Art as Far as the Eye Can See

Towering sculptures dwarf their viewers, creative minds delight in the sight of colourful watercolours and, not far away, filigree Classic Modern sketches cause jaws to drop. The twentieth edition of art KARLSRUHE, which will take place in the light-flooded halls of Karlsruhe Trade Fair Centre from 4 to 7 May 2023, once again promises exciting discoveries for all art aficionados. On an area of 35,000 square metres, 207 galleries from fifteen countries will present the diversity of artistic creativity spanning a period of 120 years – from works of Classic Modern art to new creations fresh from the artists’ studios.

From A to Z: the entire spectrum of art

The 20th edition of art KARLSRUHE remains true to its successful concept. This year, too, the international art fair sees itself as a platform for artistic diversity. The heart of the fair experience is once again the programme of the exhibiting galleries, which bring the entire spectrum of art to Karlsruhe – from A for Ackermann to Z for Zangs. Different price ranges and diverse styles will be represented, as will timeless classics of the art world and up-and-coming newcomers in the industry. Sculptures, paintings, photographs, textiles and more: works by approximately 1,500 artists await discovery by visitors in May. Textile art is the principal focus of the “Social Fabric” presentation at the LBBW Collection’s stand in Hall 1, where works by Nevin Aladağ, Shannon Bool, Thomas Grünfeld and other artists will be on display. The central theme of the collection is the significance and use of textiles in Contemporary art.

Interested people can visit the artsy art platform, where they can get an initial overview of this year’s programme in the run-up to the fair. For the first time, and thanks to a cooperation, an online exhibition will be realised on the platform parallel to the fair. Starting on 28 April, artsy will offer a foretaste of what the 207 participating galleries will be showing in Karlsruhe in May. Alternatively, the fair’s directory of participating galleries offers first insights into the galleries and artists that are participating in the 20th edition of art KARLSRUHE.

Enjoy art in four halls

In keeping with the motto “A City to Enjoy”, which the city of Karlsruhe has proclaimed as this year’s Michelin Host City for 2023, art KARLSRUHE also promises unforgettable moments of enjoyment. Pleasure in Baden not only includes top-class gastronomy, but also the delight of interacting with art and culture. As at previous editions, art KARLSRUHE 2023 promises aesthetic enjoyment in four exhibition halls. To ensure that visitors always have a clear overview, the halls are again arranged according to specific. focal points:

• Hall 1: Prints and Graphic Prints

• Hall 2: Art after 1945 and Contemporary art

• Hall 3: Classic Modern and Contemporary art

• Hall 4: ContemporaryArt21

The fair experience is enhanced by the Sculpture Areas, which are interspersed among the galleries’ stands and rank among art KARLSRUHE’s unmistakable unique selling points.

art KARLSRUHE celebrates sculpture

In keeping with the outdoor sculpture garden, which is sponsored by the Vollack Group, the theme of sculpture is also of great importance inside the halls. “This year there will be no fewer than 26 Sculpture Areas”, says art KARLSRUHE’s curator and founding father Ewald Karl Schrade. On the occasion of the fair’s 20th anniversary, the free zones, each with an area of 100 square metres, can be experienced in all four halls for the first time this year.

The programme of the galleries is broad, and so too is the spectrum of three-dimensional art: it runs from figurative Contemporary positions to outstanding examples of Concrete art. For example, Villa de Arte Galleries (Barcelona) will present the austere yet imaginative sculptures of Arik Levi (Hall 1), while Herbert Mehler’s steel sculptures, which are characterised by their disciplined design, will be on display at the Sculpture Area of DIE GALERIE (Frankfurt) in Hall 3.

Another real eye-catcher is the installation by the Karlsruhe-based artist Fahar Al-Salih (Yvonne Hohner Contemporary). With a height of 5.5 metres, a width of five metres and a length of eight metres, his work “The Cage” combines some 600 bird cages to create one of the largest artworks at this year’s Sculpture Areas. As a bridge builder between cultures, this several-metre-tall structure reflects the issue of homeland as a question and a quest.

