Business
Art not only has aesthetic and emotional components - in addition to the possibility of buying and collecting it out of passion, more and more people are seeing the acquisition of works of art as an investment opportunity.
In each VIVID, we present three start-ups from Düsseldorf and the surrounding area - usually in line with the current issue's theme. But what about art? Are there any fresh ideas from Düsseldorf? Fresh art ideas, so to speak? Of course there are!
250 years of the Art Academy, 250 years of art history in Düsseldorf. Hardly any other institution defines the city like the world-famous art academy with its wide corridors and spacious studios and workshops, which have produced artists such as Gerhard Richter, Andreas Gursky and Katharina Grosse.
Düsseldorf and art - a love story that began during the 18th century if not before: in 1773, Elector Karl Theodor founded the academy of fine arts, which attracts artists from all over the world to the state capital and who continue to play a key role in shaping Düsseldorf's vibrant art scene to this day. VIVID asked five of them to talk about their life and work in the city.
Daniela Steinfeld founded VAN HORN 20 years ago as an artists' space named after a small town in Texas. The Düsseldorf-based artist has been a gallery owner for 15 years, showing talents such as Anys Reimann, Elisabeth Vary and Jan Albers at two locations in Flingern and Lierenfeld and at international art fairs. In her podcast Voices on Art, Daniela Steinfeld talks to international artists and gallery owners about art. In VIVID she gives an insight into the work of a gallery owner.
Art and business: how do they fit together? One answer could be corporate collections, which make an important contribution to companies, employees and the public. Companies like to promote how open, creative and versatile they are. Image brochures from a wide range of industries are peppered with these slogans. But how do they translate into a culture of values that is actually lived? And how can this be credibly communicated both internally and externally?
Her heart beats for Düsseldorf's start-up scene: Ella Gemünd runs Techhub K67 which is located in Kasernenstraße. Born in Frankfurt to Rhineland parents, she moved to the city four years ago - and has found her new home here.
Almost 8 million people with severe disabilities live in Germany - that corresponds to over 9 per cent of the total population. Inclusion is therefore no longer a niche topic, but should be on the agenda of every company that takes diversity and social participation seriously.
Rarely have HR managers and recruiters had such a challenging job. The reason being that the baby boomer generation is retiring and is followed by much smaller generations. The inevitable consequence is that the labour force in Germany is shrinking. According to the study "Future. Work. Today. A guide to the world of work in 2030", conducted by the Düsseldorf based job platform Stepstone together with the Handelsblatt Research Institute, there will be around ten million fewer people in employment in Germany by 2050 alone than there are today. We are therefore looking at a time in which people will become a critical economic factor. This makes efficiency and smart ideas in the labour market all the more important today and in the future - we have once again selected three of them for you. Here are the start-ups AIMMO, netsome and yakha.
Sundermann & Palm has been the expert for paints, wallpapers, floor coverings and tools for exactly one hundred years. As a wholesaler, the company primarily supplies painting companies and other commercial and private customers with utensils. A hundred years during which colours and materials have changed. The basis for the success of "SUPA", however, remains the same: a close relationship with the customer.
Desperately seeking talent! But how can companies convince and retain potential candidates in the current battle for skilled labour? Well, Düsseldorf`s employer branding experts know that for many employees it is not so much social benefits that matter, but appreciation, opportunities to help shape the company and the chance to grow personally.
11 sub-sectors account for the diversity and strength of the cultural and creative industries. Much is currently being done in Düsseldorf to further reinforce these sectors and make them fit for the future.
Video games are the most lucrative segment of the entertainment industry. VIVID spoke to players in the regional gaming scene about the strengths of the gaming industry for companies in other sectors and about its role in Düsseldorf's cultural and creative industries.
A new technology from the Japanese company Wacom aims to protect human authorship. Metadata from the creation process is integrated into the artwork itself. Here's what's behind the innovation that puts artists first.
35 years ago, DJ Henry Storch founded the record label Unique Records and seven years later the legendary club of the same name in Düsseldorf's old town. The club closed its doors in 2006, but the label remained. After the sudden death of Henry Storch in 2018, his former employee Ina Schulz took over the management of the record label. In an interview with VIVID, the manager explains how she sees her job as label head of Unique Records and head of international product management at Schubert Music Europe, how the players in indie music have coped with the disruption of recent years - and what new revenue models there are for artists.
The Wim Wenders Foundation is committed in many ways to the future of film and the promotion of young filmmakers. VIVID interviewed Managing Director Hella Wenders and Marion Döring from the Foundation's Board of Directors.
Heiko Wunder was one of the pioneers of the eco-fashion scene, when he founded the fashion label wunderwerk in 2012. He now runs six stores throughout Germany, an online shop and continues to pursue a sustainable lifestyle consistently and convincingly. VIVID met him in his showroom in Flingern.
Düsseldorf is a shopping metropolis whose purchasing power ranks in the top 5 among German cities and attracts investors with new store concepts. But what do streetwear and luxury brands, international fl agship stores and individual boutiques have in common? The future of retail lies in its emotionalisation.
Düsseldorf's start-up scene also has a lot to offer when it comes to fashion. However, anyone who thinks of fashion start-ups only in terms of young fashion labels is short-sighted. Because also beyond classic fashion design, the fashion industry offers plenty of potential for a wide variety of new business ideas. For example, when it comes to the development of innovative materials, more effi cient processes, ideas for more sustainability or new digital channels. The three start-ups we are introducing to you today are also pursuing very different approaches with which they want to make the fashion world a little nicer, more transparent and inclusive. Meet F.L.A.B., retraced and Swilook.
The right idea at the right time: probably the most decisive aspect for a successful startup. But for a strong idea to really become a strong company, more is needed. Experienced partners, for example, who provide impetus and pave the way. Since 2020, the Startup Unit of the Office of Economic Development Düsseldorf has been supporting young founders on their way to entrepreneurship. And apparently quite successfully, because the startup scene on the Rhine is booming. Around 500 startups are currently providing fresh ideas and modern solutions in Düsseldorf – across all sectors.The three companies we are presenting to you today also come from the most diverse sectors: an app for better language skills, a fast and flexible logistics service provider, and a legal tech company that aims to make „getting justice“ easy. And yet the stories of the three show how similar the impulse to found a company usually is: it is the strong will to create a new solution for a problem in your own field. Introducing: Grammario, Pick & Pack 24 and RightNow.
Last November it was finally confirmed: the German Photo Institute is coming to Düsseldorf. The plan is to establish a photography centre of excellence in a city that can not only look back on a long tradition of this art form, but also has a lot to offer on the entrepreneurial side.
How will we get around in the future? Ideally faster, safer, increasingly equally – and with less emissions. Startups and transport companies are already using digital tools and AI to optimise urban mobility for everyone.
The concept of CO2 offsetting: emissions that are harmful to the climate are offset by certificates from climate protection projects. What exactly is behind this? And when does the scheme make sense?
Climate protection, decarbonisation, energy transition, sustainable use of resources ... the list of ecological challenges is long. To succeed on the path to sustainable climate protection, many new ideas are needed, as well as a radical rethink across the board. Start-ups play an important role here; not only is innovation usually second nature to them, they also show what is possible if there is enough determination, with lean processes, a modern „mindset“ and a good deal of courage.
The Düsseldorf Climate Pact unites a large number of companies, businesses and organisations in the city who are pursuing a common goal: to achieve climate neutrality by 2035. We asked four of them what they are already doing to successfully implement this ambitious plan and what reasons prompted them to become part of the
Climate Pact.