An art book fair is a type of curated art fair or exhibition for the purpose of displaying, selling and networking between artists, art book creators, illustrators, writers, specialty printers, independent publishers and their audience. The parameters of inclusion vary from fair to fair: some only include publications which are themselves considered art objects, limited edition art books, artist multiples or books specifically about an art topic; others are wider to include graphic novels, cultural magazines, zines, creative writing, poetry, and other artist projects. Like other art fairs, an art book fair will not only include works for sale but also artist installations, projects, happenings, workshops, talks, panel discussions or book launches. Recursive fairs may run with a yearly theme or prompt which guides programming.
Unlike a traditional trade fair or book fair (such as the Frankfurt Book Fair), art book fairs are public and less formal in regards to industry conferencing or networking; while they do serve as an opportunity for publishers and artists to commingle, the nature of art book sales is such that there are no sales or rights marketing as with a regular book fair. Instead, art book fairs are an aspect of artist-run culture and an address to artmaking in the neoliberal era.[1] Art book fairs are also a way for viewers to interact with, collaborate, and learn with and obtain artwork outside of commercial art institutions.[2][3] Given the ephemeral and mass-produced nature of publishing history, "publishing seems to offer," as Offprint Paris director Yannick Bouillis put it, "an authentic, autonomous space within the art community. Books and other publishing artifacts such as magazines, posters, and tapes are—in comparison to artworks—relatively free from public and market concerns."[4]
^Sherlock, Diana (Spring 2013). "Institutions by Artists: Resistance Or Retreat?". International Contemporary Art: 16–20 – via ProQuest.
^Kennedy, Randy (2017-11-19). "Shannon Michael Cane, Who Transformed Art Book Fairs, Dies at 43". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-04-12.
^Cotter, Holland (October 3, 2009). "All the Books You'Ll Never Catch on a Kindle". The New York Times.
^"Why has there been such a boom in art book fairs?". e-flux conversations. Retrieved 2018-04-12.
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