In the heart of Cologne's city center, Kolumba shows how impressively history, architecture and art can be combined. The art museum of the Archdiocese of Cologne was built according to plans by Swiss architect Peter Zumthor on the walls of the church of St. Kolumba, which was destroyed in the Second World War. The ruins, the "Madonna in the Ruins" chapel and archaeological traces are embedded in the new building. Light-coloured bricks, reduced rooms, changing light and deliberately placed visual axes characterize the atmosphere.
Here, 2000 years of urban and religious history become visible. The exhibition shows works from late antiquity to the present in annually changing combinations. Medieval sculptures, modern installations, paintings, everyday objects and sacred art enter into an open dialog. Kolumba does not explain everything in advance, but invites visitors to look slowly and discover their own connections.
