The Jagla art room is hidden away in a period building on a busy main road in northern Cologne. The cafe on the ground floor and the small cinema next door are popular destinations for coffee and film fans. Many aren't even aware of the art gallery nearby.

But they can't be blamed, because a label with the word "Jagla," taped crudely onto a button operating the door-bell, is the only indication that the gallery is there.

The exhibition space would be a perfect "white cube" were it not for the two large windows overlooking the busy street outside, a door leading to the adjoining room filling the other wall, and the ornate ceiling decoration overhead. But that is what the curators found so appealing about the space.

Artists have to adapt

"Artists must adapt to the handicaps of the room they work in, and that is what we found so exciting here," said gallery founders Tom Lingnau and Ulrike Jagla-Blankenburg. When they were on the look-out for a suitable room to exhibit in, they were unanimous in their approval of this one.

Both are over 40 and no longer newcomers to the art scene. Lingnau comes from the field of photography and already has many years as a curator behind him. His partner Jagla-Blankenburg is experienced in the conception and organization of exhibitions and has written quite a bit about the art world.

The two met nearly a year ago and decided their different backgrounds would complement each other nicely. They formed a team and set out to realize their dreams of creating an independent art gallery. The rest is history.

No business plan

The founders of Jagla place a strong emphasis on the concept of freedom.

"We don't want a program that has to be approved by someone else, but one which leave us the freedom to decide for ourselves," said Jagla-Blankenburg.

To avoid that external meddling, Jagla does not seek public funding. Costs for materials, rent and electricity are paid for out of the pockets of the gallery's founders, who also make no secret of the fact that most of the exhibited pieces are for sale.

Nevertheless, Jagla is not a commercial gallery.

"That is for the good of the artists and the future running of the gallery," said Lingnau. "We try at least to break even."

As Ulrike Jagla-Blankenburg, whose maiden name is also name of the gallery, put it: "We have an art plan, not a business plan."

By invitation only

Jagla is currently hosting its sixth exhibition - this time with works by young art students from the Academy of Art in Dusseldorf. But the gallery does not see itself as just a springboard for young artists.

Older, established artists such as Horst Muench also display their work there. Pieces from Muench's brush have been showcased alongside those of Katharina Jahnke.

"For us it's about dialogue," said the Jaglo founders, "between the artists, the curators, and between the art and room."

Invitations to the exhibitions are delivered by various friends willing to lend a hand. This ensures that the guest list is diverse, with people from differing backgrounds.

"We have no passing trade here," said Lingnau, who has resorted to such methods in the absence of a shop window to attract passers-by inside.

Nevertheless, the place doesn't give the impression of trying to be an elitist temple of art. As the founders said: It's about dialogue.

"We have never experienced a visitor entering and leaving without exchanging a word with us," said Ulrike Jagla-Blankenburg.

Author: Matthias Mayr / Andrew Shale

Editor: Kate Bowen