The studio house Quartier am Hafen presents quarterly curated solo and group exhibitions of invited artists from various disciplines. To strengthen the artistic exchange in the Quartier, the exhibition program is intended to show external artists and establish connections to the house. In addition, the series gives young, up-and-coming curators the opportunity to develop and position themselves over the course of the year. The series is conceived by annually changing curators and supported by the Cultural Office of the City of Cologne and the Quartier am Hafen. Outside of the funded and curated exhibition series, Q18 is available to the artists of the Quartier for their own exhibitions.
- News from our Curators
- Curatorsfunding program c/o Q18
- Call for proposals c/o Q18 Application
- Call for proposals Q18 – Artistic dialogue in the space
- Archive of exhibitions by our curators
News from our
Curators
2025 curator Joanne Rodriguez curates the Project Room Q18 //
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c/o Q18: Like a river, grief wants to move and flow
⪼ Exhibition | Exhibition September 27 – October 19, 2025 Inspired by a quote from Camille Sapara Barton, the group exhibition “like a river, grief wants to move and flow” […]
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OPEN CALL Curator Program: c/o Q18
We present quarterly curated solo and group exhibitions of invited artists from various disciplines at Q18. Since 2013, we have been assigning the curatorial concept of Q18 to young, up-and-coming […]
Curators
funding program c/o Q18
Since 2013, Quartier am Hafen has been awarding the curatorial concept of its Q18 exhibition space to young, up-and-coming curators in order to give them the opportunity to develop and position themselves. The period covers one year and includes 4 exhibitions in freelance collaboration. The series presents external artists and positions from the house in order to strengthen the artistic exchange in the Quartier.
We are looking for fresh, innovative concepts that are willing to take risks, try out new paths, show utopian solutions for the crises of our time, and think about exhibitions differently and soften/cross boundaries to other disciplines. Therefore, this call is not only aimed at curators of the visual arts. Concepts that include digital, music, dance, sound art, etc. are also particularly welcome.
Call for proposals c/o Q18
Application
For the 2025 curator program, we are looking for fresh, innovative concepts that are also willing to take risks, try out new paths, show utopian solutions for the crises of our time and think differently about exhibitions and blur/cross boundaries to other disciplines. Therefore, this call is not only aimed at curators of the visual arts. Concepts that include digital, music, dance, sound art, etc. are also particularly welcome.
Call for proposals
- Curatorial series for the year 2025 with four exhibitions
- The 4 exhibitions are each funded by the City of Cologne and the Quartier am Hafen (budget on request)
Requirements
- Experience with curatorial work
- Knowledge of project applications, cost financing plans and accounting
- Text security for documentation and press text
- Teamwork skills
- regional activity
The application should include
- CV (max. 1 Din A 4 page)
- Letter of motivation (max. 1 Din A 4 page)
- Concept of the exhibition series (max. 2 Din A 4 pages)
- possibly image documentation of past curatorial activities
Please send your application exclusively by email/digitally to Margrit@qah.koeln
Application deadline: June 14, 2024
The selecting jury will invite the final applicants to a personal meeting on site in Cologne on July 04 in the morning. Online discussions are possible in individual cases after consultation.
You are welcome to get to know the Q18 in advance, just send an email to Margrit Miebach (Margrit@qah.koeln). Furthermore, you can get here in the archive impressions of the exhibitions of the last years, as well as find a short description of the past/current curators.
The curator program is carried out in cooperation with the Cultural Office of the City of Cologne.
Call for proposals Q18 – Artistic dialogue in the space
Site-related, dialogical artistic intervention in the interior
(English version below)
The Quartier am Hafen (QaH) invites artists and artist groups to submit concepts for a site- and dialogue-related artistic work in Q18. The Q18 is the exhibition space of the studio house and is located on the ground floor. In recent years it has offered space for exhibitions, performances, concerts and showings and has established itself as a lively place for artistic debate.
