KARLSRUHE.- “We’re ready to go”, said Britta Wirtz, spokeswoman for the management of Karlsruher Messe- und Kongress-GmbH, pleased that “all the planning for the ninth art KARLSRUHE is now done and we can look forward to the 222 exhibitors and roughly 45,000 visitors.” Under the motto of “See and collect”, works of classic modern and contemporary art will be on display in four exhibition halls from 8 to 11 March.

Curator Ewald Karl Schrade has once again created a spacious layout of gallery stands, special exhibitions, sculpture zones, and rest areas inviting enthusiasts to savour art in a relaxed and leisurely atmosphere. “Priority has been given to the feel-good factor for collectors," said the art fair’s founding father.

In the impressive halls and on some 35,000 m² of total exhibition area, there is more than just ample opportunity to acquire outstanding works from two centuries. art KARLSRUHE also serves as an information exchange where numerous museums, art societies, and other institutions in the industry provide coverage of their activities. The annual discussion forum ARTIMA art meeting, set for 8 and 9 March and hosted by the art journalist Hans-Joachim Müller for the first time, also imparts insider knowledge to the general public. And, not least, there are the 200 one-artist shows that provide detailed insights into the work of individual artists. The special exhibitions featuring a tribute to the square from the Hoppe-Ritter collection and works by Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, and Tom Wesselmann from the Gunter Sachs collection “are the finishing touches that ensure the art fair is a memorable event,” adds Ewald Karl Schrade.

The countdown begins in a matter of days, and when journalists arrive in Karlsruhe for the press conference in Karlsruhe on 7 March (reception at 11 a.m.) they will be met not only by trade-fair chief Wirtz and curator Schrade but also by internationally acclaimed galleries such as Henze & Ketterer, Michael Werner, Boisserée, and Vertes Modern. In total, exhibitors from twelve countries are taking part in this year’s art KARLSRUHE. Next year, when the art fair, taking place from 7 to 10 March 2013, celebrates its tenth anniversary, Schrade promises the time will have come to “light the touchpaper to a veritable fireworks of surprises.”