Kölnischer Kunstverein

Die Brücke. Kölnischer Kunstverein
Foto: Simon Vogel

The renovated Brücke-building with its exhibition hall, cinema, theatre, and studio spaces provides an ideal place to show the contemporary artistic positions that have long ceased to be limited to a specific medium of expression. The exhibition programme has been developed by Anja Nathan-Dorn and Kathrin Jentjens to underline the architectural specificities of the building, and has shown media-art, performances, concerts and films alongside one another, all on an equal footing. In the Kölnischer Kunstverein artists such as Judith Hopf, Michael Krebber, Olivier Foulon, Seth Price and Nora Schultz have initiated an artistic discourse on production conditions and on the notion of the artistic picture today, and these will continue to feature in the programme. In 2008 the prestigious Turner Prize was awarded to the artist Mark Leckey, largely as a result of his comprehensive solo exhibition Resident in the Kölnischer Kunstverein.

As part of the archival series Der springende Punkt (The Crucial Point) Kölnischer Kunstverein has since 2007 presented annually changing exhibitions that take a closer look at archival and historical exhibitions that represent important historical points of reference to its programme of exhibitions due to their experimental character and special curatorial imprint.

In collaboration with the RheinEnergieStiftung Kultur (RheinEnergie Cultural Foundation), and the Imhoff Foundation, the Kölnischer Kunstverein has set up the Antenne Köln programme. This provides studio grants to support twenty young artists. The holders of the grants will have the chance to show their work to the public in events, concerts and readings. In this way local artistic production is integrated into an international artistic discourse. With this programme Kölnischer Kunstverein is committing itself to improve the precarious working and living conditions of young artists in Cologne. In March 2011 twenty new artists have been chosen to take part in the programme. Artists based in Die Brücke have moved into their studios in July, the remaining seven will start work at their studios at the Chocolate Museum in April 2012.

The studio programme is supported by the Imhoff Foundation. The studios at Die Brücke are sponsored by Fay Projects, Kreissparkasse Köln and Sparda Bank West eG.

In recognition of the wide scope of its programming, the Art and Culture Foundation of the Sparda Bank West generously supported Kölnischer Kunstverein in 2009. In 2010 Kölnischer Kunstverein was awarded the Jump prize by Kunststiftung NRW and the ADKV prize for Kunstvereine that acknowledges an outstanding exhibition and education practice.