Springerin

Springerin – Hefte für Gegenwartskunst is an Austrian quarterly journal dedicated to the criticism and theory of contemporary culture. Founded in 1995, it addresses a readership that understands cultural phenomena as social and political matters. The magazine is published four times a year in German and is distributed internationally; all texts are also made available in English on its website. Its editorial profile combines a thematic focus in each issue with recurring sections: a 'Netzteil' (network section) examining the potentials and applications of new technologies, an 'Artscribe' section reviewing international exhibitions, events and publications, and a central theme developed with contributions from international experts. A defining characteristic of Springerin is its sustained attention to the art scenes of Southeastern Europe, documenting and critically examining developments in post-communist countries through local authors, theorists, critics and artists. The first issues were edited by a team around Georg Schöllhammer, from 1998 jointly with Christian Höller and Hedwig Saxenhuber. In 2007 the journal was connected to the documenta 12 magazines project led by Georg Schöllhammer, which fostered international exchange around the guiding questions of documenta 12: 'Is modernity our antiquity?', 'What is bare life?' and 'What is to be done?'. Springerin positions itself at the intersection of art criticism, cultural theory and socio-political debate. Its issues have addressed topics such as 'Remapping Critique' (1/08) and 'Secret Publics' (April 2008), and more recently 'Teslokratie' (issue 3/2026), developed in cooperation with guest editors Christoph Chwatal, Alexander Karschnia and Heimo Lattner, which examines authoritarian efficiency politics, technocapitalist rule and techno-utopian fantasies. The journal remains an active, independent publication in the German-language and international art discourse.

Springerin – Hefte für Gegenwartskunst has been published since 1995 as an Austrian journal for contemporary art. It was founded to serve a public interested in the social and political implications of cultural phenomena. The first issues were produced by an editorial team around Georg Schöllhammer; from 1998 the editorship was shared with Christian Höller and Hedwig Saxenhuber. From its early years the journal developed a distinctive profile. One recurring focus is the art scenes of Southeastern Europe, where current developments in post-communist countries are documented and critically examined with the participation of local authors, theorists, critics and artists. Another constant is the 'Netzteil', in which net specialists and activists interrogate the applications and potentials of new technologies. The 'Artscribe' section reviews selected international events and publications. Each issue centres on a theme discussed by international experts, addressing pressing questions in art theory, socio-politics and popular culture. In 2007 the journal's issues were tied to the documenta 12 magazines project initiated by Georg Schöllhammer, which facilitated international exchange on the central guiding questions of documenta 12: 'Is modernity our antiquity?', 'What is bare life?' and 'What is to be done?'. The issues 1/07 to 4/07 carried contributions engaging these questions, including the theorist Eyal Weizmann's research project on Israeli security and territorial policy and Toni Maraini's account of the groundbreaking debates and activities of the Moroccan magazine 'Souffles', a leading organ of Maghrebi intelligentsia in the late 1960s. In issue 1/08, under the title 'Remapping Critique', the journal asked about the specific gap that opens between critique, the criticised, and the (positive) counter-images often held out in the process. In April 2008 the next issue was devoted to the phenomenon of so-called 'Secret Publics', examining its various manifestations from self-organised forms of participation to clandestine forms of community. The print edition of Springerin appears in German, while all texts are also accessible in English on the website. The journal continues to publish four issues per year. A recent example is issue 3/2026, 'Teslokratie', produced in cooperation with guest editors Christoph Chwatal, Alexander Karschnia and Heimo Lattner, which addresses the rise of authoritarian efficiency politics, the unbridling of the digital economy and techno-utopian fantasies such as the colonisation of Mars, examined from an art- and culture-critical perspective.

• 2026

  Issue 3/2026 'Teslokratie' with guest editors Christoph Chwatal, Alexander Karschnia and Heimo Lattner.

• 2008

  Issue 1/08 'Remapping Critique'; April 2008 issue on 'Secret Publics'.

• 2007

  Issues linked to the documenta 12 magazines project led by Georg Schöllhammer.

• 1998

  Editorship shared with Christian Höller and Hedwig Saxenhuber.

• 1995

  Springerin – Hefte für Gegenwartskunst begins publication.

Independent German-language quarterly for art criticism and cultural theory with an international, socio-politically engaged readership.

• Springerin quarterly print issues (German)

• Netzteil section on new technologies

• Artscribe reviews section

• English-language online archive

1. 1springerin | Hefte für Gegenwartskunst (official website)springerin.at
2. 2Kurzinfo – springerinspringerin.at
3. 3Springerin – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org
4. 4Springerin – Wikidatawikidata.org