Since the very first edition of the VIENNAFAIR in 2005, the event has undoubtedly become one of the most significant trade fairs for contemporary art focussing on CEE/SEE in the whole of Central Europe. This year, in 2012, a new twist has been added to this triumphal tale. The next step is to give what has now become an established international trade fair for contemporary art the security it requires to continue to develop within the international trade fair landscape. This move will guarantee that the show continues to be the trade fair home for a wide variety of domestic and international gallery activities and, above all, that the very successful focus on central and south-eastern is expanded upon long into the future.

This was the context within which, on Tuesday the 24th January 2012, a contractual partnership was sealed between Reed Messe Wien GmbH, owner of the rights to, and previous organiser of the ‘VIENNAFAIR’, and the newly founded ‘VF Betriebsgesellschaft mbH’. Majority shareholder, Sergey Skaterschikov, and several other well-known figures involved in the Viennese and Austrian commercial and art sectors, have now officially taken on responsibility for staging the VIENNAFAIR in 2012. Reed Messe Wien GmbH has assumed the role of a long-term licensor and remains the exclusive operator of Messe Wien, both as a venue and a supplier of technical services.

For the benefit of the gallery culture and of course the VIENNAFAIR we are delighted to have entered into a partnership that can exploit the full potential of this trade fair concept and make intelligent use of the latest market opportunities. The last edition of the show featured 127 national and international galleries, 45 of which came from Eastern and south-eastern Europe, attracting 30 institutions and over 16,200 visitors and providing clear evidence that the VIENNAFAIR has become a great success. The new partnership and altered organisational structure have opened a fresh chapter on the journey ahead. We hope you remain with us as we pursue this route, and that you continue to be actively involved in, and provide your support to the VIENNAFAIR.