Art and words wrapped in books, zines and passe-partouts. Fanzineist is an art book and zine fair that offers more than you might think.
- Large exhibition area
- Workshops, music & more
- Also includes an online version
- Next dates: TBA (was May 26-28 in 2023)
- See also:
Art in print, and more
(Posters outside the 2023 venue)
Billed as an art book and zine fair, Fanzineist actually forms a wider contemporary art and music event.
The core is the exhibition hall with its numerous tables full of purchasable creativity, with the originators on hand to discuss their art, writing, and/or designs.
But you also get talks & workshops, concerts & performances, and more.
Having departed blossoming youthfulness behind many years ago, I used my time at the 2023 edition simply to browse the exhibition area and left evening DJs to those born several decades later.
The location certainly fit the fair. The Victorianesque early-industrial halls of the Atelierhaus of the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna are full of wrought iron and tall doors for mythological giants (or perhaps just large-format artworks).
The Academy remains one of Vienna’s prestigious arts-focused universities with a long history (visit the public paintings gallery exhibitions).
(Press photo courtesy of Pilar Del Rio and Fanzineist)
The former “Semperdepot” used to store props and sets for theater and opera productions. Today’s Atelierhaus now serves primarily as a venue. You can see the insides, for example, in the video to Lovelight by Robbie Williams.
The exhibition area featured several rows of tables with independent artists and publishers selling a mix of products.
The wares included original art: I was much taken by the colourful animals of illustrator Pilar del Rio (pictured above) or the “deformed” photos of Vienna by Mariam Manzaneque. But also postcards, prints, graphic novels, art books, art zines, even some textiles and clothes.
And all with a strong urban, international flavour (with over 20 countries represented). And very relaxed, as such events tend to be. Not a place for corporate marketing machines, thankfully.
Which means you can happily chat to people about their work, adding a welcome depth to the buying experience.
The overall impression was a reminder of the wealth of creativity still around in the world, not to mention the courage and entrepreneurialism required to turn imagined pictures and words into saleable items.
Dates, tickets & tips
I don’t have details for the next iteration of Fanzineist yet, but the previous event ran from May 26th to May 28th with an online portion, too. Entrance was free.
How to get there
I’ll add tips once I get news of the location of the next event, which has also been online only in the past. Hoping for a return to the atmospheric Semperdepot, partly because one of my favourite coffee houses is just up the road.
Address: TBA | Website