Another Sculpture Area presents “mirror mirror on the... throne” by the artist Nicole Doth (Galerie Hühsam). As its name suggests, the installation is a mirrored throne. The artist’s choice of mirror as a material transforms a functional object into an interpretive space that, like the mirror itself, invites reflection. Doth’s series of artworks questions power and claims to power in accord with this artist’s personal credo: “don’t be afraid of art”.

Political positions at art KARLSRUHE

“Is a stand at an art fair allowed to be socially critical?” This is the question posed by Galerie Schacher – Raum für Kunst. If the Stuttgart-based gallery’s owners Katrin and Marko Schacher have their way, this question can undoubtedly be answered in the affirmative. They believe that art should not only be colourful and aesthetic, but also thought-provoking, and that is why the gallery is dedicating a One-Artist-Show to the young artist Joséphine Sagna, whose large-format, concrete, colourful, expressive and lively paintings address her experiences and emotions as a Black woman in a predominantly white society.

In addition to sustainability, war is also an important theme in the galleries’ programme. For example, Galerie J. J. Heckenhauer, which is participating in art KARLSRUHE for the first time this year, is presenting works by the Ukrainian artist Sergii Chaika. “We procured paint and canvas for Sergii Chaika in December 2022. These art supplies, which are difficult to obtain due to the war in Ukraine, enabled him to keep painting in his studio, even under the most adverse circumstances, such as power outages and heating failures”, explains Roger Sonnewald, who belongs to the sixth generation of the family that runs Galerie J. J. Heckenhauer in Munich.

The Karlsruhe Centre for Art and Media (ZKM) is also showing political art at this year’s fair, including works by the Ukrainian media artists Alina Bukina and Anna Manankina. Both were artists-in-residence at the ZKM for several months last year after the outbreak of the war. The online platform “antiwarcoalition.art”, which collects, shares and distributes artists’ statements against the war worldwide, will also be presented.

From special show to talk format: the supporting programme

In addition to the SWR2 Messetalk and the LBBW Monopol Talk, the ARTIMA art meeting will once again take place. This year’s symposium, which is open to the public, includes six lectures that combine the fair’s anniversary with the aspect of sustainability. The speakers include the action artist HA Schult and the renowned sustainability experts Stefanie and Uwe Voigt (University of Augsburg) as well as art KARLSRUHE’s curator Ewald Karl Schrade. Elsewhere, too, the fair bears the signature of its founding father more than ever. As a token of appreciation for his many years of dedication, Karlsruhe Trade Fair Centre is dedicating the traditional special show to the art collection of its originator and longstanding curator, Ewald Karl Schrade.

Award ceremonies are also part of art KARLSRUHE. In addition to the Hans Platschek Prize for Art and Writing and the art KARLSRUHE Prize of the City of Karlsruhe and the State of Baden-Württemberg for the best One-Artist Show, the Loth Sculpture Prize, which is sponsored by the L-Bank, will once again be awarded.

Art enjoyment in the city and region

It is not only inside the exhibition halls that art can be enjoyed from 4 to 7 May. Parallel to art KARLSRUHE, numerous other art events will likewise be taking place in and around Karlsruhe, the UNESCO City of Media Arts. For example, the Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe, whose main building has been closed for renovations for more than a year, will display paintings and sculptures from the late Middle Ages to the present at the ZKM. Also at the ZKM: the “Renaissance 3.0” exhibition, which deals with the increasing scientification of art.

With “P for Performance: All about us”, the Badischer Kunstverein offers exciting insights into the work of the artist Maja Bekan. This exhibition opens another chapter in the discourse on various performative practices at the Kunstverein and includes all of the works that Bekan has created to date.

On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of art KARLSRUHE, the “after art party” likewise returns. On Saturday, 6 May (starting at 8 p.m.) and Sunday, 7 May (starting at 1 p.m.), the party’s organiser Shahrokh Dini invites everyone to the Hirschhof in Karlsruhe to end the week of the fair in style and with live music.