Zilkens' News Blog Archive

The Team welcomes the new year - Ungers Bibliotheque; Photo: Mike Christian

Zilkens' News Blog 2 2026

That's it for a peaceful start to the New Year – the American president has thrown a spanner in the works and pushed Russia's atrocities into the background for the time being. Maduro rigged the elections to stay in power (Trump is redrawing electoral districts), the Venezuelan state confiscated and nationalised the assets of American oil companies decades ago (the same thing is currently happening ... read more

William Kentridge, Dear Diary, Seen at Flokwang Museum, Foto: Stephan Zilkens

Zilkens' News Blog 1 2026

Now there are only three days left of the old year, and this week a new year begins. It is time to look back a little, also in an attempt to understand why so many things are currently moving in directions that are initially confusing. To do this, I need more lines than our readers are normally expected to read – but perhaps this time ... read more

St. Ludgeri Münster; Photo Stephan Zilkens

Zilkens' News Blog 52 2025

The fourth Sunday of Advent is over, and Christmas Eve is just three days away. The world around us has not become a better place this year. Putin continues to twist the truth when he claims that Ukraine started the war, drones continue to fly towards civilian targets, and people are freezing in the ruins that Russian henchmen have left them to live in. Negotiations ... read more

Support artists in exile e.V.- firts try with AI for an image

Zilkens' News Blog 51 2025

The world is not becoming more peaceful, and the conditions under which artists can work are not becoming more free – censorship, sales bans, obstructed publications, gallery closures and daily bombings are restricting the space in which art can develop in many places around the world. An association has now been founded in Cologne: Support Artists in Exile Cologne e.V., which will award studio grants ... read more

If it is about  (Fabergé) eggs German TV is coming. Photo Petter Börgers

Zilkens' News Blog 50 2025

Two more art weeklys from Stefan Kobel with commentary on the art market, and then Christmas arrives in the 52nd calendar week. According to the calendar, the first week of 2026 will begin on 29 December... Experienced readers of our news blog know that this is when Stefan Kobel's annual reviews are due. You can go on holiday with peace of mind, we will make ... read more

Christmas is beneath the underwear... - seen in Münster - Photo Stephan Zilkens

Zilkens' News Blog 49 2025

Advent, Advent, a little light... But what kind of light? The light of despair, anger, ignorance, or perhaps the hope that things will turn out for the best? In Giessen, a university town in the heart of Germany, the youth organisation of a proven right-wing extremist party is being founded, and in the course of this, speeches are being made that draw their vocabulary from ... read more