Cologne: Students receive awards at Art Cologne
Cologne –
In the midst of established professional artists from all over the world, the next generation from Cologne also presents itself at Art Cologne. Several students from the Art Academy for Media (KHM) show their theses: pictures, installations, animations and videos.
“They are now being released into the independent art scene,” said Heike Ander, KHM curator, proudly referring to a seven-part large-format photo series by Max Dauven on the wall and an elaborate installation including several video projections inside Karen Zimmermann’s stand. “She will be awarded the Chargesheimer scholarship on December 1st in the Artothek and immediately invested the prize money in a new piece of work that will then be shown for the first time.”
New look for the Kölsch bar
In addition, an artistically designed 0.2 liter Kölsch glass has always been in focus for ten years. A competition by the Gaffel Brewery has been part of the art fair’s program since 2012 and encourages KHM students to design a new look for the Kölsch bar. Since the Art Cologne was completely canceled last year, two award winners now had to be honored. For 2020 it was Sina Guntermann and for 2021 Lenia Friedrich.
“It’s amazing what can be discussed on the small area of a Kölsch glass,” said Daniel Hug, head of Art Cologne, in his laudatory speech. “That looks really well done with both of them and I really like it.” KHM representative Ander and Sebastian Lenninghausen, Gaffel’s product manager, saw it similarly. “Kölsch and art go well together, especially since the brewery is positioning itself socio-politically and culturally in the city with the competition,” it said.
Guntermann had put the picture of a freshly tapped Kölsch under two glass bells – based on a similar representation of the original kilo in Paris – and thus, according to Hug, “pointed out the cheerful self-love of the Cologne people”. Friedrich had turned the glass into a champagne flute by coloring it black and thus put the top-fermented beer on the level of a noble drink. Both winners, whose designs now also adorn the gaff glasses in a limited edition, were each awarded a 1111 euro check by Lenninghausen.