The listed factory halls on the Böhler site serve as a historical playing field for contemporary art, presented by 108 galleries – including many leading dealers from the Rhineland. A total of 20 from Düsseldorf utilize the marketplace in front of their own doorstep, twelve come from Cologne. Among the 32 foreign participants, some are traveling from far away – from the USA and South Africa, Korea and Kuwait. As in 2024, the fair focuses on art from Japan. Düsseldorf, with its large Japanese community, is the ideal location for this.
Art talks are also part of the program of Art Düsseldorf: The entrepreneur Jan Fischer has established the new Weststern Prize for art associations and a significant prize money of 90,000 euros. In September, the award will be given in three categories: best annual concept, outstanding solo exhibition, and social engagement. 13 art associations are nominated for the "Weststern." The significance they have as a showcase for young positions and programmatic approaches will be discussed on April 11 at 3 p.m.
The Julia Stoschek Collection shows works by Simon Fujiwara at its booth, who was born in 1982 as the son of a British mother and a Japanese father in London and made headlines a few years ago when he reconstructed the Anne Frank House at the Kunsthaus Bregenz. The Düsseldorf basedonart gallery features Takako Saito in its program. A home game, so to speak, as the 96-year-old Japanese woman has been living and working in the state capital for nearly half a century. In the fair booth, one will be able to admire her "Performance Panty," adorned with small white cubes.
In addition to the Japanese focus, there are again sculpture spaces for partly large-format works and another section for solo shows and special projects. New is a department dedicated to the medium of paper: Among the six exhibitors is gallery owner Martin Kudlek from Cologne, who already focused on paper works at the last Art Cologne. In Düsseldorf, he will present Simon Schubert – the Cologne artist "draws" by folding, creasing large sheets of paper, thus giving them sculptural qualities.
The Art Düsseldorf does not want to jumble together; it places value on sorting the offerings and setting focal points in sections supervised by different curators – including thematic ones. For example, Linda Peitz gathers artists under the keyword "Tales of Transformation," who engage with sustainability, climate change, and resources. Like Iulian Bisercaru from Romania, who is represented by Anca Poterasu from Bucharest with his large colorful paintings. Bright green and rampant exoticism rarely stand on their own here. Everywhere, humanity intervenes and disturbs the grown harmony with its interventions and remnants. But there is also reason to celebrate: With the Ludorff Gallery, a jubilee enters the halls. And as a guest of honor for the 50th, a proud black plaster poodle by Katharina Fritsch is invited into the booth.
