COLOGNE.- Art Cologne is this year celebrating its 50th edition since its founding as 'Kunstmarkt Köln' (Art Market Cologne) 1967. In addition to the first class field of participants with 218 international galleries and art dealers, collectors and art lovers can look forward to exciting looks back at a half a century of the art (market). An extensive anniversary publication, the FILM COLOGNE special event and an exhibition organised jointly by Mondriaan Fund, Flanders Arts Institute and Koelnmesse at Entrance South present highlights of the last five decades in art.

Anniversary publication 'Art Cologne 1967-2016. The First of all Art Fairs' The Zentralarchiv des Internationalen Kunsthandels (ZADIK e.V.) is presenting a special exhibition and a comprehensive anniversary publication of more than 400 pages for the trade fair. It reviews the diverse and multifaceted history of the 'International Art Market' year by year. The history of the world's first trade fair for modern and contemporary art is treated in detail with extensive texts, opulent images and many reproductions of documents and press reports. Quotes and contributions from important personalities and companions bring 50 years of the Cologne Art Market back to life. The publication is being presented by the Verlag Walther König (Cologne) and will be available at the trade fair in the ART COLOGNE-Shop or in bookstores for the price of 38.00 Euros. Walther König has been represented at ART COLOGNE without interruption since 1967. The publication will be presented by Prof Günter Herzog (ZADIK), Walther König (book store und publishing house Walther König) and Daniel Hug (Director of ART COLOGNE) at the ART COLOGNE Talks Lounge in hall 11 on Saturday, 16th April at 1 pm.

FILM COLOGNE: 'RHINE SCOPE' The FILM COLOGNE section introduced two years ago, which is dedicated exclusively to the medium of moving image art, will provide a review this anniversary year of five decades of film art extending into the present. The exhibition with the title 'RHINE SCOPE', curated by Philipp Fürnkäs, will show two significant works for each decade that have originated in the context of the influence of art production of the Rhine region. Going beyond the retrospective character of a selective look back, tendencies should be shown, with a focus on the contemporary tendencies of the last 20 years, that demonstrate the broad spectrum of the medium and more specifically illuminate a period in which the significance of the moving image has continuously increased, not only in the exhibition segment, but on the art market as a whole.

Special event 'Eins, zwei, Wechselschritt’ – 50 years of ART COLOGNE and the avant-garde in Contemporary Art in Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands' A special event at Entrance South of the trade fair takes a look at 50 years of exchange and the mutual influence among artists from Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. Under the title 'Eins, zwei, Wechselschritt – 50 years of ART COLOGNE and the avantgarde in Contemporary Art in Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands', one artist each from Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands, who were characteristic of the respective decade, will be presented in five sections. Presented will be works by Joseph Beuys, Marcel Broodthaers, Panamarenko, Georg Baselitz, Rosemarie Trockel, Marlène Dumas and Peter Buggenhout, among others. The sixth section refers to the year 2016 and presents three contemporary artists, Sine Van Menxel, Melanie Bonajo and Nora Schultz. The special event is curated by Ellen de Bruijne and Stella Lohaus, and is supported by the Mondriaan Fund, Flanders Arts Institute, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the General delegation of the Government of Flanders in Germany and Koelnmesse.