Autumn in New York remind people of the annual festival of art books, this year's 14th New York Art Book Fair held on this weekend, as usual at the MoMA PS1 in Long Island City. The New York Art Book Fair attracts thousands of people every year. Last year's book fair invited 365 exhibitors from all over the world and held a series of programs. The four days fair attracted more than 35,000 visitors. This year is also a four days fair and programs, but more unprecedented grand meeting. Inviting 369 exhibitors from 31 countries, including artists, small presses, galleries, antiquarian booksellers and distributors, the lively and wonderful book fair attracts more than 40,000 people, including book lovers, collectors and art world professionals, came to visit. The organizer has provided more than 100 programs, such as free conversations, workshops, performances, contemporary artists’ book conference (CABC), and other artist-led programs. Opening Night was held at 6 pm on the 19th, with a $20 ticket (free membership) with a limited edition eraser "sorry zero, sorry not sorry" designed by Christine Sun Kim. There are also live performances by Afuma, Hairbone and 2 Bridges DJs.
New York Art Book Fair (NYABF) was organized by Printed Matter, Inc. The New York Art Book Fair has been dedicated to stimulating and discovering non-mainstream art, trying to use alternative media as a stage for small independent presses and artists to promote the purely and freedom of art. Therefore, the New York Art Book Fair has never charged the entrance fee, set limits on the people who visited, and showed art and culture to the world in an equal and free manner. Sponsors of the fair include National Endowment for the Arts, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, New York State Council on the Arts, The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Frances and Benjamin Benenson Foundation, The Greenwich Collection Ltd., Joan Mitchell Foundation, and individuals worldwide for their support.
Printed Matter, Inc. was founded in 1976 by a group of nonprofit organizations of art workers. Since the 1960s, Printed Matter, Inc. has tried to use books as a medium for the new kind of artistic creations, make the art combining books, exploring the acceptance and the impact of the public. They believe that books can become art, and the price can be lowered that everyone can afford it so that people in all corners of the world can read and collect these art books. Printed Matter, Inc. moved twice, with the expansion of the press house, not only the expansion of the store's space, but also the responsibility of transferring art practice and cultural development, and start to organize many exhibitions and events. The first New York Art Book Fair was held in 2005, in recent years, with the advancement of digital media and the rapid transmission of information, the New York Art Book Fair has become a grand annual event for the world of art and publish.
According to Hyperallergic magazine, the book fair has some worth attention programs on the weekend. Like the Black Women's Library, there are more than 1,200 books written by black women. The library is used in a very different way. You need to bring another book written by a black woman to exchange it for another book. In addition, the Black Women's Library also prepared workshops, performances, film screenings, lectures and other events. Another event worthy of attention is “Till The Last Gasp,” presented by the French non-profit organization BATT Coop. It introduces the history of Graphzine from 1975 to 2005 and displays more than 300 books, magazines and posters.
2019 New York Art Book Fair
Date: 19 - 22 September 2019
Venue: MoMA PS1
Price: free
Photo by YIART
