The Kölnischer Kunstverein has been presenting contemporary art of the day since 1839. Many of the artists exhibited at an early stage - for example, Hans Arp (1919) or Paul Klee (1932) - have become established masters in the history of art. Exhibitions such as "Happening und Fluxus" (1970) wrote exhibition history.
In recent times the Kölnischer Kunstverein has again and again shown outstanding artists together with promising talented painters in a fascinating mix. Thus for almost 180 years the Kunstverein has made a unique contribution to the question: what is new art? The "Brücke", built by Wilhelm Riphahn in 1949/50 in Hahnenstrasse, serves not only as an exhibition venue for the Kölnischer Kunstverein, but also as a space for projects, offices, ten refurbished artists' studios, an artist's flat, a lecture/events hall and a cinema that the Kunstverein shares with Filmclub 813.
The studio project to support young artists in Cologne has been in existence since 2003. The Kunstverein offers ten studios rent-free to artists, charging them only a small fee to cover utility costs. The main objective is to give artists a specific incentive to stay in or move to Cologne in order to safeguard the vitality of the city as a centre of the arts even in times of high rents and difficult living conditions.
For further information regarding special exhibitions please visit the homepage.
