The 13th TOKYO ART BOOK FAIR (hereinafter referred to as "TABF") will be held at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo for four days from November 23 (Thu, holiday) to November 26 (Sun). This year, about 300 publishers, galleries, and artists from Japan and abroad will gather at the TABF to sell and introduce their printed matter.
This year's "Guest Country," the TABF’s seventh annual program to introduce publishing culture focusing on a single country or region, will feature five Nordic countries (Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, and Iceland). In addition, three exhibitions organized by the TABF will feature the Kiyosato Museum of Contemporary Art, which was founded by four brothers who collected contemporary artworks, mainly by Joseph Beuys, Arnolf Reiner, and Fluxus; and a selection of archival work by the self-taught artist Thomas Kong, who spent his late years creating numerous collage and assemblage artworks, filling his own convenience store with them. Other highlights include the presentation of SHISEIDO's corporate culture magazine Hanatsubaki; the free magazine NOT FAR produced by TOKYO DESIGN STUDIO New Balance; and Trees: Five Perspectives, a booklet produced by the brand BAUM specially for the TABF.
Programs offered this year include talk shows with guest speakers, workshops for children, book signings by authors, and live performances. This year again, the TABF will provide an experience to encounter today’s ever-evolving art book culture.
Information
- Dates
12:00-20:00, November 23 (Thurs/National Holiday) 2023
11:00-19:00, November 24 (Fri) – 26 (Sun), 2023
- Venue
Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo
- Address
4-1-1 Miyoshi, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-0022
- Admission
General 1,000 yen (tax-included)
*Additional admission fees are required for some events.
Click here to purchase tickets.
- Organizers
＜Exhibition Area＞
Organized by the Tokyo Art Book Fair, Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo operated by Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture
＜Exhibitor Booth Area＞ Organized by the Tokyo Art Book Fair with Special cooperation by the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo operated by Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture
- Sponsored by
BEAMS CULTUART, SHISEIDO, BAUM, New Balance Japan, INUNIC, Shiba Park Hotel
- With the Cooperation of
ARTEK, NORDISK, NORDISK CAMP SUPPLY STORE, The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, Embassy of Sweden, L PACK., tokyobike
- Support from
Norwegian Embassy, Embassy of Finland, Royal Danish Embassy, Embassy of Iceland
- Grants provided by
Swedish Arts Council
EXHIBITIONS
Kiyosato Museum of Contemporary Art Archive Project
The Kiyosato Museum of Contemporary Art, established in 1990 by four brothers with their private funds and regrettably closed in 2014, was a private museum that collected contemporary artworks mainly by Joseph Beuys, Arnolf Rainer, and Fluxus. The second-eldest brother Shugo Ito served as its director; the third-eldest, Shingo, a junior high school art teacher, was in charge of collecting the collection and directing exhibitions; and the eldest brother Shumi and youngest Katsuro financially backed the museum.
In September 2022, the "Kiyosato Museum of Contemporary Art Archive Book Project" was launched to archive the books, materials, and ephemera of the museum collection. The first of the series Ephemera was published in May 2023, which will be followed by Fluxus (Volume 2) and Joseph Beuys (Volume 3).
This exhibition will display a part of the Kiyosato Museum of Contemporary Art's former collection, creating an opportunity for visitors to experience the museum's innovative sensibility via its private collection.
Thomas Kong “ARTS FOR SALE”
Thomas Kong (1950-2023) was an artist and convenience store owner born in Korea and based in Chicago, USA. Kong began making small collage artworks in his sixties to decorate the interior of Kim's Corner Food, a small convenience store he ran in a suburb of Chicago. The collage works, which he made using everyday items such as empty candy and cigarette boxes, wrapping paper, newspaper and magazine clippings, plastic bags, and discarded cardboard boxes, soon filled the store, turning the store itself into a work of art and transforming him into an artist.
