The Commend Art Project
Where Art and Communication
Speak the Same Language
A Vision Rooted in Passion
Every great idea begins with a spark.
For Commend, that spark came from Peter Pablik – founder, brilliant engineer, and lifelong art enthusiast. In the 1970s, Mr. Pablik began collecting works from local Salzburg artists, weaving creativity into the very DNA of the company.
What started as small, handcrafted gifts for customers – limited-edition art prints born from local collaborations – soon evolved into something greater: A celebration of art as a way to make deep connections with others.
Thus, the Commend Art Project was born: a dialogue between creativity and communication, technology and emotion, innovation and craftsmanship.
Milestones of a Living Tradition
By the 1980s, the project had taken a new form – the Commend Art Calendar. From an initial 50 copies to several hundred, the calendar traveled the world, carrying the spirit of Salzburg’s artistry into homes and offices across continents.
A turning point came in the late 1990s. During a year-end meeting between Commend’s managing director and the bank advisor, it turned out that both had given away the same calendar by artist Bernhard Vogel as a gift – one with the Commend logo, the other with the bank’s logo.
This awkward coincidence led to a revelation: Commend’s Art must be unmistakably its own.
From that moment onward, Commend curated every detail in-house:
- Handpicked artists
- Individually chosen artworks
- Defined editions
- Complete creative and production control
The result: a calendar that doesn’t just mark time – it creates moments.
Art as a Language of Connection
For project director Wolfgang Peer, who has guided the initiative since 1986, the essence of
the Commend Art Project lies in its power to open conversations. Art transcends words –
yet it inspires them.
It creates visual and emotional spaces where people engage, connect, and remember.
This is the perfect mirror of Commend’s core philosophy and brand essence:
Communication is connection.
Each calendar serves as a daily reminder that keeps Commend in the minds and
conversations of its partners.
Every single copy embodies the company’s values:
- Uncompromising quality
- Authentic craftsmanship
- Thoughtful materials
- Exceptional artistic talent
- Communication as a living art form
Regional roots.
Global resonance.
By working with Salzburg artists, Commend celebrates its heritage while giving regional talent an international platform – often leading to new commissions and collaborations worldwide.
Two Pillars of Artistic Expression
1. The Commend Art Calendar –
Art that Travels the World
- Strictly limited annual edition (currently 2,200 copies)
- Distributed globally to clients, partners and Commend teams
- Available exclusively through Commend
- Accompanied by an artist-signed certificate of authenticity
Each calendar is a limited-edition collector’s piece – a bridge between art, brand, and human connection.
2. The Commend Edition –
Art in its Purest Form
- One unique artwork each year
- Limited to 250–280 signed and numbered prints
- Originally etchings and lithographs, now also digital fine art prints
- Presented as an exclusive and festive year-end gift to selected recipients
A Living Legacy of Art and Connection
Over the years, the Commend Art Project has grown into far more than an artistic initiative – it has become a beloved ritual shared by partners, clients, and friends around the world. In countless offices and homes, there is something quietly symbolic: a “Commend calendar nail.”
Each December or January, it marks a small yet meaningful ceremony – the gentle moment when the old calendar gives way to the new. A fresh set of images, a new year of inspiration. This simple act has become a tradition that connects people across countries and cultures – a silent rhythm of renewal, art, and communication. The ongoing enthusiasm, the heartfelt messages, and the enduring presence of these calendars in daily life all speak to the project’s essence: art as a language of trust and connection. Through decades of creativity, craftsmanship, and collaboration, the Commend Art Project continues to embody what the brand stands for – quality, authenticity, and communication that endures.
Because at Commend, one truth always remains:
Trusted. Communication. Always.
Wall of Fame
Commend Art Calendar 2005-2025
