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SHERIDAN, WYOMING – November 5, 2025 – SHERIDAN, WYOMING - November 1, 2025 - ART COLOGNE 2025 won't just be about the latest names and high-profile galleries - it will also look back at a powerful woman who helped give space to artists working outside the academy. With its special event "Charlotte Zander: collector, gallery owner, museum founder," ZADIK (the Central Archive for German and International Art Market Studies) is telling the story of a collector who spotted value in so-called "naïve art" long before it became fashionable, and who then spent decades making it visible to a wider audience.
A woman who built a career out of conviction
Charlotte Zander (1930-2014) started where many art journeys begin: collecting. From the mid-1960s she focused on artists who had not studied at art colleges - back then often grouped under the label "naïve art." That choice was anything but mainstream. Yet exactly this focus became the foundation for her later roles: in 1971 she opened the "Charlotte Galerie für naive Kunst" in Munich, which she ran successfully until 1995. In 1996 she went one step further and founded her own private museum in Castle Bönnigheim, where she presented her collection, curated exhibitions, and collaborated with international cultural institutions.
What visitors will see in Cologne
The special exhibition will be shown in Hall 11.1, Stand D19 at ART COLOGNE from 6 to 9 November 2025. It is dedicated to Zander's many roles - collector, mediator, and champion of artists who were not part of the academic system. The curatorial idea is almost investigative:
- How did she use her network to push artists she believed in?
- Which exhibition formats and collaborations helped her make these works visible?
- And how did she deal with terminology that was, at the time, often stigmatising?
Because the show is embedded in the 58th ART COLOGNE - with its broad international gallery programme and strong supporting events - it places Zander's work right where she always wanted art to be: in the middle of the market, not at its edge.
Why this matters for today's art lovers
This special presentation arrives at exactly the right cultural moment. Many collectors and museum visitors are currently revisiting terms like "naïve art" and questioning older hierarchies in the art world. By telling Zander's story, ZADIK shows how a single, consistent collector's vision can correct the canon over time. It also reminds fair visitors that the art market is not just driven by trends - it is shaped by people who insist on bringing overlooked voices into view.
Editorial extra: how to get the most out of this show
- Plan two visits: see the compact version at ART COLOGNE (6-9 Nov 2025), then visit the large exhibition at ZADIK in Cologne between 10 October 2025 and 25 September 2026.
- Look for the "role changes": collector → gallery owner → museum founder - it's a great real-life case of how careers in art can evolve.
- Use it as a learning tour: perfect for students, young gallerists, or anyone interested in how to build visibility for non-mainstream art.
- Pair it with the fair: the contrast between historical, often marginalised positions and contemporary market art makes the experience richer.
ZADIK's broader mission
ZADIK, today a scientific institute of the University of Cologne, has been archiving and researching the history, structures, and players of the international art market since 1992. It now holds more than 200 holdings from gallery owners, art dealers, auction houses, curators, specialised photographers and other market participants - with a focus from the early 20th century to the present. That makes it the ideal institution to show how the Zander collection can carry her legacy into the future and how historical terminology around "outsider" positions can be discussed more critically today.
Learn more about the fair and programme at artcologne.com.