At ART COLOGNE 164 galleries from 22 countries show art of the 20th and 21st centuries — and every booth is a curated exhibition on a few square metres. We document hang, space and conversations so your gallery can use the images for website, press and collector outreach, without a flash or a camera disturbing the mood.
All prices plus VAT · delivered within 24 hours · max. 4 exhibitors per show day · See all packages & details
| Dates | Thursday 5 to Sunday 8 November 2026 |
|---|---|
| Venue | Koelnmesse, hall 11, Messeplatz 1, 50679 Cologne |
| Frequency | Annual, four days — 59th edition |
| Profile | The oldest art fair in the world: modern and contemporary art in the sectors GALLERIES, NEUMARKT, COLLABORATIONS and ART + OBJECT plus the NEW POSITIONS programme — 164 galleries and dealers from 22 countries in 2026 |
| Audience | Around 45,000 visitors (2025): collectors, curators, museum staff, press and an art-minded public; special exhibitions, ARTtours and award ceremonies accompany the gallery programme |
| Our travel time | About 60 minutes from Essen — travel included in the package price |
What a gallery shows at ART COLOGNE is hung with intent: spacing, sightlines, relationships between works. That is the real subject of fair photography — not the reproduction of a single piece, but the presentation as a whole. We photograph the booth head-on and from the angles at which visitors enter it, with straight lines and no distortion, so formats and proportions are right.
The challenge in hall 11 is spots and reflections: glass over works on paper, glossy lacquer, bronze and stainless steel on sculpture. We use a polarising filter, choose viewpoints without mirroring and set white balance so colours do not tip towards yellow. Detail shots of surface, brushwork or material edge complement the overview. No flash, at any time.
Collector conversations are confidential. We photograph them only with your consent and by arrangement, preferably from behind or cropped, so the atmosphere of a busy booth is visible without anyone having to be identifiable. Those who want to be in the picture — artists at the booth, gallerists, team — get portraits in available light.
As video we produce a short film about your presentation: a walk through the booth, details of the works, a statement from the gallerist or a conversation with an artist present. That is material for website, newsletter, Instagram and outreach to collectors who could not come to Cologne.
Thursday as opening day brings collectors, press and museum people; the booth is full and the conversations matter. For clean documentation of the hang we use the hour before opening — the works are up, the aisles are empty, the lighting is set. At the weekend the public arrives in dense waves: good for atmosphere, unsuitable for uncluttered shots.
Our recommendation: a two- or four-hour package on Thursday or Friday with shots before opening, extended by interviews once the artist is at the booth. Images are delivered the same evening — in time for press enquiries during the fair.
The presentation as a whole: head-on, with straight lines and correct proportions, no reflections.
Surface, brushwork, material edge and framing — with polariser, without flash.
Collector conversations only by arrangement, preferably cropped — atmosphere without identifiable faces.
The booth before opening, empty and in the set lighting, with no visitors in frame.
Walk-through, details and statement as a short film for website, newsletter and Instagram.
Conversations with gallerists and artists at the booth with radio mics, delivered with subtitles.
A post with your stand while the show is still running gets seen and shared. That is why every package includes finished photos and video within 24 hours after the event ends — first images usually the same day. Two revision rounds included.
A sample from our production: the event recap for your website and LinkedIn — below it, native 9:16 footage for Reels, Shorts and Stories, shot in parallel with the main coverage.
Event recap · YOOZ
Event reel · izy
Brand event · YOOZ
Trade fair clip · Vapes Bars
Fixed prices, defined deliverables, predictable turnaround. All prices exclude VAT and include travel within North Rhine-Westphalia.
Add-on: On-stand interview + extended highlight video (approx. 90 sec.) €190
Payment: 50 % deposit on booking by credit card (Stripe link sent with the quote) or bank transfer, 50 % on the show day. No German VAT for non-EU companies; reverse charge for EU companies with VAT ID.
Capacity: maximum 4 exhibitors per show day — please reserve early.
Tell us the date, venue, stand size and what the images are for. You normally get a fixed-price quote within 24 hours, with no hidden line items.
We arrive with our own equipment, work discreetly around your stand, and never interrupt a conversation or a demo. Shot list agreed in advance.
Edited photos and cut video via a private download link — within 24 hours after the event ends.
From €990 plus VAT for two hours of photo and video on site with at least 30 edited images and a 30-second highlight video. Four hours from €1,490, a full show day from €1,990. Travel to Cologne is included.
We document booth, hang, details and atmosphere — your gallery's presentation. Reproduction-quality shots of individual works are possible on request once rights are cleared with artist and gallery.
No flash, no tripod in the aisle and only by arrangement with your team. We do not photograph collectors identifiably unless they wish it.
Thursday or Friday with the hour before opening for clean documentation of the hang. The weekend suits atmosphere shots with the public.
Yes. Interviews, briefing and the entire engagement run in English — a large share of our trade fair clients come from outside Germany. Invoices with VAT ID for EU companies, no German VAT for companies outside the EU.
Send us your booth number, sector and the artists who will be present. We will propose a time window and a fixed-price quote.
We normally reply within 24 hours. For short-notice bookings during a show week, please call.
