Nathan Ishar - Köln
Nathan Ishar
As a child of the Ruhr area, the learned jurist moved from Bochum to Cologne. There, Nathan Ishar dedicates himself to his two biggest passions: third-wave coffee and photography – presumably, every day in this order. His focus lies on portrait and fashion photography, whereas architectural structures play another huge role in his image compositions. Meanwhile he also works in Antwerp for another course of studies. Somehow, between studying, working, private life and barista-worthy coffee making, the millennial manages to maintain his successful Instagram feed @pramoediya and to nurture underlying network. Be it workshops, instameets with guided tours – for example in the Kunstmuseum Bonn – or lectures at the photography fair Photokina. Nathan’s day seems to have more than 24 hours. If that is because of his coffee intake or his vegan lifestyle remains his secret alone.
For realising his life plan, the photographer found the right home in Cologne. He loves the “relaxedness of the people” on the one hand and the “diverse cultural possibilities” on the other. Cologne seems to give him just what he needs right away.
Autor: Jan Kempinski
Foto: Julia Haack
A day in Cologne
I like to start a day in Cologne with breakfast in a special atmosphere with outstanding service, namely in the QVEST Designhotel (Gereonskloster 12, 50670). This historic building is located in the St. Gereon quarter, and what´s special about it is that both the café and every single room have been individually furnished with design classics. It´s worthwhile to take a look around and it would be best to make an appointment beforehand, so that the rooms can be shown.
Following breakfast, a visit to the Gallery Kaune Contemporary (Gereonskloster 12, 50670) is practical since it is located only one door down in a former chapel. It´s not rare to find exhibitions of top-ranking, contemporary artists here who the gallery represents.
Afterwards, I move on to the Belgian quarter - just to poke around a little in the many shops and boutiques. My favourite store is Kenkawai (Brüsseler Str. 85, 50672 Köln), a concept store inspired by Japanese culture, which is not only nicely decorated, but also sells accessories, furniture and household items in addition to lifestyle and interior design magazines. If you walk from there down the Brüsseler Strasse to the Brüsseler Platz, or Brussels Square, you´ll find some small shops and, as a little highlight, the Hallmackenreuther (Brüsseler Platz 9, 50674 Cologne), a café with retro charm. If the sun is shining, however, it is also worth taking a short break in the Brussels Square.
For lunch I like to go to the Well Being (Brabanter Str. 9, 50674 Cologne), a vegetarian Vietnamese restaurant, or to the Chinese restaurant Ni Hao (Brüsseler Str. 44, 50674 Köln), on the edge of the Belgian district. With a full belly, I continue on to the Forum for Photography (Schönhauser Str. 8, 50968 Cologne) to visit the current photo exhibition. What I find particularly nice about the Forum for Photography, besides the great exhibitions, is the location in the southern part of town and close to the Rhine. Direct neighbours of the Forum for Photography are other renowned galleries, such as Galerie Thomas Zander or Galerie Anke Schmidt, which are well worth visiting.
Once in this corner of Cologne, it´s a good idea to stroll through the southern part of the city or along the Rhine - the main thing is to head for the Ernst Kaffeerösterei to enjoy the best roasted coffee in Cologne. Bolstered with new energy, you can now look around in the many small shops and lovely streets of the southern part of town, and end the evening in the Pizzeria 485° (Bonnerstrasse 34, 50677 Cologne).