COLOGNE.- During ART COLOGNE 2009, the organizers of the Milwaukee International Art Fair will bring a unique four day event to the Kölnischer Kunstverein in Cologne: Dark Fair. Milwaukee International art fairs are an artistic response to the dominant art-fair mania. Dark Fair Cologne is a "miniature art fair". Taking its place alongside other experiments with the format such as the Unfair, 1992 and 1993, Cologne, the Dark Fair Cologne will feature diner-style booths and ban the use of day lighting and electric light. An international selection of galleries, non-profits and artists will display work custom to these conditions, using candlelight, flashlights, oil lamps, work that glows in the dark, light sculpture, battery powered video and unplugged performances. After the success of Dark Fair 2008 at the Swiss Institute in New York at the Kölnischer Kunstverein and ART COLOGNE invited Milwaukee international to host this 2nd edition at the Kölnischer Kunstverein.

Dark Fair will also feature a Video Night curated by Matthew Higgs, Submerging Artists, a group show of underwater sculpture and a red carpet project by Paul Druecke. Also, a special screening of Lars Laumann's Morissey Fortelling the Death of Diana presented by maureen Paley, a video screening curated by Julia Stoschek and DJ & nightly performances including Spencer Sweeney, Gavin Russom and more.

Milwaukee International is Nicholas Frank, Scott Reeder, John Riepenhoff, Elysia Borowy-Reeder and Tyson Reeder. Projects include the Milwaukee International Art Fair 2006 and 2008 in Milwaukee, Dark Fair 2008 in New York and the upcomping Ice Fair, taking place on a frozen lake in Winnipeg in 2011.

Participating Galleries
Ancient and Modern, London
Bas Fisher Invitational, Miami
CANADA, New York
China Art Objects, Los Angeles
Gavin Brown's Enterprise, New York
General Store/Club Nutz, Milwaukee
The Green Gallery, Milwaukee
Guido W. Baudach, Berlin
Inova, Milwaukee
Jack Hanley Gallery, San Francisco, New York
Leo Koenig, Inc., New York
Malmö Konsthall, Malmö
Misako & Rosen, Tokyo
New Jerseyy, Basel
Projects in Art and Theory, Cologne
Schmidt & Handrup, Cologne
Small A, New York
The Suburban, Oak Park
Tanzschule Projects, Munich
Track House, Chicago
Willy Wonka, Inc., Oslo
and more

Artists
Some of the artists that will be on display are Donald Baechler, Olaf Bruening, Santiago Cucullu, Martha Friedman, Gaylen Gerber, Rachel Harrison, Mary Heilmann, Andreas Hirsch, Jose Lerma, Tony Matelli, Rosalind Nashashibi amongst others.