About

Founded in 2005, VernissageTV (VTV) is the Internet’s unique TV art project, which covers exhibitions and events in the fields of contemporary art, design and architecture. We produce films and videos for our web series, as well as for museums, galleries, and art spaces. VernissageTV also provides institutions and filmmakers with footage from its huge archive of more than 3,500 films on contemporary art, design and architecture.

Contact

Totentanz 14, 4051 Basel, Switzerland, Phone: +41 61 283 24 55, contact at vernissage.tv

Video Production / Commissioned Work / Special Services:
In addition to its art channel, VernissageTV realizes commissioned work for art galleries, museums, artists, designers, architects, and film production studios.

Content Sales (VTV Film Archive):
If you need footage from our huge archive (categories / events / artists / locations), please contact heinrich at vernissage.tv

Advertising and Sponsoring:
If you are interested in advertising on VernissageTV or sponsoring our show, please contact heinrich at vernissage.tv

Media Partnerships:
From live and on demand coverage to video screenings and installations: If you are interested in having VernissageTV support your fair, exhibition, lecture, or event as media partner, please contact heinrich at vernissage.tv

Newsletter

Newsletter signup form

Highlights

  • 2023/2024: Archive Update VTV Beginnings (r2).
  • 2023, September: VernissageTV for Members – Early access and exclusive content.
  • 2023: Visuals (music videos, album art) for electronic band User 383913618‘s concept albums Album B and Album C.
  • 2023: Digital artist Marjan Moghaddam uses VernissageTV footage for her Arthacks series.
  • 2023, January: Footage for “Taking Venice”, a documentary about Robert Rauschenberg’s win at the 1964 Biennale; “Nam June Paik: Moon is the Oldest TV”, a documentary about Nam June Paik; and “Vom Höllentor ins Paradies. Die Geschichte des Kunsthaus Zürich”, a documentary about the history of the Kunsthaus Zürich, the art museum in Zürich, Switzerland.
  • 2022, January-December: Extensive backup measures for the archive (incl. tape backup).
  • 2022, September: VernissageTV publishes its 3,500th episode.
  • 2022, July: VernissageTV hits 115,115 subscribers on YouTube.
  • 2022, January: VernissageTV starts posting on TikTok.
  • 2021, January-December: Provision of footage for various institutions and companies such as Zaha Hadid Design, Fondation François Schneider, the Wellin Museum of Art; and for a documentary about Art Basel.
  • 2021, November: VernissageTV broadcasts the Art Cologne Art Talks 2021 in a three-day livestream.
  • 2021, November: VernissageTV featured in Swedish art magazine Konstperspektiv.
  • 2021, November: Video about the art installation “Can’t Help Myself” by the Chinese artists Sun Yuan and Peng Yu goes viral, becomes 5th most popular video on VernissageTV’s YouTube channel.
  • 2021, March: Visuals (music videos, album art) for electronic band User 383913618‘s concept album Album A.
  • 2020, October: VernissageTV produces short films for Art Cologne, Cologne Fine Art & Design, Museum Rietberg Zürich and Kunstmuseum Basel.
  • 2020, October: VernissageTV hits 100,000 subscribers on YouTube.
  • 2020, September: VernissageTV turns 15.
  • 2020, July: VernissageTV’s film “George Brecht: Motor Vehicle Sundown” featured in the exhibition “George Brecht. Fluxus als Event” at Staatliches Museum Schwerin.
  • 2020, June: Two VernissageTV films featured in the exhibition “Double Lives. Visual Artists Making Music” at the Art and Exhibition Hall of the Federal Republic of Germany (Bundeskunsthalle).
  • 2019, October: VernissageTV hits 80,000 subscribers on YouTube.
  • 2019, January: VernissageTV publishes the 50th episode of its VTV Classics (r3) series.
  • 2018, October: Trailers for Fondation Beyeler and Museum Rietberg. Footage for the Bruce Nauman exhibition trailer of The Museum of Modern Art and MoMA PS1, New York. Footage for upcoming original streaming media television series.
  • 2018, September: VernissageTV publishes its 3,000th episode.
  • 2018, July: VernissageTV hits 70,000 subscribers on YouTube.
  • 2018, June: Two VernissageTV films featured in the exhibition “Double Lives” at MUMOK, Vienna (Austria).
  • 2018, April: 10 Years Anniversary “Kunstmarkt TV” live and interactive streaming from Art Cologne 2008
  • 2018, April: In collaboration with German “Art – Das Kunstmagazin”, VernissageTV reports live from the art fair Art Cologne 2018.
  • 2018, April: VernissageTV hits 68,000 subscribers on YouTube.
