Anna Haifisch is a phenomenon. Her clever, often self-deprecating comics drawn in the unmistakable Haifisch style are conquering the comics scene and the art world alike. She is an established international artist, has won numerous awards - including the Max und Moritz Award for "Best German-Speaking Comic Artist" in 2020 - and has already worked for the MoMA in New York.

"The Artist - Ode to the Pen" is the title of the third volume in Anna Haifisch's comic series about being an artist, which has been published since 2016. Much has changed in The Artist's life since the austere early days. After the arduous climb within the art world, he is now extremely successful and has everything he always wanted. And yet his life is one big drama, because he is still a whiny, sensitive artist. He feels excluded from the art market and mourns his creative period in poverty. An existence between megalomania and nervous breakdown - the material for a great dramatic opera!

In her new book "Residenz Fahrenbühl", Anna Haifisch continues to revolve around her favourite motif of the suffering artist. Fahrenbühl is a secluded artist's residence inhabited by two mice. It is the most beautiful place in the world. The rural, they say, inspires peace and contemplation. But the monotony of seclusion begins to dampen the mood. If you want to preserve paradise, you have to resort to radical means. In this respect, a mouse is no different from God.

Funny Animal Comics are a central inspiration for Anna Haifisch's work. "Funny" refers less to the content than to the superficial harmlessness of animal characters. The lightness and apparent silliness of Funny Animal Comics develop their full appeal when the mood threatens to tip over into the melancholic or dark. Anna Haifisch brings about these states with great pleasure.
Simon Klingler