Art Karlsruhe brings together over 200 galleries from 13 countries.
Photo: Art Karlsruhe via Facebook

While the city of Karlsruhe may be better as the seat of Germany’s Federal Constitutional Court rather than its art scene, its annual art fair, Art Karlsruhe, is in fact the country’s top performer in terms of sales volume.

In its 13th edition this year, the fair brings together 211 galleries from 13 countries, although Art Karlsruhe is characterized primarily by a strong presence of regional galleries from all over Germany. It thus offers a survey of Germany’s lively art scene, away from the traditional cultural centers of Berlin and the Rhine region.

As such, it draws a very wide range of collectors from all around Germany, neighboring France and even some interested visitors from nearby Austria and Switzerland. All in all, organizers say they expect ca. 50,000 visitors over the fair’s five day period to admire and, ideally, buy works spanning over 100 years.

The fair attracts many regional German galleries.
Photo: Art Karlsruhe via Facebook

The exhibitor list includes renowned galleries such as Galerie Utermann, from Dortmund who are bringing works by German expressionists such as Max Pechstein and Emil Nolde; and the Karlsruhe and Berlin-based Meyer Riegger, with works by Meuser, Franz Ackermann, and Daniel Roth.

Hailing from farther afield, the Austrian gallery Ernst Hilger, Vienna are bringing Austrian abstraction such as Franz Grabmayr and Hans Staudacher, as well as works by American pop art icon Mel Ramos. Meanwhile, the Salzburg-based 2CforArt are exhibiting a solo presentation by emerging Swiss artist Florian Fausch.

This year the fair also includes a total of 19 “sculptural places” that founding director and curator Ewald Karl Schrade strategically placed around the fair.

Organizers expect 50,000 visitors over the fair’s five day period.
Photo: Art Karlsruhe via Facebook

The sculptural interventions include works by Madeleine Dietz shown by Galerie Georg Nothelfer and Galerie Linde Hollinger; Peter Lang shown by Galerie Keller; and Herbert Mehler, shown by Tammen & Partner. In addition, 179 artists solo presentations round off the show.

To complement the galleries, organizers have also put together special exhibitions including a show by the Kirchner Museum, Davos featuring paintings, prints and little-seen photographs by the German expressionist Ernst Ludwig Kirchner. Away from the exhibition hall, the Messmer Foundation organized an exhibition of works by the Swiss modernist painter André Evard.

Art Karlsruhe is open to the public from February 18 – 21.