BLACK PAGES is an artist fanzine that came to a conclusion after producing one hundred issues over a period of thirteen years. The BLACK PAGES 01–100 exhibition at Franz Josefs Kai 3 – Contemporary Art Space takes the form of an extensive installation and pays tribute to this remarkable publishing venture, which was launched in 2009 by Christoph Meier (born in 1980), Ute Müller (born in 1978), and Nick Oberthaler (born in 1981) in Vienna. Over the duration of the exhibition, a series of live talks, improvised concerts, and performances will bring to life the social and discursive dynamics that have been vital to the project from its inception.

BLACK PAGES was conceived as an art exhibition space in print form. This central idea has now been translated into a three-dimensional space. BLACK PAGES 01–100 is devised as a tour across the aesthetic parameters of the artzine and provides insight into the different artistic practices as they relate to exhibiting in the publication format. The individual issues, whose designs reflect artistic positions, appeared in limited editions of 300 copies, came in DIN A5 format, contained a 16-page black and white core, and, as a democratic principle, featured only the artist’s first name as the title.

BLACK PAGES 01–100 highlights the scope of experimentation the artzine spawned as a medium of presentation, representation, and documentation. A number of artists saw BLACK PAGES as an opportunity to explore forms of visual storytelling, as a medium where photography, film, performance, comics, drawings, object art, and painting could take shape along with language-based art, theoretical reflections, and poetry. The individual issues of BLACK PAGES on display in this show are not only objects inviting to engage with their content, but double as elements of its spatial design. Their arrangement around the room evokes a rhythmic structure reminiscent of musical notations.

The design principles guiding BLACK PAGES are reflected on multiple levels throughout the show. Franz and Josef, the names seen on the front and back glass facades of the exhibition space, appear to echo the first names on the magazine covers. Entering individual exhibition rooms feels like stepping into the core pages of the black-and-white magazine as it appears to be drained of all color by yellow mono-frequency lighting. Under the glass roof of the central area of Franz Josefs Kai 3, leather fauteuils designed by Josef Hoffmann in 1910 create a casual club atmosphere. Under the title BACK STAGE, this part of the exhibition provides a stage for a highly focused series of accompanying events.

Artists / Issues:

