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25/4/2007

Viennafair 2007

MessezentrumWienNeu, Wien

Setting thematic priorities and conveying them

"The continuously growing number of numerous different art shows makes it necessary to develop a special and unique event for both the galleries and the visitors. I am thus very pleased that, in the third year the ViennaFair takes place, we could once again not only meet the objectives we had set for ourselves but even surpass our own expectations" summarises Edek Bartz, exhibition director of the ViennaFair, the intensive preparations which have once again led to an exciting selection of galleries and a top-flight side program for the ViennaFair 2007. App. 100 international galleries, 26 of which are from the region that forms the fair’s focus, the Central, Eastern and South-Eastern European countries (CEE and SEE countries), will be presenting their selection of contemporary art in Vienna’s trade fair centre MessezentrumWienNeu from 26 to 29 April 2007. The corner pillars of the exhibition will be the Austrian galleries with their internationally renowned programmes.

Being part of the beginning – the ViennaFair as an international springboard Matthias Limbeck, CEO in charge of marketing, business and CEE/SEE at the fair organiser Reed Exhibitions Messe Wien, is pleased with the impressive list of participating galleries: “With the ViennaFair, as with the other trade fairs we organise, it is our prior aim to support the positive market trend in our neighbouring countries of the CEE and SEE regions. We at Reed Exhibitions Messe Wien offer the emerging gallery world in the CEE and SEE countries a platform which enables them to find their entry into the booming Western art market, and we offer those interested in art visiting the fair an excellent mixture of internationally renowned galleries and interesting newcomers.” And Matthias Limbeck emphasises the significance of the event’s sponsors and partners for the success of the ViennaFair: “Many international art collectors have already confirmed their attendance at the fair – they will make a discovery tour around the >VIENNAFAIR 2007<. Our main sponsor, ERSTE BANK supports 15 Eastern European galleries and thus enables their participation in the fair – an immensely important contribution for which we thank ERSTE BANK.” The galleries included in this support program of ERSTE BANK are: Aidan Gallery (Moscow), acb gallery (Budapest), Bast´Art Gallery (Bratislava), hunt kastner artworks (Prague), lokal_30 (Warsaw), Andreiana Mihail Gallery (Bucharest), Galeria Noua (Bucharest), Plan B (Clui), Galeria Piekary (Posen), Program Gallery (Warsaw), Regina Gallery (Moscow), Remont Gallery (Belgrade), SPACE/Galéria Priestor for Contemporary Arts (Bratislava), Zvono Gallery (Belgrade), XL Gallery (Moscow). Reed Exhibitions Messe Wien also appreciates that the Uniqua Insurance Group is prepared once again to function as sponsor of the ViennaFair. With its art insurances, Uniqua has made a name for itself especially amongst the collectors.

Petra Eibel, head of the art insurance division at Uniqua, states: “The ViennaFair is the link between the collectors’ tradition, which has been growing in Vienna for centuries, and the lively contemporary art scene. These are also the main basic elements which determine and form the partnerships with our cooperation partners. And the focus of the ViennaFair on the CEE and SEE countries also clearly shows that this exhibition matches our company and our self-image of the Uniqua Insurance Group as a European enterprise with Austrian roots perfectly”.

