As a place of exchange, POLKE SALON is modelled on Sigmar Polke's work and thinking as an artist, on his curiosity to discover and bring things together and his use of free association in his work. Scholars, artists and contemporary witnesses enter into a dialogue about and with Polke's work. Due to the Corona pandemic all SALON talks in 2021 and 2022 have taken place without an audience. The recordings can be accessed below or at Vimeo.

In January 2024, the first POLKE SALON took place live at the Foundation. Gallery owner Philipp von Rosen spoke with artist Silke Albrecht about artistic work processes, analogies to Sigmar Polke and the dust in her own studio. Further events for this year will be announced shortly.

This event format is developed by the Anna Polke Foundation together with Prof. Christian Spies from the Department of Art History at the University of Cologne. 

POLKE SALON 8: Negativwerte

Nelly Gawellek (Anna Polke Foundation) in conversation with Michael Trier (restorer, Cologne) about Polke's color experiments of the 1980s.

POLKE SALON 7: Dürer-Rückzüchtung and some more regarding concept and history. 

Siegfried Gohr (art historian, curator and freelance publicist) in conversation with Ksenija Tschetschik-Hammerl (scholarship holder of the Anna Polke Foundation 2020) about Sigmar Polke's relation to Albrecht Dürer.

POLKE SALON 6: Publishing in two dimensions

Dirk Hildebrandt (scholarship holder of the Anna Polke Foundation 2019) in conversation with Kathrin Barutzki (Anna Polke Foundation) about publishing as an artistic practice in Sigmar Polke's work.

POLKE SALON 5: Exhibiting Polke Today

Verena Hein (curator at Kunstforum Ostdeutsche Galerie Regensburg) in conversation with Christian Spies (University of Cologne).

POLKE SALON 4: Loose Connections

Michael Oppitz (ethnologist) in conversation with Dietmar Rübel (art historian) about art and ethnology with, by, and around Sigmar Polke.

POLKE SALON 3: Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo

Petra Lange-Berndt (art historian, Hamburg) talks with Alex Sainsbury (founder and 
director Raven Row, London) about Sigmar Polke, psychedelia and Great Britain.

POLKE SALON 2: Cher Maître

Bice Curiger (art historian and artistic director of the Fondation Vincent van Gogh in Arles) talks to Julie Sissia (scholarship holder of the Anna Polke Foundation 2019) about Sigmar Polke and France.

POLKE SALON 1: Everyone can do easy

Mike Karstens (graphic artist and gallery owner) and Anna Polke (founder and actress) in conversation with Christian Spies (University of Cologne) about Sigmar Polke's creation of graphic art and painting.

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