This exhibition will display a portion of his vast body of work, one-of-a-kind art books, and archival materials from "KIM’S CORNER FOOD," which regrettably closed its doors. Kong continued to work at his store until just before his death in May this year. From these works he created in his late years at the cash register counter, visitors will be surrounded by the catchphrase "Be Happy” Kong enjoyed to use and receive a pure and positive message from the works.
In cooperation with 062 Gallery
Multiples, Inc. was an art publishing company founded in 1965 by a group of five partners, including Marian Goodman. During its existence, Multiples Inc. had a profound impact on the art world, publishing seminal editions of some of the most important artists of the 20th century over a period of almost three decades between 1966 and 1992. The 1960s were the high times of multiples; artworks were not conceived as single objects but as objects to be published in several examples, often using new materials and contemporary manufacturing techniques. Producing artworks in editions allowed a democracy of distribution, permitting them to be offered at lower prices, in turn making current developments in the art world available to a larger audience.
This exhibition will feature a boxed edition of "Artists & Photographs" (1970), widely known as Multiples, Inc.'s signature series, which includes multiples by 19 artists using photography as a medium.
Also on view will be a selection of multiples from "Artists & Photographs" reprinted in conjunction with the exhibition Multiples, Inc. 1965-1992 at Marian Goodman Gallery in New York in 2021, as well as the exhibition catalog (Marian Goodman Gallery / Verlag der Buchhandlung Walther und Franz König, 2021) and the Japanese edition of the exhibition catalog (twelvebooks / OSCAAR MOULIGNE, 2023).
Participating artists in "Artists & Photographs": Mel Bochner, Christo, Jan Dibbets, Tom Gormley, Dan Graham, Douglas Huebler, Allan Kaprow, Michael Kirby, Joseph Kosuth, Sol LeWitt, Richard Long, Robert Morris, Bruce Nauman, Dennis Oppenheim, Robert Rauschenberg, Ed Ruscha, Robert Smithson, Bernar Venet, Andy Warhol
「MULTIPLES, INC. 1965-1992」Curated by Dieter Schwarz at Marian Goodman Gallery, January 12 – February 27, 2021
In Cooperation with Marian Goodman Gallery
SPECIAL BOOTHS
HANATSUBAKI Tribute to the Archive
SHISEIDO's corporate culture magazine Hanatsubaki, first published in 1937, will create and distribute a special tabloid in collaboration with the fashion editor Elise By Olsen, who lives in Oslo, Norway. In this tabloid, they look back at Hanatsubaki from its first issue with a contemporary and global perspective, and explore the values that should be revisited and conveyed today. Olsen is the director of the Fashion Research International Library, and this exhibition will recreate the atmosphere of that library as well. We also display the back issues of the book that were used in creating this tabloid. We invite you to pick up a copy and research the archives of Hanatsubaki for yourself.
*The 2023 issue of Hanatsubaki will also be distributed at the same venue.
NOT FAR / TOKYO DESIGN STUDIO New Balance
TOKYO DESIGN STUDIO New Balance was born out of the Boston-based New Balance brand's long standing relationship with Japan, and is developed by a design team comprising members from the United States and Japan. Through the skillful craftsmanship and sensibility unique to Japan, the brand develops products that pursue truth and quality and promote design and innovation.
In 2020, the concept store T-HOUSE New Balance opened in Nihonbashi Hamacho, Tokyo, with a concept store on the first floor and a development studio (TOKYO DESIGN STUDIO) on the second, serving as a gallery and interactive store that comprehensively conveys the energy of the New Balance Lifestyle.
The free magazine NOT FAR was published in conjunction with the opening of T-HOUSE New Balance, and is produced by TOKYO DESIGN STUDIO New Balance together with Hiroshi Eguchi as editor-in-chief and is edited from a third-party perspective to highlight the wonderful things and activities that the studio team finds inspiring and delightful during their creative process.
Their latest issue #08, released in October, will be distributed at the TOKYO ART BOOK FAIR. (This is limited to registered members of New Balance's "myNB" membership service. Registration on the spot is also available.) A special event will be held to connect the TOKYO ART BOOK FAIR venue and T-HOUSE New Balance.
