Art Cologne overhaul

The board of directors of Art Cologne recently announced some major organizational and scheduling changes for the annual event, one of Europe's oldest and largest art fairs focused on modern and contemporary works. Art Cologne will now be restricted to 180 galleries. Previous installments had more than 220 exhibitors. In addition, this year's event, the 40th, taking place Nov. 1-5 in the city's cavernous K61nmesse, will be the last one held in the fall. Organizers hope to revitalize Art Cologne by moving it to the spring, when it will not compete with Paris's FIAC and London's Frieze fairs.

According to Art Cologne director Gerard A. Goodrow, the U.S.-born Cologne resident who was hired three years ago to revamp the event [see "Front Page," Dec. '04], the move is approved of by key international dealers and long-time participants in the fair, as well as by the Cologne art community and the local government, which has pledged greater support from museums and other municipal institutions. In 2007 the fair will be held Apr. 18-22 at the K61nmesse, displacing Cologne Fine Art, with its emphasis on antiques and old masters, and the museum design and services fair, Exponatec Cologne, both of which will occur Oct. 31-Nov. 4, 2007.

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