Over the past few years, the former Austria Tabak production site has developed into a hotspot for the creative industries, where art and culture also play a major role. Now, an entire section of the Art Magazin will be dedicated to this sector – on around 1,800 m² and three floors, there will be a co-working facility with “fixed and shared desks” as well as individual studios.

 

“Art and culture are part of the self-image of Linz. The arts offer space for experimentation – and, as we all know, that’s where the best ideas come from. In Linz, success as a center of innovation is directly linked to art and creativity. Places like the Tabakfabrik and especially the new ‘Art Magazin’ are all the more important – because this combination of creativity and innovation is practiced and lived precisely here,” says Mayor Klaus Luger, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Tabakfabrik Linz, enthusiastically.

“Magazine 1 was once used to store tobacco, and soon the sparks of creative work will be flying here. We want to create the best possible conditions for the art and culture scene in the ‘Art Magazin’, because one thing is certain: where art plays a role, creativity and entrepreneurship can flourish even better,” Chris Müller, Director of Development, Design and Artistic Agendas at the Tabakfabrik Linz, is certain.

 

The aforementioned best possible conditions were developed in collaboration with architect Philipp Weinberger, who is responsible for the concept and architecture. In the co-working area, there are mobile work tables with lockable storage facilities that can be rented alone or in pairs. Included is access to the common areas, which are shared with the artists in the individual studios. The separate studios are available in a variety of size configurations and can also be used by more than one person. All artists are also free to use the smaller project rooms and the two large-scale areas intended for sculpturing and work on large formats. The many exhibition and presentation possibilities in the architectural jewel Tabakfabrik are also a special feature.

 

The price for the work bench in the co-working area is € 180 per month in the “fixed desk” model. If the workbench is shared, the price for the “shared desk” per person is reduced to € 115 per month. A single studio is available from € 300 per month, depending on size. An uncomplicated onboarding into the artist community with use of the common areas and work spaces is possible for as little as € 50,- per month.

 

Markus Eidenberger, commercial director of the Tabakfabrik Linz, explains another advantage of the high-quality studios and studios: “In the ‘collaborative group’ of the Tabakfabrik, ideal conditions prevail for all artists – they can easily dock onto the innovation ecology of the Tabakfabrik and benefit from cooperations with the resident companies such as the Makerspace GRAND GARAGE, the artists’ supply store Gerstäcker or the Prager Fotoschule”

Philipp Weinberger deliberately kept the design of the studio spaces and studios reduced: “I specifically wanted to create only a rough, very flexible framework for the users here. The goal is for the artists themselves to further develop the space and shape it – to make it their space.”

 

The entire ‘Magazin 1’ is now to become a space for art as ‘Art Magazin’. In addition to studios, it will also be home to the show depot of the Linz City Museums, as well as storage space and catering. In order to be able to guarantee favorable rental prices, the necessary adaptation measures in ‘Magazin 1’ are deliberately limited to the essentials. The newly created infrastructure is intended to show off the industrial chic of the architecture, provide light-flooded rooms and thus create a perfect working environment. In this way, the Tabakfabrik can meet the urgent need for attractive as well as affordable workspaces – and spark off initial ideas.

 

The Tabakfabrik is looking forward to receiving inquiries for the new ‘Art Magazin’ at +43 732 77 22 72 72 or ansiedlung@tfl.linz.at.