  • 2017, November: VernissageTV hits 60,000 subscribers and more than 3,6 Mio. views per month on YouTube.
  • 2017, July: VernissageTV hits 45,000 subscribers on YouTube.
  • 2017, April: In collaboration with German “Art – Das Kunstmagazin”, VernissageTV reports live from the art fair Art Cologne 2017.
  • 2017, March: VernissageTV hits 40,000 subscribers on YouTube.
  • 2017, February: More than 1 Mio. views per month on YouTube.
  • 2016, Oct.-Nov.: Short Documentary for Davidoff Art Initiative.
  • 2016, November: VernissageTV migrates website to a new server for improved performance.
  • 2016, October: VernissageTV hits 30,000 subscribers on YouTube.
  • 2016, May: Collaboration with electronic band User 383913618.
  • 2016, March: VernissageTV hits 25,000 subscribers on YouTube.
  • 2016, January: Website update enhances search and navigation functionality.
  • 2015, December: Extended collaboration with Huffington Post Arts & Culture.
  • 2015, September: VernissageTV turns 10.
  • 2015, July/August: Archive Update (From Blip to YouTube).
  • 2015, July: VernissageTV hits 20,000 subscribers on YouTube.
  • 2015, March: VernissageTV produces and publishes its 2,500th episode.
  • 2014, November: VernissageTV hits 15,000 subscribers on YouTube, more than 300,000 views per month on YouTube.
  • 2014, September: VernissageTV documents Marina Abramovic’s The Artist is an Explorer for Fondation Beyeler.
  • 2014, September: VernissageTV hits 13,000 subscribers on YouTube, more than 250,000 views per month on YouTube.
  • 2014, July: VernissageTV hits 12,000 subscribers on YouTube, and 7,000 followers on Twitter.
  • 2014, June: VernissageTV documents 14 Rooms Live Art Exhibition in Basel for Art Basel, Fondation Beyeler, and Theater Basel.
  • 2014, May: VernissageTV launches new, responsive website.
  • 2014, May: Arts Documentation workshop in Cairo (Egypt), organized by Medrar.TV and supported by the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia.
  • 2014, April: VernissageTV documents Fujiko Nakaya’s Veil for The Philip Johnson Glass House.
  • 2014, February: VernissageTV hits 10,000 subscribers on YouTube.
  • 2012, November: VernissageTV becomes Artslant partner.
  • 2012, May: VernissageTV starts producing short documentaries for Fondation Beyeler.
  • 2011, July: VernissageTV becomes Huffington Post Arts partner.
  • 2011, January: VernissageTV hits 1,500th episode and introduces the “R3” series, re-mastered, re-edited versions of VernissageTV Classics, reissued in HD.
  • 2010, October: VernissageTV celebrates 5th anniversary.
  • 2010, June: VernissageTV produces short documentaries for Schaulager Basel; International Design Museum Die Neue Sammlung / Pinakothek der Moderne and Alessi; New Media Institute Plug.in, Basel; S AM Swiss Architecture Museum in Basel; and Zurich University of the Arts.
  • 2010, April: VernissageTV starts publishing videos in HD.
  • 2010, March: VernissageTV’s studio “Triath” by GernerGernerPlus Architects nominated for the 2nd “Award for Marketing + Architecture”.
  • 2010, January: VernissageTV produces short documentaries for Velux Stiftung Daylight Award.
  • 2009, August: VernissageTV becomes Dailymotion partner.
  • 2009, August: VernissageTV available via Cable, IPTV and Satellite on Art Channel.
  • 2009, May: VernissageTV becomes YouTube partner.
  • 2009, April: VernissageTV presents Video Art Program at Art Cologne.
  • 2009, January: VernissageTV celebrates its 1000th episode with a 3 day non-stop screening.
  • 2009, January: VernissageTV’s launches optimized website for iPhone and iPod touch.
  • 2008, November: VernissageTV available on mobile phones.
  • 2008, September: Artfacts.Net and VernissageTV announce collaboration.
  • 2008, April: VernissageTV broadcasts live and interactive from Schaulager Basel (Sosnowska/Zittel press conference).
  • 2008, March: VernissageTV broadcasts live and interactive Christian Jankowski’s Kunstmarkt TV (Art Market TV, live auction).
  • 2008, March: VernissageTV broadcasts live and interactive from Open Space / Art Cologne.
  • 2008, January: VernissageTV starts publishing videos in wide-screen format.
  • 2007, June: VernissageTV hits 1 Million downloads.
  • 2007, June: VernissageTV streams live from Art Basel.
  • 2007, May: VernissageTV publishes Episode No. 500.
  • 2007, March: VernissageTV moves into new studio.
  • 2007, February: VernissageTV becomes Blip partner.
  • 2006, May: VernissageTV publishes the first issue of its pdf magazine.
  • 2005, September: VernissageTV launches with two series “NO COMMENT” and “INTERVIEWS” on iTunes and website.

