COLOGNE, GERMANY.- Art Cologne, the 38th International Fair for Modern and Contemporary Art 2004, opens today until November 1. The art fair is full of surprises. Even the entrance area immediately engages the visitor in art. Here Micha Kuball has designed a large-scale installation called Public Entrance which connects the entrance area to the interior and the exhibition space. Right away Kuball's work points to the vitality of the changes at ART COLOGNE. People from every background, every profession and every age-group are warmly welcomed and each new arrival is treated as something of a VIP.

Fair layout has been completely revamped. The big names in the international art trade are still in their traditional slots in the central area. Important New York dealers PaceWildenstein have been persuaded to return after a gap of some years. Sharing a stand with Michael Schultz (Berlin), they'll be showing a monumental piece by American sculptor Joel Shapiro.

Newcomers to the twentieth century section are Galerie G.A.M. (Monaco), with top paintings by Picasso and Fontana, and Robert Miller (New York), with classic work by Herbert List, Lee Krassner, Walker Evans and James Rosenquist.

African art and classical antiquities - The introduction of shared stands – Michael Werner/Weber, Orangerie-Reinz/Simonis and Dierking/Susanne Zander – is an intriguing innovation. Werner/Weber (Cologne) are expecting important synergies from showing paintings and sculpture by artists like Baselitz, Polke and Fautrier side by side with rare classical antiquities. Reinz-Orangerie (Cologne)/Simonis (Düsseldorf) are hoping for the same, showing paintings and sculpture from the 50s, 60s and 70s side by side with African tribal art. Cologne dealers Dierking, specialists in non-European art, and Susanne Zander, Outsider Art specialist, have put together a show which they call L’art des artistes – Wahlverwandschaften. The show puts Art Brut and African tribal art on the same stand, linking the aesthetic power of contemporary and traditional art and their roughly parallel historical impact.

It had always been claimed that it was impossible to exhibit African art and classical antiquities at a contemporary art fair like ART COLOGNE. But as ART COLOGNE Director Gérard A. Goodrow remarks, "The market defines the fair and not the other way round."

A special show at ART COLOGNE recalls a pioneering exhibition of the 1920s staged at the Galerie Nierendorf in Berlin. The Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum für Völkerkunde, Cologne, and the Anne and Jürgen Wilde Foundation are attempting an authentic reconstruction of this famous show with a display of African sculpture and Blossfeldt photographs.

Logical structure - Sponsored artists (now named New Talents) and video galleries have been integrated more closely into the structure of ART COLOGNE than in the past. New Talents and video presentations are located both on the ground floor and on the upper level, sometimes in contrast to and sometimes in line with stands showing exhibits by established artists. Being close to these stands encourages dialogue and promotes sales.

Content-wise, 'logical structure' (Goodrow) is needed to make ART COLOGNE accessible to everyone. Factors like who is exhibiting, whose stand is where, whose range of exhibits is likely to encourage across-the-aisle-discussion go to make up an easily accessible fair. Exhibitors are selected on the basis of "national recognition or international standing – or both." (Goodrow).

On the lower level of Hall 1 Swiss dealers Galerie im Park (showing works by Franz Gertsch), Berlin dealers SPHN (showing solid contemporary names) and Moscow-based dealers Galerie Regina (showing young Russian art) provide a new stimulus.

Quality improvements in the fringe sections - Yesterday's criticism and complaints about the poor quality of the fringe sections have been put right. A lot of work has gone into this. Goodrow: "We've brought in international dealers in these sections and with conspicuous success."

With 250 dealers from 22 countries, the percentage of foreign dealers has risen from 40 to 45 per cent. The ART Committee had to reject half of the dealers who applied, though not only for reasons of space.

Visitors can expect a fresh, imaginative and creative ART COLOGNE packed with highly desirable objects. Gérard A. Goodrow confidently promises all-comers "not just a wonderful market for art but also a real artistic experience." Like a museum, ART COLOGNE has "an educational role and we're making strenuous efforts to fulfil it," Goodrow asserts.