Astoria Artshow, Vienna's Galleries Build Their Own Art Fair - First Review
Astoria Artshow 2026, The New Vienna Gallery-Led Fair Independent Review
Vienna loses one art fair, sees another pause, and gets a new one built by the galleries that used to rent booths at them.
Astoria Artshow runs from September 10 to 13, 2026, in the Astoria Garage, where a multi-storey garage designed by Raimund Janesch was built in 1923 and substantially expanded in 1937 and 1938 according to plans by engineer Cesar Karrer.
Astoria Art Show Vienna – KOW – Artist Anna Boghiguian – Photo credit Catapult Contemporary
Six storeys, a spiral ramp, a glass dome over what was once the fuel bay. The building is now being used for the first time as a venue for a major cultural event.
More than 80 leading galleries from across Europe will present selected highlights from their programmes across more than 10,000 square metres of exhibition space.
“We have a soft spot for unexpected locations, especially when the setting becomes part of the experience rather than just a backdrop. Astoria Artshow gets that balance right. The garage has character, the presentation feels considered, and its proximity to the city means the fair can easily become part of a wider day of seeing art across Vienna. For a first edition, it is an impressively confident start. We hope to see it return here next year with the same energy, ambition and esprit.”
Catapult Contemporary
The fair is divided into four sections, Main Positions, New Positions, a section for editions, publications and art-related products, and a section for art institutions. New Positions continues the Zone 1 model known from viennacontemporary and is curated by Casandra Herrmann, with a focus on younger artistic positions.
Astoria ArtShow - Preview Day - Impressions
Astoria Art Show Vienna – Christine König Galerie – Artist Maruša Sagadin – Photo credit Catapult Contemporary
A Fair Built From the Cancellations
Astoria Artshow exists because Vienna's two main fairs both fell away, though not in the same way. Viennacontemporary ended in its previous form in early 2026, undone by financing troubles.
SPARK Art Fair Vienna took a strategic pause for 2026 and is set to return in March 2027.
Participating Galleries
Rather than wait out that gap, Markus Peichl of Galerie Crone, Maximilian Thoman of Galerie Elisabeth and Klaus Thoman, and Thomas Krinzinger of Galerie Krinzinger founded the nonprofit association VAU - Vienna Art United in April 2026.
The association grew into a coalition of 35 Viennese galleries, with Peichl serving as chairman. Astoria Artshow is explicitly a preview edition, a test run ahead of a larger, recurring fair the collective plans to launch in 2027. The 2026 edition is supported by the City of Vienna and the Federal Ministry for Housing, Art, Culture, Media and Sport.
Solidarity Over Square Meters
The participation fee model breaks from standard fair economics. Fees are scaled according to a gallery's revenue and company size rather than the size of its exhibition space, meaning economically stronger and larger galleries pay more while smaller galleries pay less.
Astoria Artshow - Main
The break with conventional fair structures also extends to the presentation. Instead of standard booth architecture, works are shown across open spaces and on freestanding walls, with their placement guided by aesthetic relationships between the works.
The four-day ticket costs 15 euros regular and 10 euros reduced, with free admission for students. A combined ticket with PARALLEL Vienna costs 30 euros, positioning Astoria Artshow as a bridge between the established gallery scene and the city's more experimental fair format.
Event Details
- Dates: September 10–13, 2026
- Venue: Astoria Garage, Trautsongasse 4, 1080 Wien
- Hours: Daily 12:00–19:00
- Preview: Thursday, September 10, 12:00–19:00
- Organizer: VAU – Vienna Art United
- Tickets: €15 regular, €10 reduced, free for students, €30 combined with PARALLEL Vienna
