VIENNAFAIR — Austria's premier contemporary art fair

The 2008 edition of VIENNAFAIR — Austria's premier contemporary art fair — was held at the Messe Zentrum in Vienna's Prater district. The four-day event featured 126 galleries and more than a thousand artists, making it, according to organizers, the biggest and most interesting selection of galleries ever shown in Austria. Under the artistic direction of Edek Bartz, the 2008 fair expanded its international focus by bringing in new galleries, programmes, and collectors, with a particular emphasis on Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries, an international fair board, and a broader eligibility framework. Austria itself was well represented, with local artists showcased by 46 different galleries, though the event was increasingly drawing international attention. More and more collectors are coming to see Vienna as an attractive marketplace for contemporary art.