An archive of SGABF editions since 2018, the year in which the fair became independently organised and funded for the first time in five years. Besides our local exhibitors, SGABF has hosted exhibitors from Australia, China, France, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand,  Vietnam, USA, UK, and the United Arab Emirates, all of whom are listed below.

The Singapore Art Book Fair (SGABF) is an annual event that champions both local and international art and print material. It is a platform for artists, publishers, and zine-makers to meet and interact with like-minded individuals as well as introduce their works to a new and interested audience every time.

SGABF2018 was held at NTU Centre for Contemporary Art Singapore in Gillman Barracks. For the first time in five years, the fair is independently organised and funded. This year hosted a total of 67 Exhibitors, making it the largest edition yet, 21 of whom are international from countries like China, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and the UK. SGABF2018 also featured a Zine Room and Zine Library curated by Squelch Zines, a community platform that has been supporting local zine-makers. In 2018, the fair saw more than 4,500 visitors over one weekend.

#SGABF2018

Singapore Art Book Fair 2018

The Zine Room was conceived by SQUELCH ZINES — a collective that aims to bring zine-makers into a space where they can buy, swap and inspire each other to broaden Singapore's zine culture.

The Zine Room focuses on the local scene through 2 avenues: a spotlight for local exhibitors, and a Zine Library documenting submissions from local and international zinesters.

PUBLISHING AS DISCOURSE was the title of the programme for Singapore Art Book Fair 2018, curated by NTU CCA Singapore, that explored the media of publishing as a discursive space.

This series of conversations, presentations, and workshops brought together international publishers, writers and scholars, curators and artists who adopt the field of publishing as a critical form to engage with the arts.

Singapore Art Book Fair 2018 was held in The Exhibition Hall, Block 43 Malan Road, Gillman Barracks, and all public programmes took place in The Single Screen, Block 43 Malan Road.

PUBLISHING INDEPENDENTLY

Sunday, July 1, 2018
5:30 PM — 7:00 PM

Speakers:

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• Ringo Bunoan (Philippines), artist and Co-founder, Art Book Philippines

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• Savannah Gorton (Germany/Denmark), curator and Co-founder, Friends with Books

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• Beatrix Pang (Hong Kong), Founder, Small Tune Press

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• Moderated by Shubigi Rao (India/Singapore), artist

What is the potential of self-initiated publications as a form of artistic collaboration? What are the benefits and pitfalls of self-publishing versus traditional publishing, and how does it contribute to the cultural field? This panel will explore recent developments in self-publishing and what necessitates these forms of independent production.

PUBLISHING ARTISTS’ BOOKS

CASE STUDY PRESENTATIONS

Sunday, July 1, 2018
1:30 PM — 5:00 PM

Presenters:

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• 1.30 – 2.30pm: Ringo Bunoan (Philippines), artist and Co-founder, artbooks.ph

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• 2.45 – 3.45pm: Beatrix Pang (Hong Kong), Founder, Small Tune Press

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• 4.00 – 5.00pm: Savannah Gorton (Germany/Denmark), curator and Co-founder, Friends with Books

This event features case study presentations of artist-book projects selected by international and regional independent publishers. The speakers will introduce various collaborative projects between artists and publishers, providing insight into how artist books are conceptualised and how they develop into the final printed form.

3.

PUBLISHING GEOPOLITICS

Saturday, June 30, 2018
5:30 PM — 7:30 PM

Speakers:

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• Chong Ton Sin (Malaysia), Founder, Gerakbudaya and Executive Director, Strategic Information and Research Development Centre

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• Eileen Legaspi-Ramirez (Philippines), Editorial Board Member, Southeast of Now: Directions in Contemporary and Modern Art in Asia

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• Moderated by Peter Schoppert (Singapore), President, Singapore Book Publishers Association and Director, National University Singapore Press

This session centres on the scholarly periodical and the role it plays as a discursive space for writing art and cultural histories. Representatives from both established and young journals will come together to critically examine its geographical and conceptual markers.

PUBLISHING ARTISTS’ BOOKS

CASE STUDY PRESENTATIONS

Saturday, June 30, 2018
1:30 PM — 5:00 PM

Presenters:

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• 1.30 – 2.30pm: Christophe Boutin (France), Co-founder, onestar press and Three Star Books

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• 2.45 – 3.45pm: Shyue Woon (Singapore), artist and architect

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• 4.00 – 5.00pm: Wei Guan (China), Co-founder, Bananafish Books and Art Director, Shanghai Art Book Fair

This event features case study presentations of artist-book projects selected by international and regional independent publishers. The speakers will introduce various collaborative projects between artists and publishers, providing insight into how artist books are conceptualised and how they develop into the final printed form.

PUBLISHING COMPLEXES

Friday, June 29, 2018
6:00 PM — 7:30 PM

Speakers:

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• Kaye Cain-Nielsen (United States), Editor-in-Chief, e-flux journal

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• Chloe Chu (Hong Kong), Associate Editor, ArtAsiaPacific;

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• Robin Peckham (United States/China), Editor-in-Chief, LEAP magazine;
  

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• Mark Rappolt (United Kingdom), Editor-in-Chief, ArtReview and ArtReview Asia
  

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• Amy Sherlock (United Kingdom), Deputy Editor, frieze magazine

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• Moderated by Shabbir Hussain Mustafa, Senior Curator, National Gallery Singapore

This session discusses some of the strategies art magazine publishers adopt to present a comprehensible outlook of current developments in contemporary art, as well as evaluates the magazine’s role in generating discourse in the arts. Magazine publishers have grown beyond producing conventional printed series to delving into, not only digital platforms, but also activities such as exhibition making, fair and festival initiatives, education programmes, and other forms of artistic production while maintaining their core business in publishing.

PUBLISHING ARTISTS’ BOOKS

ARTIST TRADE BOOK

Friday, June 29, 2018
4:00 PM — 5:00 PM

Speakers:

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• Broy Lim (Singapore), artist

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• Woong Soak Teng (Singapore), artist

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• Moderated by Gwen Lee (Singapore), Co-founder and Director, Singapore International Photography Festival and DECK gallery

In Spring 2017, eight Asian recipients of Steidl Book Award were invited to make their books in Göttingen, Germany. Among them were Singaporean artists Broy Lim and Woong Soak Teng. With each concept, the artists translated their ideas and work into a book form, crafting, refining stories and visuals into book objects. This conversation will share the process, challenges, and constraints the artists had in order to arrive at the book they called their own.

Valerie Tan
Festival Manager

Racy Lim
Head of Marketing Communications

Currency
Design