We are looking for a joint project in which different perspectives, media or approaches meet, overlap or contrast. The room should not only be understood as an exhibition space, but as an active starting point for artistic exchange and/or collaboration. There are no requirements regarding form, duration or materiality: the work can be created in the room, temporarily installed, changed or replaced. The Q18 is available for this throughout November 2025.
The submitted concept should make the following clear:
- a clear reference to the interior of the Q18,
- the conceptual and/or aesthetic dialogue between the artists involved,
- a rough cost calculation for the available budget of 2,000€.
Technical framework:
- The ceiling may only be drilled in certain places
- The ceiling and the wall section in concrete look must not be painted
- Major interventions in the floor and walls must be coordinated in advance
The aim is to create new spaces of experience and unusual perspectives through a conscious artistic examination of the space and through the connection of different artistic styles and to use the Q18 as a place of dialogue and encounter.
The call is open to all artistic media and forms of expression. Possible are, among other things, expansive or dialogical installations, wall painting, corresponding media art such as video, sound, projection, digital or interactive formats, performative works with site-specific, participatory or reactive character, light art, narrative or research-based approaches as well as hybrid formats that combine analog and digital media.
The Q18 can be visited as part of ongoing exhibitions or by appointment. Opening hours can be found on our homepage https://qah.koeln/de/startseite/ or via our instagram channel. All inquiries and appointment requests please to milena@qah.koeln
Application:
Please send the concept as PDF (max. 6GB) until July 1st, 2025 to milena@qah.koeln.
Artistic dialogue in a space
Site-specific, dialogical artistic intervention in the interior of Q18
The Quartier am Hafen (QaH) invites artists and artist groups to submit concepts for a location- and dialogue-related artistic work in Q18. The Q18 is the exhibition room of the studio house and is located on the ground floor. In recent years it has offered space for exhibitions, performances, concerts and showings and has established itself as a lively place for artistic debate.
We are looking for a joint project in which different perspectives, media or approaches meet, overlap or contrast. The room should not only be understood as an exhibition area, also as an active starting point for artistic exchange and / or collaboration. There are no requirements regarding shape, duration or materiality: the work can be created in the room, temporarily installed, changed or replaced. The Q18 is available for this throughout November 2025.
The submitted concept should make the following clear:
- a clear reference to the interior of the Q18,
- the conceptual and / or aesthetic dialogue between the artists involved
- a rough cost calculation for the available budget of 2,000 €
Technical framework:
- The ceiling may only be drilled in certain places
- The ceiling and the wall section with a concrete look must not be painted
- Major interventions in the floor and walls must be coordinated in advance
The aim is to create new spaces of experience and unfamiliar perspectives through a conscious artistic examination of the space and through the connection of different artistic approaches. The space Q18 should be used as a place for dialogue and encounter.
The call is open to all artistic media and forms of expression. Among others, extensive or dialogical installations, wall painting, corresponding media art with video/sound/projection, digital or interactive formats, performative works of site-specific, participative or reactive character, light art, narrative or research-based approaches as well as hybrid formats, such as analogue and connecting digital media. The Q18 can be viewed as part of ongoing exhibitions or by appointment. Opening times can be found on our homepage https://qah.koeln/de/startseite/ or via our instagram channel. Please send all inquiries and requests for appointments to milena@qah.koeln
Application: Please send the concept as PDF (max. 6GB) until July 1st, 2025 to milena@qah.koeln.
Archive of exhibitions by our curators
Here you can take a look back.
Archive 2024
Archive 2023
Archive 2022
Archive 2021
Archive 2020
Archive 2019
Archive 2018
Archive 2017
Archive 2016
Archive 2015
Archive 2014
- Simon Rummel & Tina Tonagel – Recovery on Board
- Alwin Lay & Lorelinde Verhees – The Wavering Stage
- Elisabeth Oertel – Handle with care … Handle don’t care
