art&fiction

What art&fiction does

art&fiction is a Swiss non-profit artist book publishing association founded in 2000 and headquartered in Lausanne, with a satellite presence in Geneva. The company produces limited-edition artist books and printed multiples organized into named collections (Pacific, Varia, Sonar, CAT. Contextuel, ShushLarry, Éditions de tête), working with a bench of Swiss artisan partners including bookbinder Sofi Eicher, engraver Raymond Meyer, printer TBS La Buona Stampa, and photolithographer Datatype. Its catalog spans more than 400 titles across fiction, poetry, graphic novels, essays, and artist monographs, with individual editions priced from CHF 5 to over CHF 600.

The company operates a direct-to-consumer model through its own e-commerce site (artfiction.ch), three physical boutiques in Lausanne and Geneva, an event-driven presence at Swiss art salons, and bookstore distribution in Switzerland and internationally. A five-tier annual subscription program (Castor, Omnivore, Collector, Musclor; CHF 60–1,200/year) supports over 100 members and provides recurring revenue, with higher tiers receiving exclusive signed limited editions. Beyond print, the company has expanded into audio cassettes (Wondertape, 2025), podcasts, and theatrical co-productions with partners such as Théâtre Vidy-Lausanne. Revenue is not publicly disclosed; the company is supported in part by Swiss institutional cultural funding via Pro Helvetia and operates with a lean team of nine employees.

Name

art&fiction

Legal name

a&f art&fiction publications Sàrl

Website

https://artfiction.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

art&fiction is a Lausanne-based Swiss non-profit artist book publisher founded in 2000, producing limited-edition books, prints, and audio works across collections like Pacific, Varia, Sonar, and Éditions de tête for collectors, artists, and cultural institutions, supported by over 100 annual subscribers and local artisan production partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Art Book Publishing

NAICS

Book Publishers (513130)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Art, Photography & Illustrated Books Publishing (MPAJAAAF)

Keywords

• Artist book publishing
• Limited edition books
• Contemporary art editions
• Independent publishing house
• Subscription publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

Lausanne

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Book and Publication Sales: art&fiction generates revenue through the direct sale of books, artist editions, limited prints, and merchandise via its e-commerce platform and physical boutiques. Publications range from CHF 5 to over CHF 600 depending on format, rarity, and complexity. The company maintains a catalog of over 400 titles spanning genres including fiction, poetry, graphic novels, essays, travel narratives, and artist monographs.
2. Annual Subscriber/Membership Program: art&fiction operates a subscription program with five tiers: Castor (CHF 60/year for students, receiving 3 publications/year), Nomor (CHF 100/year, acknowledgements only), Omnivore (CHF 100/year, receiving 3 publications/year), Collector (CHF 250/year, receiving 3 publications/year plus a signed limited edition), and Musclor (CHF 1,200/year, receiving all new publications from both the association and its partner art&fiction publications, approximately 20 books plus a signed edition). Subscribers also receive 20% discounts on standard catalog items and 10% on limited editions at events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

art&fiction is a Swiss independent publishing association that produces and sells contemporary artist books, limited numbered editions, audio cassettes, and printed merchandise through its own e-commerce site, physical boutiques in Lausanne and Geneva, and a multi-tier annual subscription program. The catalog spans over 400 titles across themed collections (Pacific, Varia, CAT. Contextuel, Sonar) covering graphic novels, poetry, essays, travel narratives, and artist monographs, with special 'éditions de tête' accompanied by original artwork, handcrafted bindings, and prints.

Product overview

art&fiction is a Swiss artist book publishing house founded in 2000, operating in Lausanne and Geneva. The company produces a diverse portfolio of artist publications organized into distinct collections: Pacific (illustrated works exploring text-image interaction), Varia (experimental book forms), CAT. Contextuel (thematic essays), and Sonar (sound-related works). Beyond standard editions, art&fiction offers ÉDITIONS DE TÊTE—special limited editions featuring original artwork, handcrafted bindings, and unique artifacts. The catalog spans over 400 titles including travel narratives, graphic novels, poetry, dystopian fiction, essays on art, and youth literature. Supplementary offerings include Goodies (posters, postcards, bookmarks), audio content through podcasts, and The art&fiction Wondertape cassette. The company also maintains a subscription program with multiple tiers offering preferential pricing and exclusive editions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Pacific: Collection exploring the interaction between text and image, launched in 2001. Direction: Christian Pellet, Julia Sørensen, Stéphane Fretz, Flynn Maria Bergmann and Alexandre Loye.
• Varia
• Sonar
• CAT. Contextuel
• ShushLarry
• Éditions de tête

Products and services

• Pacific Collection Editorial collection launched in 2001 exploring the interaction between text and image—in dialogue, in echo, or in rebound; in autonomy or in company—to subvert and replay the illustrated album. Books in this collection are sold directly to art book enthusiasts.
• Varia Collection Editorial laboratory launched in 2001 for exploring new book forms in association with artists themselves; a platform for experimentation with variable formats and diverse graphic approaches sold to art book readers.
• CAT. Contextuel Collection Contextual catalogs exploring thematic and essayistic approaches to art and culture, sold to readers interested in critical writings on contemporary art.
• Sonar Collection

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered major, minor and core.

