VIENNA.- VIENNAFAIR The New Contemporary will once again highlight the innovative power of the Eastern and Southeastern European art and gallery scene in its main focus presentations. In combination with the participating galleries from the Western hemisphere, VIENNAFAIR The New Contemporary 2013 will showcase a varied spectrum of contemporary art production and an extensive visitors program for art collectors and enthusiasts.

“In the last years there has been a genuine boom in art fairs. Today, in nearly every corner of the planet, an art fair takes place at least once per year. With VIENNAFAIR The New Contemporary we have successfully developed an innovative fair concept with a distinctive programmatic scope,” state Christina Steinbrecher-Pfandt and Vita Zaman, the two artistic directors of VIENNAFAIR The New Contemporary, expressing their confidence in the selection of galleries and the visitors program that they have assembled for this year’s fair. “VIENNAFAIR The New Contemporary 2013 establishes a network in which both established and young, emerging galleries from Eastern European countries – Poland in particular – as well as from countries such as Turkey, Russia, and Switzerland are represented. There will also once again be a strong presence of galleries from Austria, especially from Vienna. We are completely redefining the notion of ?East meets West’ and offer art collectors, curators, and museum directors as well as the art affine from all age groups, who would like to engage with artistic positions, an interesting mix with which one can become informed about art, communicate about art, and participate in creative processes, too.”

Shifting the focus to new geographies and markets
Together with the focus regions, galleries from the Western hemisphere create an ideal context for a stimulating exchange of artistic approaches and the development of new markets. “The careers of many galleries evidence just how important this network can be for their development. VIENNAFAIR The New Contemporary serves as a springboard to the international art market for precisely those galleries located in regions where the art market is still hardly developed and offers a forum for exchanges between artists and museums, collectors, and curators. Hence, we are very pleased that in addition to the already established positions a broad range of young and upcoming galleries – especially from the Eastern and Southeastern European focus regions – have decided to participate in VIENNAFAIR The New Contemporary. We would especially like to thank the fair advisory board and admissions committee for their work, which was of great help,” say Christina Steinbrecher-Pfandt and Vita Zaman in appreciation of the excellent collaboration with the board and committee members.

After the fall of the Iron Curtain, Vienna was an important meeting point for artists from Eastern and Southeastern Europe. VIENNAFAIR The New Contemporary successfully continues this tradition, offering not only galleries but also cultural institutions from Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine a forum for international contacts and the presentation of their program. With galleries from the entire Eastern and Southeastern European region – from Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia to Poland, the Czech and Slovak Republics, Hungary, and Slovenia, to Russia, Romania, Bulgaria, and Albania – VIENNAFAIR The New Contemporary provides a unique wealth of art and information with which no other art fair in the world can compare. “It was important to the fair advisory board and admissions committee, as it was for us, to present not only a broad spectrum of contemporary artistic production on the commercial level of the galleries but also to emphasize the great artistic potential in the new economies, which are just now developing in Eastern and Southeastern Europe,” conclude the two artistic directors. The members of the advisory board and admissions committee are: Miryam Charim, Charim Gallery, Vienna; Andreas Huber, Andreas Huber Gallery, Vienna; Marc Jancou, Marc Jancou Contemporary, Geneva/New York; Ursula Krinzinger, Galerie Krinzinger, Vienna; Mihaj Pop, Galeria Plan B, Berlin/Cluj; Asia Zak, ŻAK | BRANICKA, Berlin/Krakow.

The CEE focus will once again be supported by Erste Bank this year. Already for nine years, Erste Bank has been the main sponsor of VIENNAFAIR The New Contemporary in the framework of the SponsoringVALUE program. Their support directly benefits galleries from Central and Southeastern Europe by facilitating their participation in the fair. Through this commitment, Erste Bank, part of the Erste Group of companies which are active in the CEE region, supports the development of the art scenes in Central and Southeastern European countries and thereby makes a decisive contribution to the thematic focus of VIENNAFAIR The New Contemporary.

Special project “DIYALOG”: New Energies showcases the current developments of young art institutions in Romania, Turkey, and the Caspian region
Already for the third time, OMV supports a special project at VIENNAFAIR The New Contemporary. This year there will be a new focus on non-profit spaces and young galleries from Romania and Turkey. The project will be complemented with positions from the upcoming contemporary art scene in the Caspian region and an info zone. “DIYALOG”: New Energies is curated by the photographer and art expert Gaisha Madanova from Almaty, Kazakhstan and the artistic directors of VIENNAFAIR The New Contemporary, Christina Steinbrecher-Pfandt and Vita Zaman, in cooperation with OMV. The following galleries and cultural institutions will make presentations in the framework of “DIYALOG”: New Energies: a.o. Romania: Apparatus 22 (Sibiu), Club Electroputere (Bucharest), Salonul de Proiecte (Bucharest) and Experimental Project (Bucharest); Turkey: CDA PROJECTS (Istanbul); Kazakhstan: IADA (International Art Development Association).

