How about an art weekend? Visit Art Düsseldorf. Art fair, area Böhler Nov 16 – 18, 2018

Art weekend in the old forge hall

In less than one week it is time again. At Art Düsseldorf 2018 (November, 16 – 18), 91 well-established and young galleries from 19 countries will be showing art after 1945, from contemporary art to „very young” in the Böhler area of Düsseldorf.

The event is still comparatively new. Only last year was the premiere for an art event that was to bring another important trade fair date for gallery owners and collectors to the traditionally extremely art-loving Rhineland in autumn. The ambience of the former Boehler Werke factory hall, with its spacious, bright rooms, creates a perfectly suitable presentation platform, even for really large formats.

Big names, big formats

What is new this year is that there is actually more room for sculptures, for example by Tony Cragg, Erwin Wurm or Meuser. For example “Lost in Thought” (Tony Cragg, 2012) or IT IS, ISN’T IT (Cragg, 2010). Or „Untitled“ (“Big L”, by Erwin Wurm), a headless figure without a hand (and with a twisted foot), or Meuser’s “Problems in Subway Construction,” which seems to give some kind of a frame, ans thus, some hold and support, to an urban problem. Isa Genzken is there, slim, tall, “Untitled” and completely new (2018, presented by David Zwirner).

Imi Knoebel (Galerie Christian Lethert), Konrad Klapheck (with Linn Lühn) and Per Kirkeby (with Michael Werner) are also on offer. In short, the tour is also a bit like a short walk through recent art history, at least some chapters of it.

Remarkable is the gallery category called “Post Lehman”, for galleries founded after the black September 15, 2008. Yes, there is a (commercially successful) art life after the big banking crisis, which also caused bumps, wounds and bruises in the international art market. The fair supports the courage and entrepreneurship of the “Post Lehmans” with reduced stand prices. This in turn ensures a good mix of well-established galleries and the “young” ones, who – more or less – have just started out.

From Düsseldorf to Taipei

Who’s there? The list of exhibitors is again impressive, this year as well. The mix of “regional” and “international” will focus on Europe, with Germany, the Benelux countries and Switzerland, as well as international top-class „heavyweights” such as David Zwirner. It goes from Düsseldorf and Cologne to Taipei (Tina Keng Gallery) or Tokyo (Talion Gallery). International galleries include Akinci (Amsterdam), Rita Urso and Montrasio Arte (both Milan), Albert Baronian (Brussels). Bartha Contemporary (London), Bernier / Eliades and The Breeder (both Athens), Bo Bjerggard (Copenhagen), as to name some.

Of course you could also visit the regional “players” directly “on the spot”. On a tour through Düsseldorf, for example. But how much more comfortable is such a tour of the fair. All directly next to each other. With every step in a different art world. From Düsseldorf Beck&Eggeling Fine Art, Conrads, Cosar HMT, Lucas Hirsch, Kadel Willborn, Linn Lühn, Markus Lüttgen, Galerie Max Mayer and Galerie Hans Mayer are present. As well as Petra Rinck Gallery, Setareh, Sies + Höke and Van Horn.

What makes us (!) especially happy as convinced Cologne „natives”, who now live close to the “Forbidden City”: Cologne is represented with the galleries Boisserée, Heinz Holtmann, Christian Lethert, Priska Pasquer, Thomas Rehbein, Philipp von Rosen, Brigitte Schenk, Bene Taschen and Michael Werner.

“Post Lehman” is a particularly international section: BWA Warszawa from Warsaw, Luce Gallery from Turin, Öktem Aykut from Istanbul, Talion Gallery from Tokyo, Uma Lulik from Lisbon as well as unttld contemporary and Galerie Lisa Kandlhofer from Vienna. Polansky Gallery (Prague), alexander levy (Berlin). Lucas Hirsch (Düsseldorf) and PSM Gallery (Berlin) will also be exhibiting in the Post Lehman area.

International and local

A lot of names, and I wasn’t able to name them all. And even more art of different styles. Comfortable shoes are recommendable, if I may pass on an experience here.

The parking facilities at the Böhler Hallen are not quite as lavish, depending on the number of visitors. But perhaps public transport is also an option for you? Because Art Düsseldorf in the Böhler Hallen is just perfectly located, right next to the tram station. Not only we ourselves, but also our guests are looking forward to a fair directly “on our doorstep”. From us there are just 3 tram stations, without changing trains. In 5 minutes, literally from door to door. Maybe that would be something for you as well? Go and have a „dive into art“. Enjoy!