Art & Environment 2022 - By C. Mauer

Art, Vision and Investment - "Art is Life"

HA Schult's Plans for the Zeughaus Köln and the City of Cologne

"Art is Life Building" and "Art is Life Cologne".

The "Flügelauto" from HA Schult on top of the Zeughaus in front the Kölner Dom

©Thomas Hoepker

HA Schult is one of the most important environmental activists and environmental artists in the world. His creativity and entrepreneurial spirit always lead to spectacular projects like the world famous Trash People army, which has been touring the world for over 25 years.

His latest project is to transform the Zeughaus Köln, the former Cologne City Museum into an art museum - to be called the "Art is Life Building". Currently, the Zeughaus is empty and needs to be renovated. HA Schult has offered the city of Cologne to purchase the Zeughaus for a symbolic euro and to work with investors to renovate it.

However, the museum is only one part within a much larger plan of the artist for the city of Cologne under the name "Art is Life Cologne". HA Schult has already submitted a concept for this to the city of Cologne. Amour Fou & Art Magazine was given exclusive access to the "Art is Life Building" and "Art is Life Cologne" concept.

Surreal but the reality - The golden Flügelauto shines for the luminous Kölner Dom- long ago it has become one of the landmarks of the city Cologne

Goldener Vogel Nacht ©Thomas Hoepker

"Art is Life Cologne"

For the artist, art is an event for everyone. Cologne and its Zeughaus are to become an art laboratory. Politics, carnival, 1000 trash people and Cologne's commitment to the environment and art are to be made known to the world.

The museum concept presented by HA Schult is divided into 3 parts and not only deals with the redesign of the building but also includes the entire city.

Green City

HA Schult wants to make Cologne a Green City with living gardens, resting benches, strawberry fields, tomato bushes, event places and gastronomy.

Global Cologne

Here, the artist envisions Cologne entering into a stronger dialogue with world politics. According to the artist, the supporting icons for this are Konrad Adenauer, the emancipation of Alice Schwarzer, the literature of Heinrich Böll, the action art/ecological art of Wolf Vostell and HA Schult, and the Cologne Carnival.

Cologne - Life in Art

Here the artist thinks of Dom Livestile apartments, a skyroom bridge and restoration.

"In Cologne, nothing is possible.

But everything takes place."

HA Schult

Konrad Adenauer Portrait ©HA Schult

Heinrich Boll Portrait ©HA Schult

The Trash People army when they stood on the Great Wall

©Thomas Hoepker

The Trash People were visited by the brothers Gottschalk

Cologne

In the "Art is Life Building" and "Art is Life Cologne" concept, HA also extols the environmental achievements Cologne has already made. Cologne has been pursuing a green policy since Adenauer and his concept of the Stadt Grüngürtel (city green belt). Cologne also receives recognition from the artist for the reconstruction of the Rose Garden Cologne from 2013 with the support of the Cologne Green Foundation.

Zeughaus Köln

HA Schult is already associated with the Zeughaus, as his golden winged car, "Flügelauto", has been on the tower of the Zeughaus for more than 30 years and has become one of Cologne's landmarks. The Flügelauto dates back to 1989, when he designed eleven Ford Fiesta models in the "Fetish Car" campaign. The project received worldwide attention and The New York Times wrote "In Cologne cars have wings." For the artist, his car symbolizes the free spirit of the cathedral city.

Trash People - Archaeological Field of the Present Day

As part of the museum project, the Trash People army will be viewed via a glass floor, from above. The artist aims for a design in the style of the Chinese city of Xi'an. The height of the installation is to be 6 meters. 

Projections of the global wanderings of the Trash People are to be observed on the walls. The hall itself is to have multiple uses.

The Trash People army also stood before the pyramids - in the new Trash People Museum in Cologne

 should be on the walls projections of the worldwide locations

©Visualisierung HA Schult

"Art is Life Building" and "Art is Life Cologne".

The plans of visionary HA Schult are big, but achievable with the support of strong partners.

The sign of an important city is also the strength of its cultural life. Museums and art associations are a strong economic force and act as a magnet for tourism. They are important for the education of citizens, they inspire and encourage creativity in the workplace and in schools.

Art offers a way to solve a problem that a city is trying to solve, as in the current case of the Zeughaus Köln. A city's art can also be the fingerprint of its community, giving people a sense of ownership and belonging to their city.

Lifestyle models and tourist attractions like HA Schult's "Art is Life Building" and "Art is Life Cologne" can have a worldwide media impact. Cologne and its artists can step more strongly into the dialogue with the world art.

As HA Schult says in this regard " Art is Life serves to inspire everyday action."

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We will report on the latest developments.

Alethea& Art Magazine

C. Mauer - 29. January 2022