17 Neven DuMont Strasse,
Cologne, +49 (0)221 257 4946; www.galeriebuchholz.de Tue-Fri 11am-6pm, Sat11am-4pm
- Galerie Gisela Capitain, 20-26 St Apern Strasse,
Cologne, +49 (0)221 3557 0100; www.galerie-capitain.de Tue-Fri 10am-6pm, Sat11am-6pm
- Linn Lühn, 19 Lindenstrasse, Cologne,
+49 (0)221 397 6900; www.linnluehn.comTue-Fri 2-6pm, Sat 11am-4pm - Figge von Rosen Galerie, 65 Aachener Strasse,
Cologne, +49 (0)221 2705 6840; www.figgevonrosen.com Tue-Fri 11am-6pm, Sat12noon-5pm
- Neues Kunstforum Köln, 1 Alteburger Wall, Cologne,
+49 (0)221 344 400; www.neues-kunstforum.comWed-Sun 2-6pm - Simultanhalle, 209-211 Volkhovener Weg, Cologne,
+49 (0)176 5402 4168; www.simultanhalle.de Sat & Sun 2-6pm - Hallmackenreuther, 9 Brüsseler Platz, Cologne,
+49 (0)221 517 970. Mon-Sun 11am-1am
Borrow a Masterpiece
A secret gem among Cologne’s art spaces, hidden in the shadow of the Museum
Ludwig and the cathedral, is the Artothek, an art lending library founded in 1973.
This 15th-century burgher’s house is home to an astonishing collection of around
1,400 contemporary art works by international and Cologne artists. Anybody,
from student to businessperson, can borrow a work of art for up to 10 weeks. For a
lending fee of only €6, an original Andy Warhol, Salvador Dali or David Shrigley could
adorn your livingroom wall or conference room. The Artothek also hosts regular
performances and exhibitions in its unusual space with a mezzanine floor, which
makes it possible to view events from above.
