The TOKYO ART BOOK FAIR 2019, a book fair specializing in art, will be held at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo from July 12th to 15th.
Approximately 300 exhibitors, including domestic and international publishers, galleries, and artists who produce original art books and zines, will come together to share the appeal of their publications.


This event, which launched in 2009 as Japan's first art-focused book fair, marks its 10th anniversary this year. This time, the venue will be moved to the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, which recently reopened after renovations this spring.

In the special exhibition room on the second basement floor, "Guest Country," a project launched in 2015 to introduce publishing culture by focusing on a single country or region, will feature the United States, a leader in global independent publishing culture.

Art book fairs, now held around the world, began in 2006 when Printed Matter, a non-profit bookstore founded in 1976 by artists actively using printed matter to create artistic expression, launched the "New York Art Book Fair." America is home to many art publishers, bookstores, and artists experimenting with printed matter, and the rich and diverse publishing culture of the United States will be explored through two exhibitions and talks: "Radical Pages: A Selection of American Zines" and "Exhibition: 10 Years of The Thing Quarterly." "Radical Pages: A Selection of American Zines" will exhibit approximately 150 important American zines from the 1970s onwards from the collection of 8-Ball Community, a non-profit media collective that functions as a platform for independent publishing and is led by Lele Savelli, a photographer at the forefront of New York's art scene. With young people around the world now actively creating zines as a familiar platform for expression, this exhibition will focus on America, tracing their history and exploring their current position. During the event, there will be a special booth set up to exhibit and sell zines by artists belonging to the 8-Ball Community and their recommended works, as well as an exchange program where visitors can bring their zines to the venue and have them added to their collection.

The Thing Quarterly: Issue 1 Miranda July
"10 Years of The Thing Quarterly" showcases the activities of The Thing Quarterly, a magazine published in San Francisco in 2007, with a total of 34 issues published four times a year. While a magazine, this unique publication does not follow a set print format, but instead works with artists to create objects that speak to the importance of art in everyday life. Each issue featured a different artist's design, including shower curtains by Miranda July, Frisbees by Gabriel Orozco, playing cards by Ryan Gander, and clocks by Tauba Auerbach. By mass-producing works by contemporary artists active in the American art scene in the "magazine" format, the magazine created an opportunity for many people to easily encounter and experience art in their daily lives.

As part of the "Guest Country" related program, there will also be a lecture by David Senior, who previously worked at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York and is currently a librarian at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMoMA), on the development of independent publishing in the United States since the birth of art book fairs. "Japanese Artists' Books: Then and Now" Exhibition
"Japanese Artists' Books: Then and Now" is an exhibition showcasing artist books by Japanese artists, along with their creators' voices. The exhibition focuses on Japanese artists at the forefront of Japan's current art publishing scene, showcasing their works alongside quotes from their formative experiences with artist books and their appeal. Through each artist's roots and interpretations, the exhibition explores the diverse trajectory of the evolution of artist books in Japan, from the uniquely Japanese development of photobooks and manga culture, to expression linked to overseas art movements, and changes brought about by the development of the internet, and attempts to unravel the future of book expression.

Other events include a special program titled "Tracing Shiseido Gallery's 100 Years Through Catalogues," which will look back on the gallery's 100-year history through catalogues published to date, as well as talk shows with invited guests and autograph sessions with artists. Through a variety of programs that unravel the appeal of art books from multiple angles, you can experience the current evolution of art books.

Details of workshops, live performances, talk events, etc. can be found on the event website (https://tokyoartbookfair.com/events / https://twitter.com/tabf_info) from time to time.