Art book publisher Taschen turns 40: Marlene Taschen on how it stays relevant
Chief executive Marlene Taschen wants to democratise the art world and is releasing compact, budget-friendly editions of the Taschen 40 series to do so
Benedikt Taschen was just 18 when he opened a small comic-book store in 1980 in the German city of Cologne. Fast forward 40 years and Taschen is a global publishing powerhouse known for its art-house books.
Flying the Taschen flag today is Benedikt’s eldest daughter, Marlene, who joined the family business a decade ago, becoming chief executive in 2017. Since then the 35-year-old has led the charge to embrace change in a fast-evolving industry, including the brand’s push into Asia (it opened its Hong Kong store – the first in Asia – in 2018).
“I love the Asian spirit,” says Marlene Taschen via Zoom from her home in London. “I love that openness to say ‘I’m going to distribute books but I’m also going to sell ice cream and also be a furniture shop’ – I admire that unconstricted mentality.”
Lockdown in Britain might have grounded her business travel plans, but she has kept her focus on expanding the family empire in more ways than one.
“For the past five months I’ve been travelling over Europe: Germany, Italy, France, Switzerland, everywhere, but I never actually experienced lockdown until now. I’m actually enjoying it – it’s time to focus a little bit more. I’m also seven months pregnant,” says the mother of a nine-year-old daughter.
While celebrities and creatives were part of her childhood, democratising access to the art world has been a major aspect of her mission.