Art lovers present their fair favorites

With the digital collections of art market experts—“Expert's Choice”—Galerieplatform_DE shows highlights of ART COLOGNE 2022

Lisa Zeitz, Photo: Catherine Peter

When physical fair operations came to a standstill during the coronavirus pandemic, ART COLOGNE launched its digital Galerieplatform_DE last year. With the support of the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media (BKM), a new venue for art education and international networking was created as part of the NEUSTART KULTUR program.

Those who step through the online portal will find an all-new

For the second time this year, the online sales platform will provide an early glimpse into the galleries’ curated spaces.

From September 20 to 30, 2022, around 600 paintings, sculptures, photographs, drawings, and digital artworks will be on offer there. Those who step through the online portal will find an all-new look with a variety of navigation options. The subdivision into collections, including “Classical Modernism,” “Women Artists,” and “NFT,” provides orientation aids and facilitates searches for works. For a more personal approach, another exciting feature has been developed: Expert’s Choice. What excites people who are active in the art world as collectors, curators, and journalists? Which works do they consider highlights of ART COLOGNE 2022?

Eric Sidner, Breathing Heart, 2022 | Credit: Foto: Ulrich Gebert / courtesy the artist and Deborah Schamoni

Seven art market experts clicked through the plethora of works and put together their own digital collections. Weltkunst editor-in-chief Lisa Zeitz lets us partake in her penchant for still lifes. In Zeitz’s selection, Conny Maier’s contemporary painting “Zitronen Schale” from 2022 (Ruttkowski;68, price on request) joins Isaak Soreau’s Old Master still life with apricots and grapes in a Chinese Wanli porcelain bowl from c. 1620/1630 (Floris van Wanroij Fine Art, 110,000 euros). She is particularly impressed by an exceptional work she discovered at Deborah Schamoni: Eric Sidner’s “Breathing Heart” from 2022 (40,000 euros).

“This sculpture by the American artist is so absurd, a bit trendy, a bit creepy, a mixture of dentures, ceiling lamp, and baroque monstrance. I look at it again and again and still find it surprising.”

Lisa Zeitz, Editor in chief
WELTKUNST

Isaak Soreau, A Still Life of Apricots and Grapes in a “Wan-li” porcelain Bowl, ca. 1620/1630 | Credit: courtesy Floris van Wanroij Fine Art

Art under 5,000 euros

The other six experts include collectors Bettina Böhm and Andrea von Goetz und Schwanenfliess; collectors Christian Boros and Gil Bronner; artist, curator, and art journalist Kenny Schachter; and art market journalist Stefan Kobel.

Anyone who finds what they are looking for online can contact the galleries directly without an intermediary. The price range of the pieces on sale ranges from art under 5,000 euros to high-priced works, so-called blue chips.

Text: Sophie Angelov