About Us
Skira is a world-leading art publisher.
We embody the very highest visual and academic standards in our work.
We cover the entire history of art and we push the boundaries of what art means.
We are not just a publishing house – we are a world authority on the arts.
But something else has made us the go-to space for lovers of culture and it has given us an innate ability to attract generations of artists and gallery owners to tell their stories and showcase their work.
This something else is Albert Skira himself.
He founded Skira in 1928. It was a time of great societal upheaval, the height of classical modernity, a period of political extremes and psychoanalysis. His inaugural publications were Picasso, Ovid and Surrealism.
For Albert Skira, the ambition of art was to elucidate its own mystery.
This is Skira.
Skira is the excitement of a leap into the unknown.
Skira creates space for the emergence of originality by questioning assumed truths.
Skira embodies the perpetual change of art.
Skira is the spirit of learning without limits.
Skira is a world-leading publisher of the arts because, like an artist, it ventures to look where nobody has ever looked before.
SKIRA – PATHS TO CULTURE
European ROOTS, INTERNATIONAL SCOPE
Skira was established in Lausanne in 1928 and its foundational years were in Paris during the surrealist period. This gave the company a deeply European sensibility but at the same time it engendered an attitude, from the very beginning, to cross borders and explore other cultures. Since 1995, Skira has been based in the heart of Milan, between the Teatro alla Scala and the Duomo. The company has two more branches, one in Geneva and the other in Paris. As an international publishing house, Skira publishes almost 300 titles a year in English, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Japanese, Korean and Chinese. Impeccable quality and unbridled passion are paramount in every work and these features attract curators, artists and authors, as well as museums, foundations and brands from all over the world.
As part of the Chargeurs Museum Studio group, Skira also relies on its links to the rest of the world. With offices in London (UK), Amsterdam (Netherlands),Washington D.C. (USA), Abu Dhabi (UAE), Muscat (Oman), Riyadh (Saudi Arabia),Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam), and Hong Kong (China), Skira is proud to be a member of a truly international artistic and cultural network.
COLLABORATIVE Press Offices
Skira relies on three press offices in Italy, France and the United States, which work in concert to give international resonance to all editorial and cultural initiatives.
IMPACTFUL Worldwide Distribution
Skira publications travel all over the world, to bookshops, concept stores and museum boutiques. This provides impactful distribution thanks to the intentional presence of select local distributors in each territory and the strategic management of the company’s sales network. The influence of Skira publications is felt globally due to a dense calendar of commercial meetings throughout the year and regular presentation of titles to the heads of different teams, centralised customer managers, and representatives.
There are two distributors for titles in English. For the United States, Canada and Latin America, Skira relies on Distributed Art Publishers (DAP). With a network of agents dedicated to the traditional channel and one to museum bookshops and alternative points of sale to bookshops, DAP includes Skira volumes in its publishing catalogue, which it brings to the most important fairs and sends to over 15,000 contacts. In the US market in particular, through DAP, publications arrive in 20 strategic showrooms for the territory as well as on the Amazon portal. Thames & Hudson takes care of Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Australia, with a dense network of agents and partners who distribute Skira books almost simultaneously in all countries.
PDE - Messaggerie, a leading distributor in Italy, guarantees the distribution of Skira titles in Italian throughout the territory. More than 25 agents visit over 1,000 points of sale every month and reach over 3,000 customers through wholesalers, which includes independent bookshops, large chains such as La Feltrinelli, Mondadori, Giunti al Punto, Coop and the online vendors such as Amazon and IBS. An efficient and trusted distribution partner, PDE-Messaggerie takes care of presenting new releases to booksellers and replenishing within 24 hours.
In France, Belgium, Switzerland and French-speaking bookshops abroad, Skira publications in French are distributed by the sales networks of Flammarion Diffusion. Canada is covered by Flammarion-Socadis, with a network of representatives who distribute art editions and illustrated volumes in almost 900 points of sale.
Parallel to the usual means of distribution, Skira reaches collectors and art lovers through carefully chosen hotels, clubs and boutiques. This is a privileged channel aimed selectively at the target audience, which the publishing house is constantly expanding.
SustainabLE CHOICES
All of Skira’s partner printers are FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified, ensuring the use of raw materials sourced from responsibly managed forests.
The proper disposal and recycling of all paper waste, cardboard, lithographic plates and chemical and domestic waste is assured by FSC-certified companies.
Within the production facilities, paper dust is recovered by an air filtration system and compressed into cones that are reused to produce recycled paper.
WORK WITH us
Skira is an exciting cultural laboratory that involves more than 30 different professions. We have a variety of roles available in the departments of Editing, Graphics, Production, Exhibitions, Sales, Finance, Communication, Development and Human Resources, as well as in boutique bookstores. We are always looking for talented collaborators who stand out for their personal journey and abilities, but who share the same passion: to contribute to this dynamic and innovative company.
- A pleasant and rewarding work environment
- Professional development and growth within our company
- Training, innovation and creativity
- Working together towards a common goal
Every day we strive to create a work environment in which we are free to express individual talent. We foster a climate animated by a love for culture and art and we work in the spirit of sharing. We think it is important to provide opportunities for training and to grow the professionalism of those who work with us in order to encourage a career in publishing. We also believe in regular and transparent internal communication, a key element to building an atmosphere of positivity and trust. The support of Human Resources ensures that each group can work at its best and that everyone can feel valued and work towards a shared goal.
We do not have any vacant job opportunities at the moment.
