The ‘WASTA - Wallraf Street Art’ festival from 5 to 15 September 2024 will bring creative people from Germany and abroad and their works to Cologne. The locations include the Fortuna stadium, the Melaten cemetery, KunstWerk Köln-Deutz and the University of Cologne’s campus. Everyone can enjoy the WASTA artworks since they will be installed in public spaces: the sites are open day and night, easily accessible and access is free of charge. The aim of the project is to introduce the scholar and collector Wallraf to a wider public.

The kick-off event will take place on 5 September at 6 p.m. in front of Cologne Cathedral, where a sculpture by French street artist David Mesguich will be unveiled: a large-scale image of Wallraf’s head. Each day, another one of the eleven works of art will be revealed to the public at a different place in the city.

In addition to the works of art, workshops, lectures, talks, parties and guided tours complement the programme – some events take a critical look at Wallraf’s work, his influence on today’s Cologne and the topic of street art. The last artwork to be unveiled will be created during the festival week and will be presented at the finissage on 15 September. Anyone interested, including media representatives, is welcome to attend any or all of the events.

WASTA is organized by the University of Cologne’s Department of Art History and the University and City Library of Cologne. The Chair of Early Modern History provided support on historical and content-related aspects.

The main sponsor of the street art project is Sparkasse KölnBonn. At the end of the year, three prizes will be awarded to the best works of art.

Inspired by Wallraf’s untiring commitment to Cologne, the street art project is designed to stimulate a sense of community in the city. The art installations portray Wallraf and his passions: pieces of art and antique objects, plants and minerals, the city of Cologne and its cathedral. At the same time, they address current challenges such as climate change, feminist approaches, knowledge transfer and the accessibility of art.

The ‘WASTA – Wallraf Street Art’ project is part of the ‘Wallraf200 anniversary year’. In 2024, the City of Cologne and the University of Cologne, the Stifterrat of the Wallraf Richartz Museum & Foundation Corboud e.V. and the Board of Trustees for the Preservation of the Historical City and Wallraf Library will jointly celebrate their citizen Ferdinand Franz Wallraf. Exhibitions, lectures, concerts, street art and much more pay tribute the collector, visionary and scholar whose work has had a lasting impact on Cologne to this day. Two-hundred years ago, Wallraf left his legacy of artworks, books and artefacts to the city.

Press and Communications Team:

Maria Schrempp

Marketing, Press and Public Relations Department of the University and City Library of Cologne

+49 221 470 89955

schrempp@ub.uni-koeln.de

Media Contact:

Professor Dr Gabriella Cianciolo Cosentino

+49 221 470 7332

info@wasta-projekt.de

Further information and programme:

https://wasta-projekt.de/

https://ub.uni-koeln.de/kulturprogramm/special-events/special-events-2024/wallraf200