Group Exhibitions

Clients and Partners

Kunsthalle Zürich, Kunstmuseum Thun, Fondation Beyeler, Art Cologne, Art Basel, Davidoff Art Initiative, Brasilea Foundation, Taipei Fine Arts Museum, ArtFactsNet, Art – Das Kunstmagazin, ArtMag Deutsche Bank, Plug.in Basel, Kunsthalle Basel, Schaulager Basel, YouTube, MutualArt, Velux Stiftung, Swiss Architecture Museum Basel, Goldman Properties Miami, De La Cruz Collection Miami, Die Neue Sammlung München, ZKM Karlsruhe, IKS Düsseldorf, Kunstmuseum Basel, Ikono TV, Swiss Institute New York, Vitra Design Museum, UBS Schweiz, Kanton Basel-Stadt, Robert Rauschenberg Foundation New York, Dailymotion, The Huffington Post, Hyundai, DAMN°, Arte, France 5, Swiss Foundations, Artslant, Bloomberg, Wall Street Journal, Contemporary Fine Arts Berlin, VRT Brussels, ORF, MuMoK, Metro Pictures, CNBC Milano Finanza, Museum Rietberg, The Museum of Modern Art and MoMA PS1, New York, ARD (ttt).

Others About Us

– “Vernissage TV produce some of the best videos covering contemporary art on the web. Period.”
(Ceci Moss, Rhizome Senior Editor and Blogger, Art Fag City: Best of the Web 2008)

– “Equally fascinating to me, however, is Vernissage TV. Billed as a portal for shared experience – specifically events – in the arts, vernissage uses simple, yet engaging video clips for what they are: reproductive mechanisms. Aware of the tensions of reproducing, if not replacing, so much of the experience viewers might have in a museum/gallery/institution, Vernissage walks a fascinating line as a point of influence (creator?), and certainly reproducer, of the art experience. One thing is for certain, the video team is doing something right.”
(What.It.Is)

– “the hottest video for art on the web is the Swiss web page VernissageTV.”
(G.H. Hovagimyan, experimental digital artist)

– “A veritable treasure trove,…”
(Mediabistro Unbeige Magazine)

– “Not only does VernissageTV produce some of the best online art video content, but a solid Pdf-magazine as well.”
(Curatedmag.com)

