In October 2024, Art magazine, part of RTL Deutschland’s publishing business, celebrated its 45th anniversary, marking nearly half a century of dedication to the art world. Since its first issue in November 1979, Art has grown to become Europe’s largest art magazine, renowned for its in-depth coverage of all art genres, from contemporary trends to historical masterpieces.

To commemorate this milestone, Art participated in the 57th edition of Art Cologne, the oldest trade fair for 20th- and 21st-century fine arts, held from 7-10 November. The magazine’s stand, adorned with golden elements to reflect the special anniversary edition, was a centrepiece of the event. Visitors enjoyed a visual journey through Art’s history, with covers from the inaugural issue to the latest edition on display.

A highlight of the celebration was the creation of exclusive iron-on artworks by five renowned artists: Olaf Holzapfel, Grit Richter, Tobias Rehberger, Ugo Rondinone and Caroline Achaintre. These limited-edition Art patches were gifted to readers who visited the stand.

On 18 October, Art magazine released its anniversary issue with 32 extra pages. The anniversary edition revolved around the topic of beauty, comparing beauty ideals of the past to beauty influencers in today’s digital world.

The anniversary celebrations culminated in an exclusive dinner on 8 November, attended by 45 distinguished guests from the German art and culture sectors. The dinner also featured a private tour of Andra Lauffs-Wegner’s private collection, which includes around 300 works by 95 artists.

Making art accessible to everyone

Art magazine was first published in 1979. Since then, 541 issues have been released, corresponding to approximately 75,000 pages of portraits, reports, interviews, exhibition reviews, and more than 20,000 stories about art from all eras and countries. The brand appears not only in print, but also on social media and as a newsletter.

Tim Sommer, Editor-in-Chief of Art, says: “We are celebrating 45 years full of history, discoveries and boundless fascination for art in all its forms. From the very beginning, the revolutionary thing about Art was the idea of making art accessible to everyone. Instead of writing as all-knowing critics for an insider audience, we decided to take our readers with us as curious reporters to the studios where art is created. Art is a crazy, wild and unbelievably beautiful space of freedom that can enrich everyone's life – ideally with Art magazine as your guide.”