#01 TOBY - Toby Ziegler (*1972, UK)
#02 ANDREA - Andrea Witzmann (*1970, AT)
#03 HUGO - Hugo Canoilas (*1977, PT)
#04 MICHAEL - Michael Gumhold (*1978, AT)
#05 CONSTANZE - Constanze Schweiger (*1970, AT)
#06 FLORA - Flora Neuwirth (*1971, AT)
#07 BEN - Ben Washington (*1981, UK)
#08 AURÉLIEN - Aurélien Porte (*1981, FR)
#09 URSULA MARIA - Ursula Maria Probst (*1975, AT)
#10 CHRISTOPH - Christoph Bruckner (*1975, AT)
#11 ROLAND - Roland Rauschmeier (*1974, DE)
#12 NATALIE - Natalie Czech (*1976, DE)
#13 GUILLAUME & SASHA - Guillaume & Sasha Pinard (1971 & 2004, FR)
#14 JANNIS - Jannis Varelas (*1977, GR)
#15 SIGGI - Siggi Hofer (*1970, IT)
#16 LORNA - Lorna Macintyre (*1977, UK)
#17 EZARA & RAINER - Ezara & Rainer Spangl (1979 & 1977, AT)
#18 ALOÏS - Aloïs Godinat (*1978, CH)
#19 ALEXANDRA - Alexandra Leykauf (*1976, DE)
#20 UDO - Udo Bohnenberger (*1969, DE)
#21 THOMAS - Thomas Kratz (*1972, DE)
#22 LAWRENCE - Lawrence Weiner (*1942 – † 2021, US)
#23 SVENJA - Svenja Deininger (*1974, AT)
#24 SUNAH - Sunah Choi (*1968, KR)
#25 LUCIE - Lucie Stahl (*1977, DE)
#26 SALVATORE - Salvatore Viviano (*1980, IT)
#27 KARL & LINDA - Karl Karner & Linda Samaraweerová (1974 & 1977, AT)
#28 JONATHAN - Jonathan Binet (*1984, FR)
#29 MEKHITAR - Mekhitar Garabedian (*1977, SY)
#30 JAKOB & MARKUS - Jakob Lena Knebl & Markus Hausleitner (*1970 & n. a., AT)
#31 KRIS - Kris Lemsalu (*1985, EST)
#32 HERWIG - Herwig Weiser (*1969, AT)
#33 THEA - Thea Djordjadze (*1971, GEO)
#34 KLAUS - Klaus Schuster (*1964, AT)
#35 NOËLE - Noële Ody (*1982, DE)
#36 ASTRID - Astrid Wagner (*1982, DE)
#37 LUTZ - Lutz Braun (*1976, DE)
#38 ROBERT - Robert Jelinek (*1967, CZ)
#39 KLAUS - Klaus Weber (*1967, DE)
#40 GERWALD - Gerwald Rockenschaub (*1952, AT)
#41 MANUEL - Manuel Burgener (*1978, CH)
#42 NICO - Nico Vascellari (*1976, IT)
#43 SONIA - Sonia Almeida (*1978, PT)
#44 HANS - Hans Schabus (*1970, AT)
#45 INGEBORG - Ingeborg Strobl (*1949 – † 2017, AT)
#46 FLAVIEN - Jean-Pascal Flavien (*1971, FR)
#47 ANNA - Anna Hofbauer (*1981, AT)
#48 DINO - Dino Zrnec (*1983, HR)
#49 NICOLA - Nicola Pecoraro (*1978, IT)
#50 SARAH - Sarah Lucas (*1962, UK)
#51 CHRISTIAN - Christian Kosmas Mayer (*1976, DE) #52 LISA - Lisa Holzer (*1971, AT)
#53 TONI - Toni Schmale (*1980, DE)
#54 HEINRICH - Heinrich Dunst (*1955, AT)
#55 ADRIANA - Adriana Lara (*1978, MX)
#56 HAYLEY - Hayley Tompkins (*1971, UK)
#57 REBECCA - Rebecca Morris (*1969, US)
#58 KATE - Kate Levant (*1983, US)
#59 LISA - Francis (Lisa) Ruyter (*1968, US)
#60 ZIN - Zin Taylor (*1978, CA)
#61 OTTO - Otto Zitko (*1959, AT)
#62 PHILIPP - Philipp Fleischmann (*1985, AT)
#63 OLIVER - Oliver Payne (*1977, UK)
#64 SOPHIE - Sophie Nys (*1974, BE)
#65 SAMUEL - Samuel Richardot (*1982, FR)
#66 CÄCILIA - Cäcilia Brown (*1983, FR)
#67 BENJAMIN - Benjamin Hirte (*1980, DE)
#68 BARBARA - Barbara Kapusta (*1983, AT)
#69 MARIUS - Marius Engh (*1974, NO)
#70 WILFRID - Wilfrid Almendra (*1972, PT)
#71 PEPO - Pepo Salazar (*1972, ES)
#72 JOSEF - Josef Zekoff (*1977, AT)
#73 JOSEF - Josef Dabernig (*1956, AT)
#74 LONE - Lone Haugaard Madsen (*1974, DK)
#75 HEIMO - Heimo Zobernig (*1958, AT)
#76 THEA - Thea Moeller (*1985, DE)
#77 TITANIA - Titania Seidl (*1988, AT)
#78 ANNA - Anna Ostoya (*1978, PL)
#79 PIOTR - Piotr Łakomy (*1983, PL)
#80 HEINE - Heine Thorhauge Mathiasen (*1982 DK)
#81 MELANIE - Melanie Ebenhoch (*1985, AT)
#82 STEINAR - Steinar Haga Kristensen (*1980, NO)
#83 SANDRA - Sandra Vaka Olsen (*1980, NO)
#84 GENE - Gene Beery (*1937, US)
#85 LUKAS - Lukas Thaler (*1989, AT)
#86 YUI - Yui Yaegashi (*1985, JP)
#87 MASAYA - Masaya Chiba (*1980, JP)
#88 SARAH - Sarah Ortmeyer (*1980, DE)
#89 GEORG - Georg Petermichl (*1980, AT)
#90 JASON - Jason Dodge (*1969, US)
#91 BIRKE - Birke Gorm (*1986, DE)
#92 JOANNE - Joanne Greenbaum (*1953, US)
#93 B. INGRID - B. Ingrid Olson (*1987, US)
#94 FLORIAN - Florian Pumhösl (*1971, AT)
#95 NICOLAS - Nicolas Jasmin (*1967, FR)
#96 MIKE - Michael E. Smith (*1977, US)
#97 SHARIF - Abdul Sharif Baruwa (*1975, UK)
#98 JUAN - Juan Francisco Vera (*1996, ARG)
#99 CLEMENT - Clément Rodzielski (*1979, FR)
#100 INGA - Inga Danysz (*1990, PL)