Walter Gehlen, Director of Art Düsseldorf, on the City’s Unique Cultural Scene
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At Art Dusseldorf, more than half of the participating galleries represent Germany and the Benelux countries. The fair mixes regional pride — catering explicitly to collectors within the territory — with a global appeal for those interested in DusseldorfWalter Gehlen, Director of Art Düsseldorf, on the City’s Unique Cultural Scene
At Art Dusseldorf, more than half of the participating galleries represent Germany and the Benelux countries. The fair mixes regional pride — catering explicitly to collectors within the territory — with a global appeal for those interested in Dusseldorf’s art scene and neighboring institutions in Cologne, Bonn, Essen and Bochum. Being held November 16-18 in Areal Bohler, a former steel factory converted into a convention center in 2012, Art Dusseldorf has increased its exhibition space by 10 percent and welcomes 40 new exhibitors for its second edition. There are 91 galleries showcasing Post-War and Contemporary art; the youngest of them, all founded after September 2008, are presented in the dedicated Post Lehman section at reduced booth prices. Walter Gehlen, the director of Art Dusseldorf, is a native of the city and he knows the region well; he was previously director of ART.FAIR Cologne. BlouinShop spoke with Gehlen about instating sculpture long-term in the city, the must-try blood-red local herb liqueur and regional cathedral comparisons.How long have you been living in Dusseldorf?I was born and raised in Dusseldorf. After school, I moved a few kilometers south to the neighboring city of Cologne to study and have lived there since. The two cities are equally important to me. How has the local art scene evolved in the past decade?The Rhineland has been attracting collectors with top-class Contemporary art since the 1960s. The Cologne gallery owner Michael Werner founded Georg Baselitz's career during his time, while in 1964 the artist Konrad Lueg — with his famous colleagues Gerhard Richter and Sigmar Polke — showed their legendary front garden exhibition, before Lueg (a gallery owner named Konrad Fischer) helped artists such as Carl Andre, Richard Long and Bruce Nauman become world-famous. The Dusseldorf gallery owner Hans Mayer first brought Andy Warhol to the Rhineland in 1979 and introduced him to Josef Beuys, creating an axis of artistic exchange between New York and the Rhineland. Since 2004, the private museum Langen Foundation has enriched the local art scene with great exhibitions. Gil Bronner, from the Philara Collection, has been presenting inspiring exhibitions for 10 years. The Julia Stoschek Collection, opened in 2007, offers a fantastic and unique collection of international video art (Stoschek has been a member of the exhibition committee of MoMA in New York), and the artist Thomas Schutte has set up his own monument with the sculpture hall that opened in 2016. Dusseldorf’s galleries have always been significant for Contemporary art and continue to be today: the mixture of players from institutional and private sphere are a good balance, encouraging younger generations to get involved with art.How does the local arts scene dialogue with the global scene?Art Dusseldorf has positioned itself at the center of one of Western Europe’s most vibrant regions. The region’s cultural map is diverse, and most internationally renowned German artists have their roots in the city of Dusseldorf.Who is your favorite local Dusseldorf artist you think more people should know of?It’s really hard to name one favorite, because there are so many talented artists in Dusseldorf, and I have been following the careers of different generations. The Academy of Arts has always played a major role as a breeder. The “Modell-Bauer” from the ’80s with artists like Thomas Schutte or the “Becher School” in the ’90s — named after Bernd and Hilla Becher who have been teaching for 20 years at the academy and given birth to a certain photographic vein in Contemporary art with Gursky, Struth, Ruff or Hofer — became a trademark for the Dusseldorf art scene.Many of those artists are still living in the city. From 2000 onwards, the academy has become more open to different media. What are your “must-see” recommendations for the city?I’d say Kunststammlung NRW, with both collections K20 Grabbeplatz and K21 Standehaus; the Museum Kunstpalast, with a special exhibition of Tony Cragg’s sculptures in the Ehrenhof; the Langen Foundation, which is presenting a group exhibition in cooperation with the Burger Collection Hong Kong; the Julia Stoschek Collection, with the most amazing collection of video art, and the Sammlung Philara, which is an exceptional, atmospheric venue and supporter of local up-and-coming artists.What is the most overrated thing people advise visitors to check out when they're in town?Well, as a Cologne resident, I have to admit that the St. Lambertus Church cannot compete with the Cologne Cathedral. What would be on your agenda if you had a free morning or afternoon in Dusseldorf?Depending on the weather: A walk through the park between Kunstpalast and Kunstakademie on the way to Klee’s, the Kunstsammlung NRW’s cafe and restaurant, which is always good for breakfast and lunch with interesting people. What restaurants would you recommend, and what makes them unique?Dusseldorf has the largest Japanese community in Europe, so Japanese food is a big thing. I love Nagaya, if you want to go out for fine dining. A cozy place just for sushi is Kikaku.Phoenix, within the Dreischeibenhaus, is great: architecturally appealing, with a diverse menu. Where would you head for the best shopping?I recommend Konigsallee and Carlsplatz, if you are looking for a great market and little charming shops around it. What’s an authentic item you could only buy locally or regionally?Killepitsch, an excellent premium herbal liqueur, pralines from Konditorei Heinemann and I recommend a visit to the Brabus flagship on Konigsallee. Where are the ideal spots to see live music?Since I was a child I’ve been going to the Tonhalle with my parents, and I still really enjoy it.Where would you recommend people stay when they visit? I would recommend the InterContinental nearby; otherwise the 25 Hours Hotel, in Flingern, is known for its vibrant gallery scene. Do you have a favorite book depicting the region, or an author who writes about the region in an especially evocative way?“Ideen. Das Buch le Grand” (Datum) from Heinrich Heine, who also was born in Dusseldorf and is one of the first serious feuilletonists. What are you most looking forward to about this edition of Art Dusseldorf?I am very much looking forward to this year’s sculpture installations throughout the fair, featuring large-scale works by the artists Meuser, Erwin Wurm and Tony Cragg. Exhibiting for their first time at Art Dusseldorf, Eigen + Art from Berlin will present a selection of artists whose works have been exclusively produced for the fair, including Tom Anholt, Martin Groß, Melora Kuhn, Lada Nakonechna, Kristina Schuldt, Carsten Sievers and Mirjam Volker. Moreover, I am looking forward to the curator’s talk with Hans-Ulrich Obrist and an extensive VIP program, which explores the fair’s strong connection with the region.Having started in 2017, what is something you wanted to do differently in 2018?We would like each issue of Art Dusseldorf to have its own signature. This time we focus on sculpture and will present three large-scale sculpture stations with works by significant artists. We have also co-initiated the installation of four works by Tony Cragg in the Ehrenhof, Museum Kunstpalast, beyond the duration of the fair.You developed the Post-Lehman section to support younger galleries. Is there a particular emerging gallery or artist you’re especially excited about?I am excited about the section itself because it emphasizes the courage of these galleries, who followed their passion despite the financial crash in September 2008. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 10.0px 'Times New Roman'} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 10.0px 'Times New Roman'; min-height: 11.0px} span.s1 {letter-spacing: -0.3px} span.s2 {letter-spacing: -0.6px} https://www.blouinartinfo.com/ Founder: Louise Blouin Read more