Cologne calls for beauty: memories brought to life at the Waidmarkt!

Cologne calls for beauty: memories brought to life at the Waidmarkt!

After the “Panorama Waidmarkt” art campaign was recently successfully completed after 56 days, the people of Cologne are looking forward to the effects of this remarkable initiative. Organized by the Dutch artist group Observatory, the event took place at Waidmarkt and invited residents to share their memories and wishes about the former site of the collapse. These creative contributions are more than just documents; They will be handed over to the historical archive of the city of Cologne and recorded there as part of the “Logbook of the Interim Period 2009-2025”. It is hoped that this collection will create an inviting place at the Waidmarkt that will encourage dialogue and reflection, it is reported Antenna NRW.

The artistic intervention was launched on May 4, 2025 with the ceremonial opening of the Panorama Pavilion. Mayor Henriette Reker had already commissioned a concept for culture and remembrance at Waidmarkt in January 2023, which is now bearing its first fruits in the form of this project. The pavilion and the associated campaign offer a platform for citizen discussions; Many Cologne residents showed a strong need to talk about urban challenges and individual experiences. These voices are truly an expression of a lived city memory, like the city of Cologne represents.

Diversity of perspectives

A key player in the art campaign, the artist Andre Dekker, learned a lot from the population during his stay in the happy city. “Cologne has an impressive diversity of architecture and ideas,” he noted. However, he also noticed that the Rhine metropolis is lagging behind in terms of sustainability, traffic reduction and living space. In discussions, many citizens also said that they felt badly governed and were demanding more say in urban development. These challenges are not only local, but also reflect larger social trends that can be observed in many cities. “Small projects do not receive enough attention,” Dekker noted – a situation that he would like to solve through an integrated approach to urban development, landscape architecture and art.

Furthermore, creative urban design is about promoting cultural identity awareness and community social cohesion through public art. How the learning city describes, interactive installations and creative initiatives can transform neglected districts into lively spaces and inspire civic engagement.

Beauty in the city

The aim of the “Panorama Waidmarkt” campaign is clear – more beauty for Cologne! The collected artistic contributions show that the people of Cologne are ready to actively shape their city. A city that takes the voices and visions of its residents seriously has the potential to promote sustainable change and social interaction.

The artistic interventions will not only function as places of remembrance, but also as a source of inspiration for a realignment of city policy. It is time for Cologne to hear the voices of its citizens and invest in creative solutions that improve the living environment. In this way, the challenges of urban life in Cologne could be tackled together in the future, so that the “empty space” at Waidmarkt becomes a vibrant center of the city.