Scent of Dissent

The world’s oldest modern-and contemporary-art fair is forging ahead despite recent turmoil. Art Cologne, which was founded in 1967, held its latest edition from April 16 to 20—the last under its director of five years, Gérard Goodrow. Months before the event, several prominent German dealers had complained of its “bitter loss of status,” prompting the appointment of the L.A. gallerist Daniel Hug as Goodrow’s replacement on May 1.

The Germans weren’t alone in their dissatisfaction. London-based dealer Kenny Schachter criticized the recent edition with the following statement, which surfaced on several well-trafficked Web sites: “[A]fter the marathon 10-hour opening and nearly weeklong fair…we have sold absolutely nothing.” Schachter’s experience, however, wasn’t shared by all 249 exhibitors, who welcomed some 55,000 visitors. Jörg Paal, the director of Munich’s Galerie Thomas, one of the fair’s founding dealers, is optimistic about recent structural changes, such as bigger booths. “Cologne was all right for us this year,” says Paal, pointing to a 1961 abstract work, by German painter Heinz Mack, which he sold for €150,000 ($238,000).

Not surprisingly, German artists, especially established ones, did well. Several abstract paintings by Gerhard Richter flew off booth walls. Munich’s Galerie Terminus sold one for $5.5 million, while Düsseldorf’s Schönewald Fine Arts parted with another for an undisclosed price. Galerie Terminus also sold a sizable 2007 bronze sculpture by the British artist Tony Cragg titled Good Face for €290,000 ($460,000). Terminus director Wilhelm J. Grusdat, who has participated in Art Cologne for seven years, says, “I haven’t had a bad year yet.” Like other dealers, he’s withholding judgment of the fair’s new director: “I’ll give him a year.”

"Scent of Dissent" originally appeared in the July 2008 issue of Art+Auction. For a complete list of articles from this issue available on ARTINFO, see Art+Auction's July 2008 Table of Contents.