In 1994, the work of “Kunstschalter” agency became thus extensive that we - Gabriele Thümmler, Markus Molitor and I - were looking around for expanded facilities. Numerous projects were envisaged and just waiting for their implementation. By this hereby illustrated concept of “Art Factory” in 1994 we developed the project of the “International Cologne Summer Academy” in cooperation with Viennese artist Harald Koeck, who had encountered us via Kunstschalter dependance New York.
The Academy project was berthed as a precursor to a Cologne Art Factory, designed to give room to different genres of art.
We sent this concept in summer of 1994 to 250 potential sponsors, institutions and special personalities of the art world and soon had acclaim and active participation by various people.
Totally unexpected, Markus Molitor died in November 1994, so that we could bring our projects of that time as the fair bunk on “Erotica” with 100 Cologne artists still to an end, but the power deceased for the summer academy.
The project of the International Summer Academy in December 1994, like our friend Markus Molitor, became buried.
In January 1995 by the Cologne Office of Economic Development, for the project site of the “Summer Academy” I was offered the former Vocational Education Training Center with an 8,000 square meter empty factory bolt.
Since the agency had no further use for it, I took on this opportunity as the first chairman of the association, and convinced “Kunstschalter” agency and “Kunstschalter eV” despite great resistances to obtain the halls. The only condition was that none of the parties wanted to have workload with that. So I was completely on my own, and in the name of the association took over the factory bolt and founded the project: KunstWerk.
Thus, from the Art Factory, instead of it, it became and, emerged the KunstWerk Cologne.
The friendly rejection of Wolf Vostell is one only of many documents related to this project.