Emre Aksoy

I am a graphic designer and illustrator, and I have lived in Ehrenfeld for twelve years. Ehrenfeld used to be a factory district full of workers from Turkey, Italy and Greece, and my family was part of that. When the factories closed, artists moved into the halls and the walls filled with murals, some of them by friends of mine. I started showing visitors around because the tourist office sends everyone to the cathedral and nobody to the neighbourhood where half of young Cologne actually lives. My tours are about art on the walls, the design scene and where to go out in the Belgian Quarter. I do not have a history degree. I have a good eye and I know the people who painted the walls. I spend my free time drawing in cafés, and I will probably sketch you at some point. These days I guide Cologne live on video: I walk the streets with my phone and answer your questions as we go.