Members’ Edition

Offesetprint on Profisilk 400g/m
59,4 x 42 cm
Stamped on the back

available until December 13, 2026

It is with great pleasure that we present the latest Kunstverein’s member’s edition to you, dear members: we have invited Cosima von Bonin to propose a work for 2026, and we are honoured that she has agreed to do so. Twenty years ago, the Cologne-based artist presented her first exhibition in a Cologne institution, the Kölnischer Kunstverein. This exhibition, entitled 2 Positionen auf einmal (2 Positions at Once), was the result of collaboration with others: artists, authors, musicians and fashion designers such as Phantom/Ghost (Dirk von Lowtzow and Thies Mynther), Kazu Huggler, Annette Kelm, Ulla von Brandenburg, Roman Schramm, Manfred Hermes and Da Group (Oliver Husain, Sergej Jensen and Claus Richter), to name a few.

This discernible continuity continues to characterise von Bonin’s work to this day, as could be witnessed in recent solo exhibitions at venues such as the Schirn Kunsthalle in Frankfurt, Raven Row in London, and Mudam in Luxembourg: Her creations feature not only other people from her circle, but also stuffed animals and cartoon characters as recurring elements. The creatures without organs come to life in the form of soft fabric sculptures and textile images, and their anthropomorphism leaves an impression on viewers: the crabs, lobsters, dogs, rabbits, sharks, pigs, whales, fish, shells, and mushrooms are touching, lovable, tired, and often melancholic. They convey what many of us feel.

In addition to creatures she has invented, von Bonin often puts well-known characters such as Lucky Luke, Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse, Bugs Bunny and Bambi in the spotlight. In recent years, she has turned her attention to the Warner Bros. character Daffy Duck, who gazes nonchalantly and lasciviously at you, dear members, in the shape of a portrait. Von Bonin made him the central figure of her most recent exhibitions in a series of fabric pictures. Against the velvety surfaces, the black plumage stands out only faintly from the equally black background, while the white of the eyes and the orange of the beak shine brightly; in these pictures, Daffy alternates between struggling for attention and appearing as a confident soloist. The contrasts in these images are what make them so striking.

Whereas von Bonin’s animals often appeared phlegmatic and exhausted previously, the lisping Daffy Duck turns the tide. Daffy is always fully present and in action – even if only through his expressive facial expressions. In contrast to the creatures suffering from depression, as author Manfred Hermes interpreted the exhausted beings more than ten years ago in the discourse of the time as a symptom, the exuberant duck may embody a characteristic of the present day: ADHD. Daffy is restless and needs constant attention. He is clever, but can also become a cocky nagger, and he fails time and time again, especially against his precocious and calm opponent Bugs Bunny. Von Bonin refers to the ‘Daffy formula’ in relation to Daffy Duck, which states that in order to be considered Daffy, one must first be like Daffy: negative and positive characteristics must be disproportionately apparent in order to overcome failure and get back up again and again.

Cosima von Bonin maintains a distinct signature style in her work as a director. However, this is a signature style that does not get hands-on, but rather sets a production chain in motion. The artist’s conceptual approach lies in the maximum suppression of any trace of authorship in the sense of the handmade and the self-made. This is also evident in the confident juxtaposition of pop culture and references to art history that permeates her work, which moves between the poles of accessible directness and enigmatic complexity.

Cosima von Bonin, born in 1962 in Mombasa, Kenya, lives in Cologne and has had solo exhibitions at the following venues, among others: Raven Row, London (2025), Fridericianum, Kassel (2025), Ordet, Milan (2025), MUDAM, Luxembourg (2024), Galerie Neu, Berlin (2024), Schirn Kunsthalle, Frankfurt (2024), High Line, New York (2023), Petzel, New York (2020), House of Gaga, Mexico/Los Angeles (2022/2020), Kunsthalle Nürnberg, together with Claus Richter (2020), Magasin III Jaffa, Tel Aviv-Yafo, IL (2019), Marianne Boesky Gallery, Aspen, US (2018), De Young Museum, San Francisco (2018), Museum & Sculpture Centre, Belfast, Dundee & Bury, GB (2018), Glasgow International 2016/Sculpture Center, New York (2016), Mumok, Vienna (2014), Museum Ludwig, Cologne (2012), Galerie Daniel Buchholz, Berlin (2011), Mamco, Geneva (2011), Witte de With, Rotterdam (2010), Kunsthaus Bregenz (2008), MOCA, Los Angeles (2007), Kölnischer Kunstverein (2004).

Order modalities
The member’s edition is reserved exclusively for members of the Kölnischer Kunstverein.
The member’s edition will be sent to you by mail. Please note: Due to the bigger parcel dimensions of this year’s member’s edition it is not possible for the parcel to be delivered to a DHL-Packstation.
The order is only possible via the form on our website.
Order period: January 5 until December 13, 2026.
Production costs rate: 15,-€ per member’s edition (plus 9,-€ shipping fee / Shipping costs for other EU countries are 17,- €).

Family members can have the member’s edition sent to them collectively. The shipping fee (9,-€) then only has to be paid once. Please note this in the Comments field.