TOKYO ART BOOK FAIR 2021

The TOKYO ART BOOK FAIR (TABF) started in 2009 as the first book fair in Japan dedicated to art publications. Once annually, the TABF serves as a place for artists, galleries, and publishers of unique art books from both Japan and abroad to converge in Tokyo: where creators can engage in direct communication with guests about the allure of their creations. The 10th TABF hosted in 2019 unfolded as the largest incarnation of the event yet – home to over 300 exhibitors and welcoming over 35,000 guests over a four day-span. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, however, we made the decision of cancelling the in-person rendition of the TABF that year to ensure the health and safety of participants. We instead envisioned the fair anew under the name VIRTUAL ART BOOK FAIR (VABF), and hosted the fair in an online virtual space in 2020.

With no end in sight to the COVID-19 pandemic, we recognize that it will be difficult to host the fair this year in the same manner and scale as we have in the past. We find ourselves in a world where there are no absolutes or right answers; at the TABF we have struggled with this fact, all while engaging in countless discussions about how we can host our fair in the midst of such uncertainty. Artists and creators in the art book world have adapted to the pandemic – exploring different ways of creating different art books, zines, and other endeavors. It is our hope to do the same all while continuing the role we have played in the past: to provide a platform where one can discover new art publications and uncover new talent. To that end, we strive to realize our book fair in a style fitting to the situation we find ourselves in now, in 2021.

For the 2021 rendition of the TABF, we will be hosting the fair at both an offline, physical venue, and an online, virtual venue (hereafter referred to as Offline Venue and Online Venue). The Offline Venue will be the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, where the TABF will open on Thursday, October 28th and draw to a close on Sunday, October 31st. Preceding our offline festivities, we will be opening the TABF Online Venue on Friday, October 22 – and the Online Venue will similarly close on Sunday, October 31st.

At the Offline Venue, we will be hosting the fair at a reduced scale – limiting both the number of exhibitors and of visitors to the venue – while also taking precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Although this year’s fair won’t be as lively or action-packed as we’re all used to, fairgoers will get to view and interact with a veritable collection of different art publications from within Japan and abroad in a relaxed, laid-back atmosphere. In addition to an array of different exhibitor booths, guests will also be able to enjoy a variety of different exhibitions. Among them is an exhibition of 58 posters by 2020Solidarity, a project launched by artist Wolfgang Tillmans’ non-profit organization Between Bridges; 2020Solidarity aims to provide support to cultural and music venues, community projects, independent spaces, and publications. Other endeavors include an exhibit drawing attention to domestic and international art books, zines, and other printed matters created during the COVID-19 pandemic.

At our Online Venue, we apply our experience in hosting the VABF in 2020 to realize a space where visitors can engage in direct communication with various exhibitors and purchase art publications online; you’ll also be able to find a selection of art books and zines by Online Venue exhibitors for exhibition and sale on our Offline Venue. We invite faircomers to enjoy an all-new embodiment of the TABF, one that connects the offline and the online worlds.

OFFLINE VENUE

EXHIBITIONS

The Offline Venue will be home to various exhibitions that draw attention to art publications in the post-COVID era, together with selected works by different exhibitors joining us in this year’s Online Venue.

2020Solidarity Posters

The spring of 2020 saw the onset of an unprecedented crisis, which dealt a harsh blow to the world of art. In response, Between Bridges – a non-profit organization founded by Wolfgang Tillmans – launched the 2020Solidarity project, dedicated to supporting independent spaces, events, and publishers in the art and music scenes in the face of the COVID pandemic. Over 50 artists have pledged their support to the project, including William Eggleston, Isa Genzken, Nicole Eisenman, Peter Hujar, Daido Moriyama, Gillian Wearing, Jeff Koons, Luc Tuymans, Thomas Ruff, Raymond Pettibon, and more. The artist collective provided artworks for the project to use in creating a series of art posters, where 98 different entities in 21 countries offered the posters for sale; proceeds were then donated to the participating spaces. The 2020Solidarity project ran from April 9 until August 10, 2020, and drew participating entities from around the world: including POST, Utrecht, twelvebooks, torch press, amala, IACK, clinic, daitokai, ASAKUSA, and LVBD BOOKS from Japan.

For this year’s TABF, we will be exhibiting the full 2020Solidarity poster collection, with a selection of posters available for sale to visitors. Fair-comers will also be able to read through various messages and testimonials provided by participating spaces and entities.