– “Founded in September 2005 in Basel, Switzerland, VernissageTV has built a reputation on providing brilliantly edited shorts that plumb the art world for on-the-scene video from gallery openings, international exhibitions, and art fairs, as well as in-depth interviews with renowned art professionals.”
(Artkrush)

– “In the German-speaking areas, where the net video magazines and video web blogs (Vlogs) try to implant themselves in the market, Vernissage-TV (http:// vernissage.tv/blog/) stands out with its project: who enters for he first time the pleasantly simple page will be astonished – and will probably stay for a while on the web blog… VernissageTV was there: in the Armory Show, at ART Basel or ARCO Madrid, as well as at Branding in the Centre PasquArt Biel, at Hans Holbein in the Kunstmuseum Basel, at the John-Bock-Performance in Berlin or at Aleksandra Mir in the Kunsthaus Zürich. The numerous number and spectrum of programs, which were produced in a very short period of time, are remarkable. Even more remarkable is the value of the well portioned documentaries on web format.”
(Verena Kuni, in: Kunst-Bulletin, 10/2006)

– “The web archive, that has brought together hundreds of these short films since 2005, provides an interesting analysis of today’s art system, its mechanisms and its rituals.”
(Abitare – International Design Magazine)

– “VernissageTV is quite passive and back-grounding – they shoot in my understanding of a French style of cinema – its quality of finding the pace of the life before the camera instead of imposing a pace upon what’s before the camera.”
(the rasx() context)

– “There‘s no commentary (mercifully), just the sounds of the fair itself, so what you‘re watching is straight up: people swanning around the fair in their fancy clothes, dealers gesticulating to describe work, and lots of other unintentionally funny stuff. Oh, and you get to see some art, too.”
(Greenjeans – Handmade for Conscientious Living)

– “best art podcast! videos from artist art gallery openings. insider‘s view. global art culture.”
(in: The New Wrinkle)

– “The best way to get a sense of what Art Basel is like comes from VernissageTV, which elegantly edits together clips from the openings of various events.” (Contemporary Art Daily)

– “WOW. awesome concept. vernissage.tv. check it out. greatgreatgreat.”
(Anina in: LIFEBLOG.anina.net / a model life)

– “What pleasantly differentiate vtv from the other sites, are the tags, which allow you to see everything from, one artist, one city or one fair… The videos can be downloaded in quicktime format (nice) and you can subscribe onto your iphones or other apple devices.”
(Fette in: The Flog)

– “Vernissage.TV is a great, great sight at which one can waste hours watching incredibly interesting videos. There are interview videos (such as the one of Jeff Wall) and fabulous documentation of installation and performance pieces.”
(Chris Tyrell’s Blog)

– “Vernissage TV specifically offers coverage of openings and is a really simple site with absolutely tons of content. It’s somehow very good at being global and the clips are great quality.”
(Flash Video & WebTV Wisdom)

– “There were any number of cool things to watch, but my favorite program turned out to be Vernissage TV, which has the most unique premise I’ve seen in a while: Each episode, a cameraman strolls through a European art-gallery opening, capturing both the show and its patrons with as little intermediation as possible. No voiceovers, no commentary, no nothing. It’s a strangely fulfilling viewer experience, providing exposure to often fascinating works and allowing you to soak up the gallery experience without having to swim through a river of pseudo-sophisticate pretense in the process.”
(Journalista)

– “At first I thought this was a really stupid idea: a website that offers streaming video of footage taken at art openings. But it’s actually pretty amazing, especially when most of us only get the opportunity to look at a press photo of any show outside of our geographical reach (…) It’s nice to see people interacting with the work, and I’m sure museum types who are into studying the ways audiences interact with exhibits could get a lot out of this too.”
(Expresso to go)

– “vernissage.tv – just like being there”
(Cultural Flotsam)

– “And it’s perfect to watch VernissageTV on the shinkansen back from Osaka. What else could you possibly want? (ok, good coffee).”
(digi nikki)