Art Cologne 2025 Preview
Halle 11.1 · Stand C-328

12:16

Art Cologne 2025 – Planning of the exhibition booth

Ways of Hope is the title of the booth concept for this year’s presentation by Galerie Dr. Dorothea van der Koelen at Art Cologne, matching the title of the current exhibition at La Galleria, the branch of the renowned Mainz art gallery in Venice.

Art can offer hope and comfort, but it can also point to new paths. This is an aspect that is becoming increasingly important in these difficult times of war, climate catastrophe, and uncertainty about the future of humanity. Artists are often forward thinkers and lateral thinkers who pursue solutions and answers to the crucial questions of our humanity in their works, show us ways to search for the meaning of life, and address the beauty or even the dark sides of the world and existence. As seismographs, they usually sense the catastrophes of this world a little earlier than those around them and try to respond to them with visual means. Even if they rarely provide the recipients of their works with concrete answers or instructions for action, they sharpen our awareness, stimulate our creativity, and can thus contribute to finding social or political solutions. With new ideas and perspectives, cultural creators weave a new fabric into the social network of coexistence.

The late Pope Francis has proclaimed another Holy Year for the Catholic Church in 2025. He has given it the title Pilgrims of Hope. In art, too, pilgrims are setting out on a journey to counter the Dialogue of Weapons with the Dialogue of Cultures. That is why Dr. Dorothea van der Koelen has chosen the theme Ways of Hope as the focus of her presentation at this year’s Art Cologne.

A second focus is the milestone birthdays of artists with whom the gallery has been working for decades.

Exhibited Artists

In March 2025, ZERO artist Günther Uecker celebrated his 95th birthday. We are showing his large cloth work Graphein in conjunction with the precious bibliophile book Graphein, which is also on display at the booth. The white circles of color represent the embossed dots in this masterpiece, which are created by the heads of the nails.

By Fabrizio Plessi, the Venetian by choice and pioneer of media art, formerly also a professor at the Academy of Media Arts in Cologne, we are presenting one of his typical video works with the motif of the mosaics of San Marco in Venice in flowing water. He celebrated his 85th birthday this year. To mark the occasion, Ca’Doro in Mainz is currently hosting a comprehensive exhibition of his current and historical works.

We present a series of legendary text images by Heinz Gappmayr, one of the most important representatives of visual poetry, who would have turned 100 in October. A new exhibition of his works will be on display at Ca’Doro in Mainz starting in October.

The Galerie van der Koelen booth also features an impressive masterpiece in white and a selection of small canvases in blue by Raimund Girke. The painter of light would have turned 95 this year, just like Günther Uecker.

With the multiple transparent Hope, another important artist who has exhibited in 28 countries around the world and has close ties to the gallery continues the theme of Ways of Hope: Lore Bert. Several of her charming relief objects made of Japanese paper and gold leaf will also be on display in Cologne. In addition, her Biennale project for 2026 in Venice will be presented.

Works by Turi Simeti, the prominent representative and old master of the Italian Zero movement, will also be on display at the gallery’s booth. The focus is on more recent works from 2017, such as Trittico nero, beige e blue and 12 ovali rossi.

Korean painter Nam Tchun-Mo, who lives alternately in Cologne and Daegu in his homeland, is an important representative of the Dansaekhwa movement, which ushered in a new era of abstract art in South Korea in the 1970s. His works, in which he achieves spatial and structural effects through the combination of colors, contrasts, and shades, enchant viewers with their meditative and highly sensual character.

The highlights of this year’s presentation also include the works of Mohammed Kazem. Since representing the UAE at the Venice Biennale in 2013, the star artist from Dubai has been featured at numerous biennials and has made significant contributions to the Sustainable Pavilion at the World Expo in Dubai. In Coordinates, relief and color come together to form a flowing whole. Despite everything, the world keeps turning, and perhaps that is also a spark of hope in dark times …

We hope our preview in this week’s video has piqued your interest, and we look forward to welcoming you in person at our booth C-328 in Hall 11.1 at Art Cologne 2025.