COVID “Positive”

Independent publishers and artists use their unique perspectives to reframe subject matter that we are inclined to shirk away from; they posit content considered negative in a positive light, and turn our attention to things in our lives that we overlook. As we face continuous exposure to media coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic through the news and social media, these players’ insights can reveal much to us. The COVID “Positive” exhibition delves into speculation on the post-COVID world with different art books, and will feature different publications and works revolving around the pandemic from across the world. Works on display will include zines detailing the days of quarantine, art books of projects seeking ways to enjoy life with COVID, photography collections centering around essential workers, and more.

ONLINE / OFFLINE: ART BOOK VENDING MACHINE

The TABF began hosting Guest Country, a segment that focuses on the publishing culture of a certain country or region, annually onward from 2015. This year, however, we’re doing things differently; with the onset of the pandemic, we are left with fewer opportunities to view and interact with art books and zines from abroad. So instead of narrowing our sights onto a particular region, we will instead be bringing together art publications from around the globe. The Offline Venue at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo will also feature the ART BOOK VENDING MACHINE (ABVM), a vast vending machine for art books, while concurrently exhibiting and selling art books and zines published onward from 2019 by Online Venue exhibitors operating overseas.

ONLINE / OFFLINE: Online Exhibitors’ Library

At the Online Exhibitors’ Library, we will be exhibiting samples of art books and zines published onward from 2019 by Japan-based Online Venue exhibitors. Find a book or zine that catches your eye? Exhibited goods will be available for purchase at the Online Venue.

ONLINE VENUE

The Online Venue will be home to approximately 260 different exhibitors from both Japan and abroad. When a faircomer enters the online venue space, the first thing to come to view will be a variety of root vegetables, peeking out from the ground. There are six vegetable icons in all – entitled Potato, Carrot, Turnip, Onion, Garlic, and Radish – which represent the different zones of the Online Venue. When clicking on an icon of your choosing, the vegetable you clicked will pop out of the ground and you’ll be taken to the respective exhibitor zone. Within each zone, you’ll find a lineup of booths by nearly fifty different exhibitors.

The Online Venue unfolds in a 3D space with a vibe distinctive from what one may find at the Offline Venue. Exhibitor booths line up in a style reminiscent of unmanned roadside farmer stands selling fresh produce – a welcome message from each exhibitor comes into view when you visit their booth. In the Offline Venue, visitors can take their time strolling through the venue, letting their eyes wander over the different tables; the Online Venue provides a similar experience, letting users slide through the venue screen while effortlessly getting a glimpse of neighboring booths. The venue space also features search functionality and a Favorite/Bookmark function, providing a unique experience entirely different from that of an in-person venue.

The Online Venue also provides individual pages for each exhibitor, where users can see an enlarged version of the table and wallspace visible in the 3D Venue space. Clicking on the art books and zines on display in the images calls up information on each item’s description, detailed data, pricing, and more. Should you want to buy a certain item, you can transition from the exhibitor’s TABF page to their respective e-Commerce site and make your purchase directly from there.

The exhibitor page additionally features a CONTACT section, where users can find a messaging or calling option that they can employ to engage in direct communication with exhibitors. Exhibitors decide which communication tools to use; but while methods may not be uniform for all booths, users can generally get into contact with exhibitors via video meeting such as Google Meets or Zoom, or an online bulletin board where users can post messages. The exhibitor page also features the Stockist section, where faircomers can see which book sellers and outlets sell wares by the exhibitor. Want to see an exhibitor’s books in person but can’t make your way out to the Offline Venue? Take a look at the Stockist section – you may find that the book you’re looking for is at a shop or bookstore near you. Whether online or offline, the TABF hopes to connect you with the magic of art books.

THE TOKYO ART BOOK FAIR ON ZOZOVILLA

A selection of wares by overseas exhibitors at the Online Venue will be available for purchase on the online shopping portal ZOZOTOWN. Hosting the VIRTUAL ART BOOK FAIR in 2020, we realized that a number of hurdles made it difficult to connect fair visitors with overseas exhibitors – whether it be differences in time zone, language, or processes. This year we have set up a special TABF page on ZOZOTOWN, where Japan-based fair-comers can purchase art books by overseas exhibitors with much greater ease.

Sponsorship provided by inuuniq Co., Ltd., Shiba Park Hotel

Support provided under the auspices of the Agency Cultural Affairs’ “ARTS for the future!” program

Special assistance provided by ZOZO, Inc, ArtSticker (The Chain Museum Inc.)

* All programs are subject to change.