Cologne (pts032/02.08.2006/14:33) - The Bundesverband Deutscher Galerien (BVDG), Germany's national art galleries' association, and Koelnmesse have been organizing a sponsorship programme for young artists at ART COLOGNE for the past 26 years. The programme is titled 'New Talents'. This year, the selection panel has chosen 23 artists from 65 applicants. ART COLOGNE Director Gérard A. Goodrow commented: 'We're very happy to be able to ensure that a whole spectrum of contemporary art and current trends will be on show - from drawing, painting and media art to the latest trends in Conceptual Art.'

The young artists selected are:

- Theo Boettger, Germany, b.1975 - Galerie Baer, Dresden
- Christoph Brech, Germany, b.1964 - Walter Storms Galerie, Munich
- Julian Faulhaber, Germany, b.1975 - L.A. Galerie Lothar Albrecht, Frankfurt a.M.
- Jana Gunstheimer, Germany, b.1974 - Galerie Conrads, Düsseldorf
- Kati Heck, Germany, b.1979 - Galerie Annie Gentils, Antwerp
- Carolin Jörg, Germany, b.1977 - Galerie Michael Sturm, Stuttgart
- Sven Johne, Deutschland, b.1976 - Galerie Christian Nagel, Cologne
- Christian Keinstar, Poland, b.1975 - lukasfeichtner galerie, Vienna
- Matthias Koch, Germany, b.1961 - Galerie Esther Woerdehoff, Paris
- Michael Kutschbach, Australia, b.1975 - Conny Dietzschold Gallery, Sydney
- Sandra Mann, Germany, b.1970 - Galerie Stefan Röpke, Cologne
- Reinhold Matthias, Germany, b.1978 - Galerie Ursula Walbröl, Düsseldorf
- Flora Neuwirth, Austria, b.1971 - Galerie Grita Insam, Vienna
- Thomas Palme, Germany, b.1967 - van der grinten galerie, Cologne
- Max Regenberg, Germany, b.1951 - Galerie Thomas Zander, Cologne
- Tom Sanford, USA, b.1975 - Galleri Faurschou, Copenhagen
- Gerda Scheepers, South Africa, b.1979 - Sprüth Magers Projekte, Munich
- Stephanie Senge, Germany, b.1972 - Galerie Six Friedrich Lisa Ungar, Munich
- Setareh Shahbazi, Iran, b.1978 - Galerie Sfeir-Semler, Hamburg
- Sandra Vasquez de la Horra, Spain, b.1967 - Galería Jule Kewenig, Palma de Mallorca
- Muir Vidler, Great Britain, b.1975 - Kenny Schachter ROVE, London
- Jorinde Voigt, Germany, b.1977 - Fahnemann Projects, Berlin
- Ekrem Yalcindag, Turkey, b.1964 - Galerie Karl Pfefferle, Munich

Members of the selection panel were: Elisabeth Brockmann (artist); Susanne Titz (Museum Abteiberg, Mönchengladbach); Holger Liebs (Süddeutsche Zeitung, Munich); Christel Schüppenhauer (Galerie Schüppenhauer, Cologne); Ulrike Adler (Galerie Adler, Frankfurt am Main); Gérard A. Goodrow (Director, ART COLOGNE). Bernhard Wittenbrink, Chairman of the BVDG, chaired the panel. The ART COLOGNE sponsorship programme is supported by the Federal Commissioner for Cultural and Media Affairs.

ART COLOGNE runs from 1 to 5 November 2006.

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