We, Angelika and Markus Hartmann, are interested in photography and, as enthusiastic publishers, especially in the demanding photo book. We see our activity as a small component of the expanded contemporary canon of culture and media. Our interests range from art, politics, socially relevant discussions, literature, history, architecture and theatre to more marginal topics such as disturbing films, beautiful racing bikes and ski jumping …. Much of this (but not all) is reflected in our program. 
Each of our published books has its own form and layout appropriate to the topic and content. The program grows slowly and carefully. We concentrate on developing books for a demanding audience and publish only 10-12 titles per year for this niche, as we do not see the future of the art book in the masses and mainstream. Instead of half-yearly programmes, we prefer to think long-term.

We founded the publishing house in 2016 and since then (until the end of 2018 together with Nadine Engler) we have been carefully expanding it. Before that, both of us had been active in various publishing houses and other cultural institutions since the early 1990s. After founding Hartmann Projects (an exhibition and artists’ agency) in 2014, and through our first successful in-house publication, we came to the conclusion that the combination of relevant content of congenial design and high-quality production still makes a book one of the most sustainable and long-lasting media for conveying knowledge and art. Therefore the foundation of the publishing house was a logical consequence. As fascinating as the process of “making books” is, we are also aware that the actual work of a publishing house only begins when a book is finished. We therefore spend a large part of our time on intensive press and media work and the constant expansion of distribution channels and networks. At the same time, we are constantly and curiously pursuing the path of professionalisation.