Zilkens'
News Blog

Zilkens' News Blog 10 2026

There are weekends that change the world. The last one was one of those! Of course, the ayatollahs and their henchmen dislike differing opinions and love to stir up conflict. Now the hydra has been beheaded – but how quickly will new heads grow back? According to statements, Iranian drones should no longer be directed against Ukraine – the country now wants to use them itself and is firing indiscriminately. For those of us far away, it is becoming increasingly difficult to tell which news is true and which is false. It will certainly also be exciting for the galleries participating in ARCO in Madrid this week – will the slowly rising mood continue? Or are there problematic omens for TEFAF? What will happen to Art Dubai, which is set to open in April – the airport is currently closed! The Venice Biennale is expecting a number of works from Asian countries in May – trade routes do not seem safe from attack. The mullahs' brood is still operating and putting global trade flows at risk. Truly, these are not easy times.

Last Monday, the jury met for the first selection of scholarship recipients for ‘Support Artists in Exile Cologne’. This was only possible via Zoom, because one of the jurors was in Kyiv to welcome the heads of European states expected there on 24 February with an art installation. Leisa Khomenko had painted a trench through which everyone had to pass from the tracks to the cars. We were also allowed to see it – and it is a pity that this integration of art did not find any resonance in Western reporting. Wreaths and candles are probably the most that public broadcasters are willing to show? Anyway, the scholarship holders who will be able to use a studio in Cologne from March and are preparing an exhibition for 1 June are: Anas Kahal and Majd Suliman from Syria. We are excited to see what they come up with. Applications for the next rounds starting on 1 July and 1 October are now being accepted at application@artistsinexile.de.

BAFIN is supposed to supervise the insurance industry – now there is also a conduct of business supervisory authority – to be honest, a terrible term, because it sounds – and forgive me for using such strong language – like a state-mandated call for bootlicking, a skill that is well documented in German history. The intention is actually a good one: insurers should behave well towards their customers and be transparent and fair in their pricing and terms and conditions. They are also allowed to factor in profits – but not too much, according to the head of BAFIN. That sounds strange to me, as long as we do not live in a socialist authoritarian state, but still uphold the free market economy. Making money is not a bad thing, Madam Head of Office; ultimately, it also helps to keep the community running.

The use of language is now also a topic of interest to Pioneer and FAZ – Pioneer made it their cover story at the weekend: What can you still say? Between censorship and hatred – the dilemma of the Germans (language). No one remembers Sigmund Freud and his explanations of the function of jokes anymore – they reduce the potential for aggression because they rise above otherness and thus prove one's own apparent superiority. Jokes serve as an outlet – just as dressing up in different skin and social colours for carnival has nothing to do with cultural appropriation. But in Cologne, there are no more Negerköpp and no more Indians ... .

Of course, the wallet is a driving force for human performance that should not be underestimated. Insurance brokers are now independent by definition because they evaluate the products of many different risk carriers for their customers and make appropriate recommendations. They are usually paid by brokerage fees, which are part of the premiums – in this respect they are the same as single-company representatives – but only in this respect, because as a broker you are an administrator in insurance matters for your customers – this has been established by the Federal Constitutional Court and is therefore within the customer's sphere of risk. Consumer protection advocates and German courts do not want to see the subtle difference. Presumably, their own greed is part of the basis on which they insist on viewing the services provided by us and our counterparts as not independent. In any case, the following applies to us: no matter how much commission an insurer offers, if its product and claims settlement are not up to standard, we will not recommend its solutions to our clients. That is what I call independence.

With this in mind, we all hope for a speedy resolution to the conflicts that surround us.

Yours sincerely, Stephan Zilkens and the team at Zilkens Fine Art Insurance Broker GmbH in Solothurn and Cologne