VORN MAGAZINE 2004-2024
Portrait of Dame Vivienne Westwood by Maria Ziegelboeck
Visions
When the first issue of VORN appeared in 2004 with me as publisher and creative director, the world, or at least the media world, was different. There were commercial or so-called independent magazines with their different structures and hierarchies. Magazines with a mercantile structure work with authors and photographers who are as well-known as possible and the aim of publishing the largest possible circulation. Independent magazines, on the other hand, tended to be experimental fields in smaller editions with a message that was as individual as possible. From the beginning, VORN dissolved this structure and pursued a freer approach. Why not merge established photographers and progressive working students in one magazine? Let the creative directors of other magazines design spreads for VORN? We dared this experiment and anticipated the diversity that would take place years later on online portals such as INSTAGRAM or TUMBLR. With one major difference: without censorship.
Freedom
The first issue of VORN appeared as the magazine for free design to give creative people the opportunity to design autonomously, without subject specifications and without restrictions and thus to reform the magazine medium.
Hybrid
The idea of a VISUAL MAGAZINE with a focus on pictures is now well established. As one of the first publications in this genre, VORN debuted in 2004 as a hybrid between a magazine and a book. The publication was already accompanied by a blog and a podcast.
In VORN we presented creatives with opinion and attitude. People who communicated their ideologies in pictures or words and thus inspired us and our readers. We selected the participants emotionally and intuitively and gave them freedom in their design. We ourselves were often surprised by what happens when creative people create without restrictions.
Experiment
VORN took its playful approach to visuality to the extreme. The eighth edition with Ben Dahlhaus on the cover was completely free of text. No headlines, sublines or articles. No editorial, no credits and no imprint.
Issue 9 left the print medium and appeared as an experimental film with a symphony specially composed for it.
It feels good when ideas are perceived and recognised.
Over the years, VORN has received two dozen awards. One of those was for the Claudia Schiffer special in issue four. 20 artists worked together on that portfolio.
The 10h issue of VORN is a magazine in a book and will come out in 2024 as another magazine experiment.
How design, photography, illustration and also access to a magazine have changed over the years can be seen in a direct comparison of contributions from the first nine issues and the present VORN 10. How have online portals and the censorship or self-censorship that takes place there influenced creativity? Does the gender issue change the contributions? Is climate change and the political mood in general affecting the content? VORN answers questions with questions and seeks answers.