Last Monday, we were invited to the Gesellschaft für Moderne Kunst in Cologne to discuss local issues such as Cologne's declining image as an art city, global issues such as if and when Paris will replace London as the capital of the European art trade, and whether Art Basel might seek its centre in Paris, as well as the art market in general and its ... read more
Consumer advocates are a special breed. Especially when they are organised in small units and yet have enormous influence on politics and public opinion through the press. It's nice when a warning lawyer or association threatens the supposedly economically stronger. Now it seems to be directed against the concept of 'independence' of insurance brokers. They are supposedly not independent because they receive commission for their ... read more
Brandenburg – the state that includes Berlin's commuter belt – has voted: only four parties will be represented in the state parliament. The Left, the Greens, the Free Voters are all out, and a party with 40 members in the state has received more than 13% of the vote without a really visible programme. BSW, controlled by the resurrected Rosa Luxemburg in the form of ... read more
The heavens pour down over southern Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic and Poland. The deluge causes rivers to swell and it is possible that Brandenburg will experience flooding before the elections, pushing the transport capacity of the Oder to its limits. The migrants can't be held responsible for the flood. Let's hope that the culture and its buildings along the rivers remain.Cologne's head of the ... read more
This week, I am leaving the pen entirely in the hands of Stefan Kobel, who has intensively studied and commented on the press coverage of the art market.The staff in our office are happy to answer your questions. On that note, have a constructive weekStephan Zilkens and the team at Zilkens Fine Art Insurance Broker GmbH in Solothurn and Cologne read more
In some parts of Germany today, it feels like waking up with a proper hangover. In 1989, the people of the GDR shouted ‘wir sind das Volk’ and achieved the incredible: the Berlin Wall fell and Germany was reunified. Today in Thuringia and Saxony, almost 50% of the almost 75% of those eligible to vote have opted for parties that pursue a different political concept ... read more