Texts on Art
Texte zur Kunst is a privately held German publisher producing a bilingual quarterly art magazine, founded 1990 and based in Berlin, serving art professionals, academics, and collectors across 10+ countries via subscriptions, retail distribution, and limited Artists' Editions.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1990
- HeadquartersBerlin, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Texts on Art does
Texte zur Kunst is a privately held German publisher (GmbH & Co. KG) operating the bilingual (German/English) quarterly magazine of the same name, founded in 1990 in Cologne by Stefan Germer and Isabelle Graw and relocated to Berlin in 2000. The publication focuses on contemporary art and adjacent fields — film, music, fashion, and cultural politics — and targets a readership of art professionals, academics, students, enthusiasts, and collectors. Each issue runs approximately 250 pages and the publisher has maintained uninterrupted quarterly cadence since founding, now extending into a 35+ year editorial archive available via a Digital Archive product.
The business operates four distinct revenue streams: recurring magazine subscriptions (including a premium Vorzugsabonnement tier), single-issue retail sales, limited Artists' Editions produced in collaboration with contemporary artists, and print advertising. Distribution combines direct-to-consumer subscriptions with retail placement through art book stores and museum bookshops across 10+ countries spanning DACH, Western Europe, the UK, and North America (USA and Canada). The publisher maintains direct social channels (approximately 51,400 Instagram, 16,300 Facebook, 3,174 Twitter followers) supplementing traditional retail. Isabelle Graw continues to lead the company as Publisher and Executive Director.
Operationally the company is owner-led and self-funded — no external funding rounds, M&A events, or public positioning shifts are disclosed. Headcount is reported in the 11–50 employee band, consistent with a small specialist publisher. The product surface is print-first with a complementary digital archive, and there is no disclosed adoption of AI/ML tools in editorial, translation, distribution, or subscriber management workflows.
Texts on Art firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Texts on Art
- Legal name
- TEXTE ZUR KUNST Verlag GmbH & Co. KG
- Website
- https://textezurkunst.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1990
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Texte zur Kunst is a privately held German publisher producing a bilingual quarterly art magazine, founded 1990 and based in Berlin, serving art professionals, academics, and collectors across 10+ countries via subscriptions, retail distribution, and limited Artists' Editions.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Texts on Art industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Art Magazine Publishing
- NAICS
- Periodical Publishers (513120)
- SIC
- Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Arts, Culture & Literary Magazines (MPAJAEAN)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Humanities & Arts Scholarly Publishing (EDAGAFAE)
Keywords
Where Texts on Art is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Berlin
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Texts on Art business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Magazine Subscriptions: Quarterly journal subscriptions sold directly via website and mail order. Minimum term of four consecutive issues (one year). Includes standard, student, and gift subscription variants.
- Single Issue Sales: Individual issues available for purchase at varying prices by region (Germany, Europe, World).
- Artists' Editions: Exclusive limited editions by internationally renowned artists featured in each issue, sold as separate products with higher price points.
- Print Advertising: Advertising space sold in the print magazine with various placement options and formats (full page, half page, quarter page) plus online and newsletter placements.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Single Issue - Germany |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Single Issue - Europe |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Single Issue - World |
| Subscription | Annual | Annual Subscription - Germany |
| Subscription | Annual | Annual Subscription - Europe |
| Subscription | Annual | Annual Subscription - World |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Gift Subscription |
| Subscription | Annual | Test Subscription |
| Subscription | Annual | Vorzugsabonnement (Preferred Subscription) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Artists' Editions |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Texts on Art product offering
Product offeringCore offering
TEXTE ZUR KUNST publishes a quarterly bilingual (German/English) contemporary art and culture journal featuring essays, interviews, roundtable discussions, and comprehensive reviews on art, film, music, fashion, theory, and cultural politics. The company also produces and sells exclusive limited-edition Artists' Editions by internationally renowned artists alongside each issue, and offers a digital archive of its content.
Product overview
TEXTE ZUR KUNST is a quarterly bilingual (German/English) contemporary art and culture magazine offering a print subscription service combined with exclusive Artists' Editions. The core product is the magazine itself (Issues), supplemented by a Digital Archive for online content access. Founded in Cologne in 1990 and published in Berlin since 2000, the publication delivers critical essays, interviews, and reviews on art, film, music, fashion, theory, and cultural politics, with each issue dedicated to a specific theme.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Artists' Editions: Exclusive limited-edition works by internationally renowned artists produced to support the magazine, available for order online
Products and services
- TEXTE ZUR KUNST Magazine Quarterly print magazine dedicated to contemporary art and culture, featuring essays, interviews, roundtable discussions, and comprehensive reviews on art, film, music, fashion, theory, and cultural politics. Each issue focuses on a specific theme and runs approximately 250 pages.