• Théâtre Vidy – LausannemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Théâtre Vidy – Lausanne co-produced the theatrical adaptation of 'La médaille' by Marie-Thérèse Picard, with stage design by Débora Beuret-Strambini and direction by Marielle Pinsard, in 2025. The play subsequently toured to Théâtre La Gare (Monthey), Théâtre Beno Besson (Yverdon-les-Bains), and other venues.
• LOM Ediciones (Chile)minorOthers · 1 January 2025LOM Ediciones, a long-established Chilean publisher, undertook the Spanish translation and publication ('La Huella') of Marisa Cornejo's 'L'empreinte' in 2026. This represents art&fiction's international co-publishing reach into Latin America.
• TBS La Buona StampacoreOthersTBS La Buona Stampa, based in Ticino, Switzerland, is art&fiction's primary printing partner. The printer produces the majority of the company's books using eco-responsible practices. This is a longstanding, essential partnership that enables local Swiss production of the publisher's catalog.
• Datatype – Roger EmmeneggercoreOthersDatatype – Roger Emmenegger, based in Lausanne, serves as art&fiction's photolithographer. The company prepares images for print reproduction, working closely with the publisher on the high-quality image preparation required for art books and artist editions.
• Sofi Eicher (Binder)coreOthersSofi Eicher, a bookbinder based in Lausanne, creates the specialized bindings for art&fiction's limited/tête editions. She has crafted bindings for numerous editions including 'Visions de Thamühl' (wax binding), 'Petit atlas de centaurologie', and the 'Pulp!' tête edition. Her craftsmanship is central to the value of art&fiction's limited editions.
• Raymond Meyer (Printer/Engraver)coreOthersRaymond Meyer, a printer and engraver based in Pully near Lausanne, produces the engravings and prints that accompany many art&fiction limited editions, including 'Petit atlas de centaurologie' (etching) and 'Pulp!' tête edition (drypoint engravings).
• Le Tangram, Scène nationale Évreux-LouviersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner for the theatrical project 'Requiem pour Rosetta' by Marielle Pinsard and Mathylde Demarez, along with Théâtre Vidy-Lausanne and Clinic Orgasm Society Bruxelles.
• Clinic Orgasm Society BruxellesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational co-production partner for the theatrical project 'Requiem pour Rosetta' alongside Théâtre Vidy-Lausanne and Le Tangram.
• Pro Helvetia – Fondation suisse pour la culturemajorOthersPro Helvetia provides institutional support for art&fiction's publishing projects, including the 'Hors-Bord' series by Arnaud Robert and Frédéric Clot. As Switzerland's arts council, Pro Helvetia supports the international dissemination of Swiss cultural production.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Edition Patrick Frey: Zurich-based independent publisher of artist books, fiction, and limited editions with a comparable Swiss positioning, similar subscription/community ethos, and a comparable catalog of artist-driven, experimental publications.
• Printed Matter: New York-based nonprofit art-book publisher and bookstore specializing in artist publications and limited editions; shares art&fiction's association structure, subscriber support model, and curatorial focus on contemporary artist books.
• Mack Books: Independent London-based publisher of photography, art, and limited-edition books with a comparable artist-driven ethos, similar subscription/community emphasis, and overlapping collector audience for high-end art editions.
• Nieves: Independent Zurich-based publisher of artist zines, books, and printed matter with a comparable small-team ethos, similarly curated Swiss art-publishing catalog, and overlapping collector/artist audience.
• Rollo Press: Independent Zurich-based publisher of artist books, zines, and limited editions with a closely comparable small-scale, artist-driven Swiss publishing model and overlapping collector audience.

Regional players

• Scheidegger & Spiess: Swiss publisher of high-quality illustrated books on art, photography, and architecture; comparable Swiss art-book positioning though operating at higher commercial scale and more institutional catalogue focus than art&fiction.

Broad incumbents

• Steidl: Large German art and photography book publisher producing high-quality illustrated books and limited editions at global scale; operates in the same art-book category as art&fiction but at far greater volume and with a more international catalog.
• Taschen: Global publisher of illustrated art, photography, and design books at massive scale with brand and audience reach far exceeding art&fiction; comparable product category but positioned in accessible mass-market rather than limited-edition artist publishing.
• Walther König, Bücher und Editionen: German art-book publisher and bookstore chain producing artist monographs, catalogs, and exhibition publications at significantly higher volume than art&fiction; shares the art-book specialty and limited-edition craftsmanship niche.

Others

• Hauser & Wirth Publications:

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/artfiction
• Facebookfacebook.com/artfiction
• Instagraminstagram.com/artetfiction
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/art&fiction

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about art&fiction