Over and above its economic engagement, OMV wants to contribute to the cultural dialogue in the field of contemporary fine arts with this project. In addition to Austria, Romania and Turkey count among the integrated international oil and gas company’s core markets. Furthermore, OMV is also active in the Caspian region.

Special Project ZONE1: Exciting solo presentations of young artists
This year, ZONE1 will once again offer a unique opportunity to become more familiar with the work of selected artists. The Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Art and Culture (BMUKK) will again support the participating young artists from Austria. Galleries get the opportunity to showcase upcoming talents in solo presentations. VIENNAFAIR The New Contemporary thereby supports the careers of artists and galleries, who with the help of this platform can provide deep insights into new forms of artistic production and (still) affordable artworks. The following artists, among others, will participate in the framework of ZONE1: Albért Bernàrd (Galerie Lisi Hämmerle, Bregenz), Peter Fritzenwallner (Galerie Altnöder, Salzburg), Kerstin von Gabain (Gabriele Senn Galerie, Vienna), Sofia Goscinski (Galerie Zimmermann Kratochwill, Graz), Jochen Höller (Mario Mauroner Contemporary Art, Vienna) and Gudrun Kampl (Galerie Silvia Steinek, Vienna).

Reaching new buyer segments and audiences
“A key objective for VIENNAFAIR The New Contemporary is to reach new buyer segments in the focus regions. At the same time, we will involve Vienna – one of the liveliest cities of culture in Central Europe – more vividly in the program of VIENNAFAIR The New Contemporary. As an important art event, VIENNAFAIR The New Contemporary will spread out beyond the walls of the fair hall and into the city, becoming a true festival for exchange in the creative scene,” say Christina Steinbrecher-Pfandt and Vita Zaman, outlining the extensive visitors program.

VIENNAFAIR The New Contemporary is actively organizing an extensive non-commercial artistic program, which will enrich the fair experience for all visitors with presentations of a broad range of cutting-edge art topics in discussions, exhibitions, free artistic interventions, and collaborations. All special projects are being developed with an eye to showcasing contemporary art and personalities from the focus countries and ensuring that VIENNAFAIR The New Contemporary delivers an in-depth view of the participating regions. “School of Happiness” is a theme of VIENNAFAIR The New Contemporary 2013. The program will explore different pursuits of happiness and alternative models of happiness in various cultures.

Multifaceted visitors program for all age and interest groups
With the aim of addressing new audiences and enthusing them with a taste for contemporary art, VIENNAFAIR The New Contemporary has expanded its wide-ranging program to reach all age and interest groups and invites them to actively participate in creative processes.

In addition to the program points VIENNA Talks, Vienna Sonic, Vienna Studio, Vienna Live, and VIENNA Click, which were already warmly received with great interest by visitors in 2012, this year the artfair offers adults and children, two years old and above, the opportunity to discover their creativity, to try out different painting techniques and tools, and to put color, form, and movement to paper in an open painting studio in the framework of VIENNA Family.

Parallel to the solo presentations in ZONE1, different generations – young Austrian artists and seniors – meet at VIENNA Gold to discuss and exchange their views on contemporary art.

Panel discussions and talks with representatives of the international art scene
In 2013, VIENNA Talks will once again showcase a broad spectrum of presentations, discussions, and debates with important representatives of the contemporary art scene. This year’s Talks provide an exciting and multifaceted platform for art professionals from different Eastern focus regions – people who normally rarely have the chance to meet each other – to represent their countries to the fullest and evidence the unique character of their region.

Each day of VIENNA Talks will reflect upon a topical theme in contemporary art, such as: The Future of Institutions – experts discuss their experiences with museums, art centers, and biennales in Eastern countries (October 10); “DIYALOG”: New Energies – with speakers from Romania, Turkey, and Kazakhstan in two panel discussions on the “Dynamics of New Art Distribution” and “Strong Women in Art”, supported by OMV (October 11); Luxury of Art – what art means for brands and brands mean for art, with representatives of high-class companies that commission work to artists and the artists who fulfill these commissions (October 12); Young Austrian Artists – a panel discussion supported by bmukk, the Federal Ministry for Education, the Arts and Culture (October 12);

Additionally, VIENNA Talks presents the “School of Happiness” – daily talks between artists and professionals from different fields, such as psychology and philosophy, on the theme of happiness. Another highlight will be the special forum “20 four 7 – Collecting The New Contemporary” in cooperation with Next Edition Partners.

