Zilkens' News Blog

Zilkens' News Blog 17 2022

Europe has been lucky once again - the majority of winegrowers from Bordeaux who voted for Le Pen were unable to help her to victory; Macron managed to be elected President of France for the second time with just under 59%. He staged his entrance to the victory speech with Beethoven's Ode to Joy and, after a Iamthe-president-of-all-Frenchmen-and-women-and-many-thank-you speech, had the Marseillaise sung to him in the most beautiful alto. This is also good for Ukraine, which has now kept a determined fighter for European freedom rights.

Stefan Kobel found many articles about the Venice Biennale - even those written with a pointed pen. As far as the central exhibition "The Milk of Dreams" is concerned, one can already experience enormous differences between the Giardini and the Arsenale. What is beautiful in both is the arrangement of the individual works, which manages without raping the surrounding architecture. However, one heard on several occasions "Giardini can be, Arsenale must be" and this referred to the selection and quality of the works exhibited. The younger the viewers, however, the less often this verdict was heard. There were no queues in front of the German Pavilion - only intellectually complex minds could be persuaded by the architectural history that had been scratched free to call it sensual. Next door in France or even in England, one had to be very patient to be surrounded by much more sensual art installations after a long wait. Both were award-worthy - and England got the laurels. It was also crowded, despite the cool weather and rainy days. And yet the atmosphere was somehow depressed. Russia's murdering and destroying is too close - one does not fade it out and in several places it becomes conscious, also through artists who are only allowed to leave Ukraine for a few days to represent their country in Venice. They have to be back at the beginning of May and we can only hope to see them again. There are considerations to show the solidarity with Ukraine also through statements in Kyiv or other places by Western artists. Of course, the risk of war is not insurable then - it will be exciting if the normal risks that exist independently of war will be insured. The courage of the risk carriers is not very pronounced - some fear for their professional future because the collective refuses to allow him/her to argue about the most constructive solution. And then there are the vote-recommending organisations, for whom the quota of women on the board seems to be more important than the respective business model - interesting what some people earn their money with! ...where do let you think?

The Russian Popes have failed and have clearly taken the side of power - the fighting was not stopped over the Orthodox Easter days, as if it only seemed right to the Ukrainian Orthodox that Putin and his mob should burn down entire cities under the pretext of fighting fascism and show no consideration for civilians. It is this ruthlessness that forces us to supply heavy weapons to those who by defending their freedom also defend ours. Anyone who heard Selensky's speech in Venice and heard his wife's personal statement read out understands how fundamentally different the world has become since February 24th.

On Thursday, the Gallery Weekend begins in Berlin and there, too, there will be positions that will deal with the conflict artistically - but what will be in three or five months? Art Cologne is planned for November and if the virus doesn't mutate any further, it's more than likely that it will take place. Time to think about the 11th Cologne Art Insurance Talk. Possibly we will discuss the current political development and its impact on art insurance. The question is, which society will be willing to send high-ranking representatives to the podium? We have enough questions - it's just that the answers are not forthcoming at the moment.

We wish everyone an inspiring working week that brings us a little closer to peace.

In this spirit, Stephan Zilkens and the team of Zilkens Fine Art Insurance Broker GmbH in Cologne and Solothurn send their best regards.