Since its founding in 2004, art KARLSRUHE has been the annual kick-off for Germany’s art fair season and draws in a unique set of German, Swiss, and French collectors to the culturally rich region of southeastern Germany. Now in its 17th year, the 2020 edition of the fair will bring an international set of more than 200 modern and contemporary galleries along with some special features. If you’re in town, here’s what to be sure to see.

An Indoor Sculpture Garden

Jörg Bach, Untitled. Courtesy of art KARLSRUHE.

One of art KARLSRUHE’s defining features is its focus on large-scale sculpture—and this year proves no exception with a full 20 areas throughout the fair devoted solely to sculpture. Among these will be a special in-door sculpture garden focusing on large-scale works presented at the fair’s the central atrium. Drawing even more emphasis to the three-dimensional medium, sculptors Olaf Metzel and Vera Röhm will come together for a special conversation with gallerist Christian K. Scheffel as part of the annual ARTIMA art meeting, the fair’s annual two-day symposium. 

A Glimpse Into a Premier Private Print Collection 

Heinz Mack, Kleine Expression (2018), from the Hans-Peter Haas Collection. Courtesy of Hans-Peter Haas. Photograph by Jurgen Burckhardt.

Visitors will be offered a special glimpse into the remarkable Hans-Peter Haas print collection. A printmaker himself, Haas has been one of the most well-regarded masters of the medium for over half a century, calling everyone from Salvador Dalí to Max Ernst to the ZERO artists his clients. “Hans-Peter Haas is the printer for artists—and the artist among printers,” said painter and sculptor Heinz Mack. This special exhibition brings together a curated selection of the prints owned by Haas, by artists from Franz Ackermann to Victor Vasarely.

Museum Mile

Photo credit: KME Karlsruhe Marketing und Event GmbH | Photo: ARTIS – Uli Deck

A “mile” might be a bit of a stretch, but this sizable feature of the fair is a unique platform for local museums and cultural institutions to promote their upcoming exhibitions and programming to an international audience—and an excellent place for visitors to find out what to do outside of the fair. More than 40 selected institutions in Karlsruhe’s cultural landscape will participate in the 2020 fair, along with a selection of cultural institutions from nearby France and Switzerland.

art KARLSRUHE  takes place February 13–16, 2020 at Messe Karlsruhe, Messeallee 1, Rheinstetten, Germany. Hours are 11:00 –7:00 p.m. daily.