T-HOUSE New Balance
3-9-2 Nihonbashi Hamacho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-0007
Instagram : @newbalance_t_house
BAUM TREEDAY 「A New Sensiblity Trees Evoke」
BAUM is a brand that offers skin care and mind care products that derive inspiration from trees. This year, they focused on the beauty of a wide variety of trees during their "BAUM TREEDAY,” an annual endeavor to communicate the strength, beauty, wisdom, and comfort trees evoke, held every year on October 8, during Tree Day*.
At the TOKYO ART BOOK FAIR, BAUM will distribute the zine Trees: Five Perspectives, that collect the works by five artists who pay homage to trees by capturing the inspiration they have received from trees with each of their own unique sensibilities. Actual works of the artists will be available at the booths for the visitors to see.
Participating artists:
Kineita Kunimatsu (sculptor), Mamoru Fukui (sculptor), Ling-Li Tseng (architectural artist), Nina Kerola (artist), Min-chin Tung (sculptor)
*Tree Day, October 8, was established in 1977 by the Forestry Agency, Japan Council for Advancement of Timber Utilization, and others to promote the development of the timber industry and the use of wood, in reference to the Chinese character for "tree (木),” which can be made with the number ten（十） and eight（八）.
The zine Trees: Five Perspectives will be distributed along with BAUM’s sample sets at the following times, providing an opportunity to experience BAUM's Forest Bathing Skincare®︎
11:00/13:00/15:00/17:00
About BAUM
BAUM, established in June 2020, is a brand that follows the theme "Symbiosis with Trees." With the message "The beginning of a beautiful world, given by trees," BAUM accepts and appreciates the blessings of trees, and aims to pass on tree resources to the future – over 90% of their products are made from nature-derived materials. They make sustainable choices in their product packaging and stores as well.
TREEDAY content, including each artist’s philosophy and production process, can be viewed on the official BAUM Instagram account and the official BAUM website.
Instagram: @baum_global
https://www.baumjapan.com/baum/selections/2023/1003_treeday.html
NEIGHBOURS
In the Kiyosumi-Shirakawa area, where the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo is located, there are many art galleries, cafes, stores and other noteworthy venues. For the "NEIGHBOURS" project, we created an area map so that visitors of the book fair can also enjoy the tour of the surrounding area. In addition, some facilities will be providing special discounts and offers for the TABF visitors during the duration of the fair. making it possible for visitors to experience the Kiyosumi-Shirakawa area.
https://tokyoartbookfair.com/neighbours/
Nordic Film Festival 〜Nordic perspective〜
For the first time at the TOKYO ART BOOK FAIR, a film festival will be held at the "Stranger," a mini-theater in the neighborhood of the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo.
There will be screenings of nine documentary films from five Nordic countries (Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, and Iceland) of this year's "Guest Country" program. This will be an opportunity to delve into the Nordic perspective via films that explore various themes such as art, design, music, and environmental issues, including three films by Tove Jansson.
At the venue, we also offer a variety of special programs unique to the TOKYO ART BOOK FAIR, such as talk events and an exhibition of art books related to the films.
Screening List:
Travels with Tove (1993)
Haru, the Island of the Solitary (1998)
Tove and Tooti In Europe (2004)
The Vasulka Effect (2019)
Beyond the Visible：Hilma af Klint (2019)
The Painter and the Thief (2020)
AALTO (2020)
Making a Mountain (2020)
APOLONIA, APOLONIA (2022)
Period: November 24 (Friday) - December 7 (Thursday), 2023
Venue: Stranger
Address: Kikukawa Kaikan Bldg. 1F, 3-7-1 Kikukawa, Sumida-ku, Tokyo 130-0024
Stranger official website（Timetable and other details can be found here)
Please follow the instagram account TABF CINEMA CLUB for the latest information on the Nordic Film Festival.
