In a world that often feels heavy, art has a rare power, to lift. Whether through bold color, playful form, or a quiet sense of calm, some works simply reach out and say: breathe.
As I walked through Discovery Art Fair Cologne 2025, I kept circling back to pieces that didn’t just pull me in, they picked me up. They offered joy, lightness, and, maybe most surprisingly, a sense of hope. Not the naïve kind, but the kind that reminds you beauty, connection, and wonder are still around. Still possible.
Here are a few works that did just that.
Bodo W Klös – au ciel
Bodo W. Klös – au ciel, drawing (ARTHUS GALERIE)
I want this on my wall. I’ve always loved drawings and works on paper, their texture, their honesty. There’s a tension here between the fine pencil lines, soft coloring, and rough background. Klös’s simple image of a skateboard jump holds joy. It reminds me that life is jumps and falls, and here, I get to just enjoy the moment mid-air.
Brigit Soiné – Spuren im Mohn
Brigit Soiné – Spuren im Mohn (Unique Contemporary)
Soiné’s piece lifts me the same way au ciel does, but floats me further, from the ground into air, atmosphere, maybe even nature itself. The chalk lines over acrylic carry the weightlessness of poppy petals drifting off. It’s light, layered, and lovely.
Gerd Paulicke – UNRUH, 2022
Gerd Paulicke – UNRUH, 2022
This one hit a nerve, in the best way. A figure curled up, eyes wide open, in bed before the day takes hold. It’s a sculpture about disquiet. About resistance. About the tiny refusal to move forward. It’s a bit of loss, a bit of fear, and completely relatable.
Janine Seelen – Pause and Release, from RESET. Series
Janine Seelen – Pause and Release (from the RESET. Series)
Two small works by Janine Seelen stopped me. Her large pieces held the booth, but these two held me. Pause and Release say exactly what they do. They feel like breath. Like stepping back. Almost abstract, but deeply human.
Lioba Genske – Sommerglut, 2021
Lioba Genske – Sommerglut, 2021
A scene full of color, two people just being. It’s a warm, clear reminder that not everything has to be grayscale. Sommerglut is quiet joy, uncomplicated, bright, alive.
Sander de Klerk – A, Silk Paper on Dibond
Sander de Klerk – A (Silk Paper on Dibond)
De Klerk’s work with silk paper has humor, texture, and just the right amount of chaos. While his playful cat pieces made people smile, my favorite was a stark, giant letter A. Black on white, layered and powerful. Something about it said: you matter. I’d hang it in my living room just to be reminded of that daily.
If you missed this edition of Discovery Art Fair Cologne, don’t worry, you can catch us in Frankfurt this November. Come discover the pieces that might lift you up, too.
