LONG ISLAND CITY — It’s the state of the art for books.
The NY Art Book Fair, returning to MoMA PS1 this weekend, will showcase more than 280 international booksellers, artists and independent publishers from over 25 countries, from Japan to Australia and Russia, some of which may sell for a pretty penny.
Last year over 15,000 artists, curators and book buyers came to browse through the tomes presented during this annual fair of contemporary art books, organized by Printed Matter, a non-profit organization promoting publications made by artists.
The fair, which started in 2006 and has been held in Long Island City since 2009, is described by the organizers on their website as “the world’s premier event for artists’ books, catalogs, monographs, periodicals, and zines.”
“There will be thousands of titles,” said AA Bronson of Printed Matter. “And the prices will probably range from 50 cents to $100,000.”
The event will also include screenings, book signings and art performances and will feature “The Classroom,” a series of workshops, readings and discussions.
And there will be a tribute to the late Steven Leiber, a rare book dealer who passed away earlier this year, featuring his famous sales catalogs.
Illustrator David Senior will participate in a discussion on sex magazines and Portland’s group Sun Foot will perform.
More serious folks can also participate in The Contemporary Artists’ Books Conference, a two-day symposium on new practices within art-book culture.
Writer Lucy Lippard and contemporary artist Paul Chan will be the keynote speakers and panelists will discuss topics ranging from artists’ books in Tokyo to intellectual property.
The event — free and open to the public — runs from Sept. 28 to 30 with a preview on Thursday, Sept. 27.
For a detailed schedule, go to nyartbookfair.com/events.
