A gallery owner from Cologne made an extraordinary discovery at a North Rhine-Westphalia landfill in early November, finding eight valuable artworks by renowned artist Ole Fischer worth an estimated $65,000 to $75,000. Kerem Akar was disposing of household waste when the paintings caught his eye, leading to what he describes as a divine intervention.
Akar, who owns a gallery in Cologne-Ehrenfeld, was clearing out his basement when he made the trip to the landfill. "I needed space in the basement and then drove to the landfill. In the area of residual and plastic waste, when I got out, I saw these pictures, they immediately caught my eye," Akar explained in an interview. Upon closer inspection, he flipped the artworks over and discovered the signature of Ole Fischer, a name that sparked his memory.
Recognizing the potential significance of his find, Akar quickly conducted an internet search on his phone to verify the artist's identity and reputation. "I thought to myself, I've heard that before," he recalled. His research confirmed that Fischer was indeed a renowned artist with international recognition, prompting him to tell his colleague who was with him, "Come on, let's pack these up, it's a shame if we leave the art lying there."
However, retrieving the paintings wasn't straightforward. A landfill employee initially explained that taking items from the disposal site was actually prohibited. After some discussion, the worker made an exception, allowing Akar to take the two paintings. For the gallery owner, leaving the artworks behind was unthinkable: "No artist in the world deserves that." Akar firmly believes in the spiritual nature of his discovery, stating, "Dear God wanted me to find them. Or Mr. Fischer."
The story took an even more remarkable turn when Ole Fischer's daughter contacted Akar after learning about the find. She expressed her gratitude that he had discovered and rescued the paintings from the landfill. The reason why these valuable artworks ended up in the trash remains a mystery, though Akar has his theories about their origin.
"Possibly the found works come from an estate clearance," the gallery owner speculates. Fischer's daughter revealed to him that there had been a legal dispute in 2005, after which his family was allowed to keep part of the artworks while another portion went to a friend of Fischer's. This background suggests the paintings may have been discarded during the settlement of someone's estate who was unaware of their true value.
Ole Fischer, whose real name was Hermann Jürgen August Fischer, died on February 28, 2005, at the age of 61 in Cologne. He studied sculpture and free graphics at the Cologne Trade Schools starting in 1961. Fischer achieved success as a lithographer in the United States and held various international exhibitions throughout his career, establishing himself as a respected figure in the art world.
Now that Akar has rescued these valuable works, he has plans to showcase them properly. Since he operates an art gallery where he also displays works by his son Mikail, the gallery owner has decided to include the found paintings in his upcoming exhibition. The rescued artworks will be featured in the "Best of 2025 Group Exhibition" at Gallery Ehren Art, located on Hüttenstraße 32. The opening reception is scheduled for December 6, with the exhibition running through December 20.
Looking beyond the current exhibition, Akar has ambitious plans for the rescued artworks. The art enthusiast is considering transferring the works to Art Miami in 2026, potentially giving these paintings that were once destined for a landfill the international exposure they deserve. This discovery serves as a reminder of the value that can be found in unexpected places and the importance of recognizing art's worth, regardless of where it might appear.
