ART COLOGNE
Press Release
November 1 – 5, 2006
40th International Fair for Modern
and Contemporary Art
www.artcologne.de
Contact: Dirk Mangold
Telefon: 49 221 821-2907
Telefax: 49 221 821-2181
E- Mail: d.mangold [at] koelnmesse.de
www.koelnmesse.de
Koelnmesse GmbH
Messeplatz 1
50679 Köln
Postfach 21 07 60
50532 Köln
Germany
Telefon: 49 221 821-0
Telefax: 49 221 821-2574
info [at] koelnmesse.de
No. 4 Man/Cologne, 5th May 2006
Koelnmesse approves far-reaching changes for ART COLOGNE starting in 2006
Reduction to 180 galleries starting in 2006; fair to be held in spring from 2007
– Infrastructure enhancements in the next two years
– Open Space to be enlarged but with same number of participants
– COLOGNE FINE ART and EXPONATEC COLOGNE in autumn
The Executive Board of Koelnmesse has approved a number of changes concerning the future development of the art fairs held in Cologne. Firstly, ART COLOGNE 2006 will be held from 1st to 5th November and the number of exhibiting galleries will be restricted to approximately 180. Starting next year, the fair will take place at the Cologne exhibition centre in the spring (dates for 2007: 18th to 22nd April). COLOGNE FINE ART and EXPONATEC COLOGNE will then move to the autumn (31st October to 4th November 2007). The infrastructure for the visitors and the exhibiting galleries at ART COLOGNE will be gradually enhanced over the coming two years. Open Space will return with the same number of participants (projects by around 40 artists) but in a larger area. Finally, cooperation with the city of Cologne will be stepped up. ART COLOGNE Director Gérard A. Goodrow comments: These changes made by Koelnmesse represent a bold step that highlights the importance of ART COLOGNE for Koelnmesse and the city of Cologne. Were continuing the process of enhancement that weve been pursuing for the last three years.
Participants limited to around 180 international galleries
The admission process for ART COLOGNE 2006 will run into July. Working with the ART COLOGNE Committee, Koelnmesse is ready to reach its target of attracting around 180 participants, says Goodrow. The fair will continue to cover the spectrum from classical modernism to contemporary art, and the improvements will be particularly noticeable in the latter section.
ART COLOGNE swaps dates with COLOGNE FINE ART and EXPONATEC COLOGNE in 2007
A much further-reaching change is that ART COLOGNE will be swapping dates with COLOGNE FINE ART and EXPONATEC COLOGNE next year. As a result, ART COLOGNE will move from autumn to spring, taking place from 18th to 22nd April 2007. COLOGNE FINE ART and EXPONATEC COLOGNE will then move from spring to autumn (31st October to 4th November 2007). This decision was based partly on a survey of numerous renowned national and international galleries in April 2006, the majority of which expressed support for the change of dates. The change has also been welcomed by the Federal Association of German Galleries (BVDG), the ART COLOGNE Committee and the conceptual sponsors of COLOGNE FINE ART: the Rhineland Art Dealers Association (RKV), the Federal Association of German Art Publishers (BDKV) and the Association of German Antiquarian Book Dealers (VDA). Bernhard Wittenbrink, Chairman of the BVDG, is in favour of the reduction of the number of participants and the fairs move to the spring, starting next year. We look forward to the beginning of an exciting new chapter for ART COLOGNE.
According to Goodrow, The market partners galleries and collectors are now making more purchases in spring rather than autumn, depending on the works on sale. ART COLOGNE is attended primarily by professional collectors, so it will benefit from being held in April as of next year. It will bring the exhibiting galleries together with eager buyers who have great purchasing power. Meanwhile, COLOGNE FINE ART covers the entire history of art and targets collectors who want to enlarge their collections or venture into adjacent territory. For them, autumn is the ideal time to hold the fair.
Infrastructure optimisation for exhibitors and visitors
Koelnmesse will be investing in the infrastructure of ART COLOGNE for the benefit of exhibitors and visitors over the next two years. Enhancements will be made to the technical and other facilities in the exhibition halls, and to the trade fair catering. In conjunction with an improved navigation system in the ART COLOGNE halls and around the exhibition centre, these changes will play a key role in making the Cologne art fairs even more appealing.
Closer cooperation between ART COLOGNE and the city of Cologne
Koelnmesse and the city of Cologne have agreed to step up the cooperative activities between ART COLOGNE and the city of Cologne in the future. In particular, this applies to the cooperation with Colognes museums. The first fruits of this closer collaboration will be on the agenda this year. For example, works by Annette Kelm, the winner of the 2005 ART COLOGNE prize for up-and-coming artists, will be on show in the artothek of Cologne’s City Museum from 6th July to 29th August 2006, in an exhibition titled Errors in English. The awards ceremony of the Orange Blue Art Prize of Germanys Volksbanken and Raiffeisenbanken (banks) will be held at the Museum Ludwig on 2nd November 2006. This years award will go to Gabriel Orozco from Mexico. In addition, the Nam June Paik Award (for which ART COLOGNE is a partner), sponsored by the North Rhine-Westphalian Cultural Foundation, will be presented during the Cologne art fair, probably on 5th November 2006 at the winning artist’s exhibition at the Museum of Applied Arts in Cologne. And as in previous years, the presentation of the Wolfgang Hahn Prize of the Modern Art Society will take place at the Museum Ludwig on the evening prior to the ART COLOGNE vernissage.
Changes are well-received by Cologne galleries
On 5th May 2006, the Koelnmesse management presented the changes to ART COLOGNE to BVDG board members and representatives of a small circle of major Cologne galleries. The reaction was unanimously positive. Gisela Capitain and Christian Nagel: We are very satisfied with the joint decision to make ART COLOGNE a spring fair beginning in 2007. We are confident that the schedule change and the redesign will return ART COLOGNE once again to its status as one of the worlds leading art fairs. Thomas Zander added: The solutions are far-reaching. I am delighted that the fairs organizers are very conscious of the momentum coming from the gallery scene. Now it’s up to all of us Koelnmesse and the galleries to ensure that ART COLOGNE will have a bright future. Based on the positive reaction after the meeting, Koelnmesse management is convinced that the top international galleries and not only those in Cologne will continue to show their strong support for this fair by exhibiting at ART COLOGNE.
www.artcologne.de
Contact: Dirk Mangold
Telefon: 49 221 821-2907
Telefax: 49 221 821-2181
E- Mail: d.mangold@koelnmesse.de
www.koelnmesse.de
Koelnmesse GmbH
Messeplatz 1
50679 Köln
Postfach 21 07 60
50532 Köln
Germany
Telefon: 49 221 821-0
Telefax: 49 221 821-2574
info@koelnmesse.de
Management:
Jochen Witt (Chairman), Wolfgang Kranz, Oliver P. Kuhrt, Herbert Marner, Dr. Gerd Weber
Chairman of the Supervisory Board:
Mayor of the City of Cologne, Fritz Schramma
Place of business and (legal) domicile:
Cologne: Amtsgericht Köln, HRB 952
