Kolumba Kunstmuseum

We live at a time that allows us little room for manoeuvre. Much is out of joint, and not only since the pandemic; the foundations we thought we could rely on are coming apart at the seams. Things appear strange and have lost all sense of proportion. Numbers and facts prevail, shaping our personal experiences and predominating in images that go well beyond reasonable limits. It is all the more important that reason informs political action, yet the will to power is taking its place as autocratic tendencies gather pace along with unbridled greed for money and influence, with as yet unforeseen consequences. Although during and after times of crisis, culture matters more than ever in order to give every society a meaningful identity and every person a sense of security, as cultural players we have our backs to the wall. Along with education and science, expenditure on culture is being cut everywhere – also in the case of Kolumba. The intention of our annual exhibition is to make a statement about the systematic importance of art in a functioning democracy. We delve into the painful issues of the present day and at the same time evoke freedom of thought, collaborative social processes and the playfulness and power of utopia – in the face of mounting threats. Both religion and art offer spiritual experiences in their own ways, which can deliver pastoral care and provide support. This applies to our task, which we formulate in the words of Joseph Beuys on a board at the start of this year’s exhibition: »Jeder Mensch ist ein Künstler « – every human being is an artist – it says, » make the secrets productive « !

We could certainly manage to live in the absence of objects. But it is doubtful that we would be able to remember anything without them. Have you got some particular thing at home that owes its significance to a memory you attach to it? The objects exhibited here are precisely such vehicles of emotional meaning. Whether banal, unassuming or works of art – one might describe them as remnants, vestiges or relics. For in effect, they bear witness. The objects refer to the unseeable: times lived through, memorable experiences, past locations. They are storage facilities in the sense of batteries or aggregator platforms; stories have been deposited in them, although we don’t realise this at first glance. All the objects assembled in this exhibition are connected with Kolumba. They were brought together by the people who work for the museum – above all, by Stefan Kraus, who has helped to shape the institution as a co-curator since 1991. In 2008, he became its director. The objects belong to a branch of the collection that developed on the fringens of the institution, so to speak, and meantime has grown to 74 items to date. Le Musée sentimental de Kolumba has an important forerunner which is connected with both Cologne as well as Stefan Kraus’ biography. Cologne Kunstverein was the place where Daniel Spoerri and Marie-Louise von Plessen presented their Musée sentimental de Cologne in 1979. At the invitation of Wulf Herzogenrath, the director at that time and later mentor to Stefan Kraus, they installed a temporary museum about the history of the City of Cologne. The exhibits were remnants with the aura of relics fostered by their respective story and the manner of presentation. In alphabetical order from A(denauer) to Z(oo), Spoerri and von Plessen devised a collection of Cologne events, whereby their selection was less indebted to historical relevance than to a wealth of anecdotes. Instead of relaying the grand accounts of important personages, they accumulated small subjective snapshots. On the occasion of Stefan Kraus’ retirement, we have selected 25 objects from the Musée sentimental de Kolumba. These have been augmented by 10 additional works from our holdings and one work on loan. Together they tell the story of the founding and development of Kolumba, vividly representing what has shaped us and still keeps us alive to this day.

by Anna-Sophie Mahler and Viola Köster with the Cologne Cathedral Choir and the experimental choir Alte Stimmen Premiere: Saturday, November 29, 2025, 7:30 p.m. If urban planning were a concert, what would it sound like, the livable city of the future? How do you sing about “bridge renovation” and “transformation,” how do you intone “shading strategy”? And which voices herald ecological change? We talk to people from the construction industry and urban development, to economists, futurologists, and activists about the existing plans for a sustainable Cologne—and about the resistance they encounter. The original recordings thus obtained are used to create a musical theater piece by Cologne residents for Cologne, a concert of voices for three actresses, two Cologne choirs, and a city of the future. “For we have no lasting place here, but seek the future,” says Johannes Brahms' Requiem, sung by the Cologne Cathedral Choir, echoing from the dilapidated city walls. Director Anna-Sophie Mahler is a specialist in weaving together research material and music. She became known for her production of Mittelreich at the Munich Kammerspiele, which was invited to the Berlin Theatertreffen in 2016. Most recently, her production of Tennessee Williams' Camino Real at the Volkstheater Wien, with the band Calexico live on stage, was a huge success. The performance takes place at several locations throughout the building and lasts about 1 1/2 hours. Afterwards, Kolumba remains open for free tours until 10 p.m. On the days of the performance, Kolumba is open exclusively for visits to the play.