The art fair has taken root, with visitor numbers exceeding 30,000 for the first time.

When the 2006 art KARLSRUHE closed its doors on March 12, it had registered another increase in visitor figures. Just under 31,900 visitors came to the four-day art fair in the Karlsruhe exhibition halls. Last year, as many as 29,000 people visited art KARLSRUHE, which debuted in 2004 with an impressive 20,500 guests.

“art KARLSRUHE has taken root and found its place on the German art market,” concluded Gerald Böse, spokesman for the managing directors of Karlsruhe trade fair organiser KMK. “The significant quality enhancement which we aimed to achieve in 2006 proved successful. This was recognised by visitors and confirmed by all the exhibitors.” In view of the large number of exhibitors who came to art KARLSRUHE with works of classic modern art, his colleague Claus Hähnel stated: “Karlsruhe has become the home of the Classic Modern.”

Success for classic modern art

Classic Modern was very strongly represented at art KARLSRUHE 2006 and sales figures show that the fair’s decision to move in this direction was the right one. Top-class works by Julius Bissier, Otto Dix, Erich Heckel, Karl Hofer and Hermann Max Pechstein, for example, were sold at prices between 100,000 and 500,000 euros.

Munich-based Rieder Gallery, which came to art KARLSRUHE for the first time this year, sold a picture by Karl Hofer to a major private collection. Hans Maulberger from Munich, another first-time exhibitor at art KARLSRUHE, was also satisfied with his sales. “This was a successful start. Our sales included works by Emil Schumacher and Rolf Cavael and we will certainly return next year.”

Good business in Karlsruhe

But works of contemporary art also found both an audience and buyers at art KARLSRUHE. “Right from the opening event, we did very good business,” said, for example, Kuno Schlichtenmaier, Grafenau/Stuttgart, with great satisfaction. He is a gallery owner who exhibited at art KARLSRUHE for the first time and sold not only a key work by Emil Schumacher dating from 1959 for 48,000 euros but also numerous works by his young artists. “There is a good response here. We were able to initiate a lot of business – including for young contemporary art. Here in Karlsruhe, I like the curiosity shown by visitors in this particular respect,” was the résumé made by Kuno Schlichtenmaier. Albert Baumgarten and Erhard Witzel, Freiburg/Wiesbaden, were represented at art KARLSRUHE with a joint stand and summarised their business in extremely successful terms; they made sales of about 60,000 euros, including sculptures by Walter Moroder and works by Erwin Gross, Ottmar Hörl and Fritz Klemm. Messrs. Baumgarten and Witzel were pleased most by the fact that 60 percent of their buyers at art KARLSRUHE 2006 were new customers. “We were able to establish excellent new contacts and are very satisfied with the fair,” was their unanimous opinion. Edwin Vömel from Düsseldorf was also in a very good mood. His exhibits included kinetic works by sculptor Jörg Wiele, and he and his artist made sales worth some 200,000 euros during the first two days of the fair alone.

Exhibitors praise visitors

159 galleries from 13 countries took part in art KARLSRUHE. At the preview and vernissage, to which 9,700 people came, and at the weekend, both exhibition halls saw large crowds. “Quite honestly, I did not expect so many visitors as early as the opening evening,” said Stuttgart gallery owner Angelika Harthan. Together with the attractiveness of the spacious halls, she also praised the high level of visitor quality. “I am pleased to see so many professional visitors and also interested newcomers. Here in Karlsruhe there is a particularly good public.” This view was shared by many of her colleagues at art KARLSRUHE 2006, including Hans Mayer from Düsseldorf who met a lot of old collectors whom he had not seen for a long time, and Marie-José van de Loo from Munich who was "very impressed by the visitors, who are people seriously interested in art. It is a real pleasure to be here.” Wolfgang Henze from Henze & Ketterer in Wichtrach/Berne, who exhibited at art KARLSRUHE for the first time, emphasised that he could also address the French public from Karlsruhe. “The French market is very attractive. And France has long been more than just Paris. South-East France can be approached well from Karlsruhe."

Review of the "art meeting"

Organised in 2006 for the first time, the art meeting welcomed prestigious participants and offered a very wide variety of internal views of the art market. It was attended by collector Harald Falckenberg, museum director Max Hollein, the publisher of “Art” magazine Axel Hecht, gallery owner Kuno Schlichtenmaier, the managing director of the German Culture Council Olaf Zimmermann, chairwoman of the Baden Art Society Angelika Stepken and the President of the Nuremberg Academy of Art Ottmar Hörl. Chaired by journalist Dorothee Baer-Bogenschütz, the panel of experts talked about their view of the “operating system of art” on two consecutive days. The subsequent panel discussions met with enthusiastic audience participation on both occasions.

Next fair

The results of the visitor poll at art KARLSRUHE show a very positive assessment of the fair by the public, with its programme of classic modern art and works of contemporary art. 95 percent of those asked were very satisfied and planned to come again next year.

art KARLSRUHE 2007 will be held in the Karlsruhe exhibition halls from 22 to 25 March 2007.