- Artists' Editions Exclusive limited-edition artworks by internationally renowned artists, produced to support the magazine and sold separately at €60–€120 depending on region. Available for purchase alongside subscriptions or as standalone collectibles.
- Subscription Service Annual subscription to the quarterly journal with multiple tiers (standard €12–€25/year, student rate, gift subscription, and premium Vorzugsabonnement at €180–€390/year). Includes digital access and priority access to Artists' Editions.
- Digital Archive Online archive of articles, reviews, and essays from the magazine and web-exclusive content. Includes the complete web archive and digital editions accessible via the website.
Companies that use Texts on Art
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Texts on Art technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration6 records
Texts on Art partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Texts on Art competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Frieze: International contemporary art magazine and events company publishing Frieze, Frieze d/e, and Frieze Week. Comparable in subject matter (contemporary art and culture), bilingual/international editorial positioning, and integration with art-fair and museum distribution.
- October: Quarterly journal of contemporary art theory and criticism published by MIT Press. Comparable in rigor and academic-adjacent readership, competing for the same art-history and theory subscriber base that TEXTE ZUR KUNST serves.
- Parkett: Swiss-based independent art magazine (1984–2017 in print, revived digitally) that paired each issue with a signed limited-edition collaboration with a featured artist. Highly comparable Artists' Editions/print-bundled model and DACH-region DNA.
- Flash Art: International bimonthly magazine covering contemporary art, founded in Milan in 1967. Directly comparable in critical discourse, international distribution, and bilingual heritage, competing for the same art-world institutional and gallery advertising spend.
- Artforum: Long-established monthly magazine dedicated to contemporary art criticism. Directly comparable product (critical essays, reviews, interviews on contemporary art) and target audience (art professionals, critics, academics), competing for the same advertiser and institutional subscriber pool.
- Art in America: Monthly magazine covering contemporary art, exhibitions, and the art market since 1913. Comparable in critical review coverage, advertiser base (galleries and museums), and institutional subscription distribution.
- Cabinet Magazine: Quarterly periodical on culture, art, and ideas with a strong editorial and limited-edition bent. Comparable in intellectually rigorous, hybrid culture-and-art scope and in serving a similar academic-adjacent subscriber profile.
- Mousse Magazine: Bilingual (Italian/English) contemporary art magazine publishing critical essays, interviews, and reviews. Comparable in format (thematic issues), critical editorial positioning, and mix of subscription and limited-edition revenue.
Broad incumbents
- Apollo Magazine: Established international magazine covering visual arts, antiquities, and the art market. Overlaps with TEXTE ZUR KUNST in art criticism and auction-market coverage but spans a broader historical scope (ancient to contemporary).
Emerging players
- e-flux: Digital publishing platform and email-based art-announcement network serving the global contemporary art world. Comparable audience and subject matter, but operates as an open digital channel rather than a paid print magazine, representing a different distribution model competitors may move toward.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Texts on Art social profiles
Digital presenceTexts on Art financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Texts on Art leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Texts on Art funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Texts on Art M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Texts on Art
What does Texts on Art do?
TEXTE ZUR KUNST publishes a quarterly bilingual (German/English) contemporary art and culture journal featuring essays, interviews, roundtable discussions, and comprehensive reviews on art, film, music, fashion, theory, and cultural politics. The company also produces and sells exclusive limited-edition Artists' Editions by internationally renowned artists alongside each issue, and offers a digital archive of its content.
Is Texts on Art a public or private company?
Texts on Art is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Texts on Art founded?
Texts on Art was founded in 1990. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Texts on Art based?
Texts on Art is headquartered in Berlin, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Texts on Art make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Magazine Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are single Issue Sales, artists' Editions and print Advertising.
Who are Texts on Art's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Frieze, October, Parkett, Flash Art, Artforum, Art in America, Cabinet Magazine and Mousse Magazine. Apollo Magazine is listed as a broad incumbent. e-flux is listed as an emerging player.
Does Texts on Art have an API?
No public API is recorded for Texts on Art.
What industry is Texts on Art in?
Texts on Art's product category is Art Magazine Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAEAN, Arts, Culture & Literary Magazines, with a secondary code of EDAGAFAE, Humanities & Arts Scholarly Publishing. Its NAICS code is 513120 and its SIC code is 2721.