VIENNAFAIR The New Contemporary presents: “Happiness Awards”
As a contemporary art fair, VIENNAFAIR The New Contemporary aims to engage in collaborations with its creative audience. One of the main goals is to educate the audience and stimulate discourse by raising interesting questions. Thus VIENNAFAIR The New Contemporary has initiated an international video art competition aimed towards people interested in art and film – the “Happiness Awards”. The competition will take place between June 1 and August 15, 2013. All videos will be visible to the public on the VIENNAFAIR blog thenewcontemporary.com. The winner will be selected by a professional jury and receive a prize of €1000, the selected video will be screened at VIENNAFAIR The New Contemporary.

Furthermore, VIENNAFAIR The New Contemporary offers free entrance for students in the framework of VIENNA Studio from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm and will organize special evening lectures and guided tours by art professionals from Eastern Europe and beyond.

Besides VIENNA Family, VIENNA Gold, VIENNA Studio, and VIENNA Talks, other program points in the extensive visitors program – VIENNA Duet, VIENNA Pop – School of Happiness, VIENNA Highlight, VIENNA Live, VIENNA Protest, and VIENNA Sonic – are successively being further elaborated and can be accessed by all art enthusiasts on: www.viennafair.at/visitors/special-projects

Vienna Chamber of Commerce awards Gallery Prize for the best booth presentation once again in 2013
Already for the eighth time President Brigitte Jank will present the Galleries Prize of the Vienna Chamber of Commerce for the most innovative and exceptionally creative booth presentation at VIENNAFAIR The New Contemporary. Prize money in the amount of 5000 EUR will be awarded in two categories respectively: The “Emerging Gallery Prize” focuses on young international galleries that were founded in the last five years. The “Established Gallery Prize” honors an established gallery whose many years of work and presence in Vienna have strengthened Vienna’s position as a hub in the international art market.

Learning from art collectors
“With the globalization of the art market and the ongoing proliferation of information over social networks on the Internet, new approaches to art production have emerged, posing new questions about collecting contemporary art. With the collectors’ forum 20 four 7 – Collecting The New Contemporary’, Next Edition Partners would like to offer a supplementary program to VIENNAFAIR The New Contemporary that addresses these questions, but above all focuses on the passion for art collecting,” says Rainald Schumacher, head of the program 20 four 7 – Collecting The New Contemporary.

“20 four 7 – Collecting The New Contemporary” is a series of intimate conversations with some of the most outstanding collectors of contemporary art of today. Facing the challenge of a global art market which circulates ideas, projects, and objects 24 hours, 7 days a week, the conversations focus on the personal enthusiasm for collecting contemporary art. The series of talks intends to highlight some different models of building up a collection. The speakers will address their personal criteria and decisions for adding an artwork to their collection. “20 four 7” will also consider the obligations of collectors to make an artwork accessible for the public if they want to fulfill their role as creators of contemporary culture in a responsible way. The following art collectors will speak at the collectors’ forum, among others: Tansa M. Eksioglu, SPOT Contemporary Art Projects, Istanbul, with Haro Cumbusyan, director of collectorspace Istanbul; Erlin Kagge, Kagge Forlag AS, Oslo; Wolfgang Olbricht, Sammlung Olbricht, Essen, and Me Collectors Room Stiftung Olbricht, Berlin; Patrizia Re Rebaudengo, Fondazione Re Rebaudengo, Turin.

VIENNAFAIR The New Contemporary has prepared a very special VIP collectors program in cooperation with museums, art institutions, and collections, among others: Albertina (Vienna), Belvedere / 21er Haus (Vienna), Burgtheater Wien (Vienna), departure – the Creative Agency of the City of Vienna, Essl Museum (Klosterneuburg), Generali Foundation (Vienna), Jewish Museum Vienna, KUNSTHALLE wien (Vienna), Kunsthistorisches Museum (Vienna), Leopold Museum (Vienna), MAK – Austrian Museum of Applied Arts / Contemporary Art (Vienna), mumok museum moderner kunst stiftung ludwig wien (Vienna), Secession (Vienna), quartier21/MuseumsQuartier (Vienna), SAMMLUNG LENIKUS (Vienna), SAMMLUNG VERBUND (Vienna), and TBA21-Augarten (Vienna).