art KARLSRUHE 2017

Honouring the work of gallerists and artists rather than regarding artworks as mere investment items

art KARLSRUHE will kick off the season of art fairs from 16 to 19 February 2017. A total of 211 galleries from eleven nations will present works by renowned German and foreign artists in the halls of Karlsruhe’s trade fair. Punctually in time for the show, the art KARLSRUHE catalogue is now available: all participating galleries and artists are included among its 672 pages.

An especially “art-full” success story

Established in accord with a unique concept in 2004, art KARLSRUHE has borne new fruits each year and written an ongoing success story.

This dialectical presentation of Classical Modern and Contemporary art annually attracts some 50,000 visitors to the halls of Karlsruhe’s trade fair. Interest among gallerists likewise remains unabatedly high: some 300 galleries applied for stands at this year’s fair. The seven jurors on the art KARLSRUHE advisory council decided to limit the participants to circa 200 galleries – because each artwork by the 1,518 exhibiting artists must be given an opportunity to fully reveal its qualities and to be perceived clearly.

“Our goals are to enable visitors and gallerists to enjoy mediating and viewing art and to assure that artworks aren’t primarily seen as investment items”, explains Britta Wirtz, managing director of Karlsruher Messe- und Kongress-GmbH, who adds: “Our perfect mix of Classical Modern and Contemporary art doesn’t chase after trends or stars. Instead, we see the whole picture and we appreciate the ongoing work of the gallerists, who labour indefatigably on behalf of their artists.”

Curator and project director Ewald Karl Schrade comments: “Furthermore, art KARLSRUHE offers a unique exhibiting environment that provides an ideal platform for art. Bright daylight floods the halls, which have no obstructing columns and which combine to create a generously spacious area that’s optimally conducive to the appreciation of art.”

The tenth anniversary of the art KARLSRUHE Prize

Appreciation also plays an important role in the art KARLSRUHE Prize. The prize money is exclusively reserved to purchase artworks from the selected presentation so the artists’ and the gallerists’ efforts are acknowledged equally. The first art KARLSRUHE Prize was awarded in 2008 to the Swiss artist Reto Boller and to Galerie Mueller-Roth (Stuttgart). The tenth anniversary of the art KARLSRUHE prize takes place in 2017. From the 193 one-artist shows (the largest number since the fair’s founding), an expert jury will choose the most convincing presentation and will equally commend an artist and his or her gallerist. The jury relies on the separate 344-page “one-artist catalogue”, which contains all relevant information about the individual artists’ presentations. The state of Baden-Württemberg and the city of Karlsruhe jointly make available 15,000 euros to purchase works by the prizewinning artist. The acquisitions will become part of the art KARLSRUHE Collection, which is managed by the Städtische Galerie and currently comprises 38 artworks. (red)

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