Revived energetic director Daniel Hagom in recent years, Fair has become the most significant event of its kind in the art market in Germany

Log in to the fair ArtKeln-2011
Source: spiegel.de

For years it seemed that Berlin has ever taken a leading position in the German art scene. But now the city of Cologne Fair ArtKeln, thanks to the efforts of its new American director Daniel Haga (Daniel Hug), caught up and surpassed the German capital: the fair opening today - many galleries of the capital. 46th art fair in Cologne last until April 22, it is expected that 60,000 people will attend.

native of Zurich, Daniel Hug literally saved impossibly sprawling event, reducing the number of exhibitors from almost 300 to 200, closed two extra rooms and, most importantly, entirely focused on the quality of the material put up. Hag is an expert in art: it is the grandson of Hungarian artist and Bauhaus professor Laszlo Moholy-Nagy (László Moholy-Nagy). Under his leadership, the pavilion has been replaced by the fair lighting, floors painted black, and the Hag zealously to establish contacts with new galleries, and tried to return to the fair worthy of galleries that have fallen from among its members in the past.

Cologne - a great place for art fairs, and even with the 60-70s of the last century, local and nearby residents, wealthy Catholics, have proven to be very active buyers of art. We can say that in Cologne and cream concentrated around the collecting estate in Germany.

Although at some point, galleries and artists, attracted by low prices for rent, rushed to Berlin, there are relatively a small number of major collectors, and few significant buyers visited the capital in search of art, and 20-30 young collectors who live in the city, prefer relatively inexpensive works.

absence of important art -events in the German capital turned slowly rise from the ashes in a fair ArtKeln most significant trade fair in Germany. Nevertheless, despite the growing popularity in Germany and authority, the fair can not yet be counted among the major international events of this kind. Among the 200 participants of the fair this year's galleries from other countries are not so many, especially the large and representative. 32 participants came from Berlin, there are a number of galleries from Asia, Russia, South America and India, but most of all foreign visitors (which is significant) of the country's neighbors: Austria (13), Switzerland (11) and France (9). Thanks to the efforts and communications director at the fair and this year there were also 12 participants from the United States.

menu ArtKelna this year's work for every taste: classical modernism, postwar and contemporary art. From well-known international players at the fair are galleries David Zwirner, Annely Juda, and Hauser & Wirth.

But this is not the ultimate dream for an ambitious Director Daniel Haga fair: in his words, in the long run it is set to compete with themselves ArtBazelem. Well, we can only wish him good luck in this worthy, but very complicated endeavor.

Prepared by Mary Estrova, AI

Source : spiegel.de , artinvestment. ru