From the exhibition into the museum – Young positions are given a special opportunity
Young positions are at the centre of attention in the newly created “ZONE 1” which offers the opportunity to present installation art works and enlarged presentations at a reduced stand fee and away from the sales pressure which is ever present at a traditional fair stand. The new cooperation between the ViennaFair and the museum of modern art MUMOK (Museum Moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig, Vienna) is here especially noteworthy. One artist will be able to move directly from the ViennaFair into the museum: a jury headed by Edelbert Köb, director or the MUMOK, will select a position from all the eagerly awaited presentations – the winning presentation will be awarded with a special exhibition in the MUMOK. Candidates for this exhibition are, amongst others, the Swiss artist Shahryar Nashat, (gallery Elisabeth Kaufmann, Zurich), whose works have already been presented at the Venice Biennale 2005, the German artist Thorsten Brinkmann (gallery Artfinder, Hamburg, Germany) and the Berlin resident Bettina Pousttchi (Buchmann gallery, Berlin). Gallery Cristina Guerra from Lisbon presents Rui Toscano, the Dogenhaus gallery from Leipzig has nominated Tilo Schulz to participate in ZONE1. I-20 gallery from New York brings Timothy Hutchings to Vienna, and gallery Steinle from Munich presents the Austrian, in Los Angeles resident, artist Kasper Kovitz; it will also be possible to admire his art works at the MAK-Galerie, the gallery at Vienna’s Museum of Applied Arts and Contemporary Art (Notice: the complete list of the ZONE1 exhibitors will be available from the exhibition’s home page shortly before the event begins). Daniela Hinterhölzl, fair manager of the ViennaFair, explains the motifs for this new initiative: “For us it is important to create more space at the ViennaFair for individual presentations and installations – this ensures that we are able to present our visitors a broad range of artistic modes of practice. The fact that with this we are able to show the important link between galleries and museums is a lucky incident and a novelty at the same time”.

Intensifying co-operations with Austrian art institutions. And not only for the ZONE1, but also concerning the information about the ViennaFair, the co-operations with museums and art institutions have been intensified. The aim of these co-operations is that, together with Austrian museums and private collections, a clear signal is set with contemporary art in Austria and beyond the borders. In their marketing material, the institutions will additionally draw the attention of their audiences to the ViennaFair, and will also enclose a voucher for reduced admission to the ViennaFair. At present, the following institutions participate in this co-operation: Albertina, Vienna; Austrian Cultural Forum New York, the art forum of the bank BA-CA – BA-CA Kunstforum, Vienna; lower austria contemporary (art in the public space Lower Austria, KUNSTRAUM NOE, collection of contemporary art Kunsthalle Krems/Lower Austria, the Lower Austrian museum NÖ Landesmuseum, Art/Brut Center Gugging, Hermann Nitsch Museum in the museum centre Mistelbach/Lower Austria); gallery Galerie im Taxispalais, Innsbruck/Tyrol; collection of contemporary art KUB Kunsthaus Bregenz/Vorarlberg; collection of contemporary art KUNSTHALLE Wien; museum of art history Kunsthistorisches Museum, Wien; collection of contemporary art Kunsthaus Graz at the Styrian museum Landesmuseum Joanneum, Graz; collection of contemporary art KunstHausWien; gallery of contemporary international art KUNSTRAUM INNSBRUCK/Tyrol; collection of modern art Lentos Kunstmuseum Linz/Upper Austria; MAK Austrian Museum of Applied Art and Contemporary Arts/Vienna; museum of modern art MUMOK Museum moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig Wien; gallery Neue Galerie Graz at the Styrian museum Landesmuseum Joanneum, Graz; Austrian gallery Österreichische Galerie Belvedere/Vienna; collection SAMMLUNG ESSL, Klosterneuburg/Lower Austria; WIEN MUSEUM. Numerous invitations to the museums and private collections for guests and exhibitors of the ViennaFair further intensify this cooperation.

Art institutions from Eastern and South-Eastern Europe at the >VIENNAFAIR 2007<
As in the past two years, in 2007 art institutions from Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe are to receive the opportunity to present themselves to the audience at the ViennaFair. With the support of the arts division at the Austrian Federal Chancellery which is covering the costs of the stands for these institutions, Reed Exhibitions Messe Wien hopes for many interested answers to the bids for proposals for this special presentation currently taking place. The Cultural Department of the City of Vienna also greatly contributes because it supports the ViennaFair in 2007 again to enable the organiser to invite international collectors. Susanna Hoffmann-Ostenhof, deputy exhibition director & co-operations of the ViennaFair also emphasises the significance of the numerous co-operations with the partners and the sponsoring partners for the success of the exhibition: “I am especially pleased that our sponsors as well as numerous Austrian galleries with their international programmes will also be part of the ViennaFair in its third year”.

