Christian and Karen Boros - ART COLOGNE prizewinners 2024

The passion for art and collecting has already accompanied Christian and Karen Boros for many years. Christian Boros was already interested in fine arts as a schoolboy and preferably visited galleries in Cologne in the 1980s. He acquired his first work, by Damien Hirst, at the UNFAIR, a special fair of ART COLOGNE. Karen Boros changed from a course of studies in psychology in Australia to art history and began to work for galleries in the Rhineland in the 1990s. The two met at the newcomer art fair Liste in Basel and have since compiled a grandiose collection of international contemporary art.

The Boros couple opened the bunker in Berlin in 2008. They presented their private collection of contemporary art there in changing exhibitions. The two transformed the bunker, once a shelter from the Second World War, into a unique art location. The rough walls and the impressive feeling of space provide a unique backdrop for their collection, which encompasses more than 1,000 works by more than 183 international artists. More than 780,000 visitors have already experienced the exhibitions since the opening.

The Boros Collection #4 is currently showing 114 works by 27 artists whose work revolves around the human body. The exhibition offers an intense experience, in which irritation and fascination go hand in hand.

In 2010, Christian and Karen Boros also founded the DISTANZ Verlag, which publishes books on contemporary art, architecture and design. With the STUDIO BERLIN exhibition in the famous Berghain techno club, the couple offered a cultural highlight in difficult times as of September 2020. There they showed more than 100 works of art created during the corona period.

From 7 to 10 November 2024, ART COLOGNE invites those interested in art from around the world to Cologne to discover, experience and buy for the 57th time.

In the course of this event, Christian und Karen Boros will be officially honoured with the ART COLOGNE Prize for art communication, which is endowed with 10,000 Euro, on 8 November 2024 at 10:00 a.m. in the Historic City Hall of Cologne. In addition to this, the couple will be guests of ART COLOGNE in the context of an ARTtalk on the same day at 4:00 p.m. DISTANZ VERLAG will also be represented at ART COLOGNE with a book stand.

You can find more detailed information on this year's prizewinners in our press information .