Kunsträume

In a former art gallery and studio in Colognes southern quarter, the Michael Horbach foundation opened a gallery called Kunsträume on May 1, 2011. Exhibits from the  contemporary art collection of the foundation founder Michael Horbach will be presented in several exhibition spaces. "I want the ´Kunsträume´ to be a place for meeting and discussions," says the initiator Michael Horbach. "It is important to me, that the visitors can take a look at art without any thresholds. Especially school classes and youth groups are cordially invited."

One room is reserved for the painting of the Cologne artist Heinz Zolper. Another exhibition space is dedicated to artists like Blalla Hallmann, Thomas Huber, Werner Wefers, Dieter Teusch and Peter Angermann, who have already been promoted and represented by Michael Horbachs former gallery.

The photographic collection "Achselhaare" ("Armpit Hair") has been exhibited inter alia under the title "The other side of beauty" (1995) at the Rheinisches Landesmuseum in Bonn and will now be shown in one of the gallery´s rooms.

The collection represents predominantly contemporary photography, especially from South America and Cuba. It is the foundation founder´s particular desire to introduce their creative and socio-critically view of the world and their living conditions to the visitor. Some of the represented artists benefit from the foundation´s support for years. The Columbian artist Lucana, the German photographer Bettina Flitner, the Mexican Flor Garduño. the Brazilian photographer Sebastião Salgado, as well as the Cuban photographers Raul Canibaño and Juan Carlos Alom have been awarded the photography award of the foundation.

Erotic photographies from artists like Helmut Newton, Jock Sturges, Olaf Martens and Thomas Karsten are presented in another exhibition room.