Award for the best stand presentation
Participating galleries will present their stands in an appealing and harmonious way – also in the main section of the ViennaFair. As an additional incentive for doing so, the gallery award of the Vienna Chamber of Commerce GALERIENPREIS DER WIRTSCHAFTSKAMMER WIEN will be bestowed for the second time at the >VIENNAFAIR 2007<.
The award is endowed with prize money totalling 5,000 Euros and will be bestowed on Wednesday, April 25, 2007 at 6.30 pm at the professional preview at the ViennaFair in the V.I.P. lounge by Brigitte Jank, president of the Vienna Chamber of Commerce.

Top-flight side programme – international curators discuss the appeal of biennials
The organisers of the ViennaFair not only aim at setting new standards with the stands of the galleries and institutions but also with this year’s side programme, a selection of top experts compiled by Sabine B. Vogel.

More than 150 art biennials and art triennials have been founded globally so far. The very first took place in 1895 in Venice, and more than 50 years later the Sao Paulo biennial followed which took place in 2006 for the 27th time. In 1968 the not so well-known “India Triennial New Delhi“ was founded, and in 1973 the Sydney equivalent followed. 11 years later the most significant biennial for Latin American art was founded – “La Biennial de la Havanna”. Since the 1990s, at least one city founds its own biennial, triennial or quadrennial each year - in 2006, the Singapore biennial took place for the first time and this year the first Athens biennial will take place. What makes this periodic exhibition system so appealing?

On Saturday, 28 April 2007 from 2 pm to 6 pm, AICA (International Association of Art Critics) Austria will organise a panel discussion at the >VIENNAFAIR 2007< in the VIP lounge at the MessezentrumWienNeu, in Hall A, with the topic “Why biennials?”. The furniture shop Wittmann Möbelwerkstätten will design this year’s VIP lounge by providing their top quality furniture.

From 2 pm to 4.30 pm the two presenters Andrea Schurian and Sabine B. Vogel will discuss the topic “What makes biennials as exhibition models so appealing?” with Xenia Kalpaktsoglou – co-founder of the first Athens Biennial 2007 and the director of the DESTE Foundation Centre for Contemporary Art; Hans-Ulrich Obrist – curator of the Biennale d´art contemporain de Lyon 2007 and adviser of the International Triennial of Contemporary Art of Yokohama 2008; Robert Storr – artistic director of the 52nd Venice Biennale 2007; and Manray Hsu – curator of the Taipeh biennial 2000 and Liverpool biennial 2006.

Following this, from 4 pm to 6 pm, Martin Heller – artistic director for Linz 2009 (European Cultural Capital), Nicolaus Schaffhausen – in charge of the German intervention of the Venice Biennale for 2007 and director of the Witt de With Center for Contemporary Art in Rotterdam, Ariane Grigoteit – director of the art collection and the art program of the Deutsche Bank; and Ursula Zeller, head of the arts department at the ifa, the German Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen (department for international relations) will all discuss the question “Are the differences between cultural capital festivals, art fairs and biennials still significant today or has art only just become a global commodity everywhere?” (presentation: Maribel Königer, Sabine B. Vogel).

Paul Hammerl
Tel: +43 (0)662 44 77- 143
paul.hammerl@reedexpo.at

Iris Maier
Tel: +43 (0)1 727 20-224
iris.maier@messe.at

Oliver-John Perry
Tel. +43 (0)1 727 20-226
Oliver-John.Perry@messe.at

MessezentrumWienNeu
Messeplatz 1 - Wien
Hours: Thursday, 26th April 12.00 - 19.00 Friday, 27th April 12.00 - 19.00 Saturday, 28th April 11.00 - 19.00 Sunday 29th April 2007 11.00 - 18.00.
Admission: 13 euro

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