Instagram: @tabf_cinema
TOKYO BIKE
During the TABF, anyone can enjoy a free rental service (90 minutes) of tokyobike bicycles at the TOKYOBIKE TOKYO by presenting the MAP distributed at the entrance to the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, the venue of TABF.
<Rental venue>.
TOKYOBIKE TOKYO
3-7-2 Miyoshi, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-0022, Japan
<Hours>
November 23 (Thursday, holiday)10:00-18:00
November 24 (Fri.) 11:00-18:00
November 25 (Sat.) & 26 (Sun.)10:00-18:00
*Last admission by 17:00 on all days
*Identification is required.
*Those under the influence of alcohol are not allowed to rent.
*Number of bicycles available for rent is limited.
GUEST COUNTRY vol.7 NORDIC COUNTRIES
Since 2015 at TOKYO ART BOOK FAIR (TABF), we have been showcasing a regular program called “Guest Country” which sheds light on the publishing culture of one country or region. In the past, we have featured Switzerland, Brazil, Asia (China/Korea/Taiwan/Singapore), the United States, the Netherlands, and France.
For our 7th edition this year, we will be directing our attention to the five Nordic countries (Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Iceland). With a total of 18 publishers from the Nordic region, we delve into the Nordic art book scene through a series of programs including exhibitions, talk shows, and screenings.
Photo: Takashi Homma
Tove’s Perspective
Tove Jansson, also well known in Japan as the parent to Moomin, was born in 1914 in a family of liberal artists and was raised in an environment where creativity was always within reach. She herself began publishing at the age of 7 with the name “Tove Publishing” and went on to release numerous picture books and novels through other publishers later on.
At TABF, we have invited Keiko Morishita, translator and researcher of Tove Jansson based in Helsinki, Finland, to present Jansson as an “artist who makes books” by gathering all her illustrated books and materials. Within this selection, we will also be focusing on Jansson’s strong connection to Japan with the Japanese versions of her publications and other works.
In addition, there will be an exhibition of photographs by Takashi Homma who has captured the beautiful yet wild nature of the islets, including Klovharun with the summerhouse where Jansson and her partner, Tuulikki Pietilä, have spent over twenty summers, and the mushrooms that grow there. Morishita, who has been researching Jansson for years, describes Homma’s photographs as “a work that does not simply search for Tove Jansson, but a piece through which you can feel her perspective.” These images thus unveil the charm of the Nordics and their unique outlook on the world by tracing back Jansson’s thoughts and steps as we can grasp her presence with us.
Islands, Islets, and Their Mushrooms, a book which includes Homma’s photographs along with Morishita’s essays counting the episodes related to these islets, will also be released at the occasion of Tokyo Art Book Fair.
With Support From: KODANSHA LTD., CURATORS Inc.
＜Related Publication＞
Islands, Islets, and Their Mushrooms
Photographs: Takashi Homma Text: Keiko Morishita
Art Direction & Design: Asuka Wakida
Publisher: TOKYO ART BOOK FAIR
Deeply impressed by “Haru, the Island of the Solitary,” the documentary film about Tove Jansson and Tuulikki Pietilä’s days in Klovharun, Takashi Homma published his photobook A song for windows (LIBRARYMAN) in 2016 which collected pictures he had taken on the island.
Accompanied by Keiko Morishita who had also coordinated his trip then, Homma revisited the Finnish islands in September this year, to photograph the nature and mushrooms found there. Along with the new pictures Homma had captured, this book includes essays which outline Morishita’s own experience on the islands as well as the life of the islanders, full of playfulness and adventurous spirit.
Takashi Homma
Homma released Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji (MACK) and TOKYO OLYMPIA (Nieves) in 2023. His solo-exhibition “Revolution 9: Homma Takashi” will be open until Sunday January 21st 2024 at Tokyo Photographic Art Museum.
Keiko Morishita
Born in 1969, in Mie Prefecture. She moved to Finland in the fall of 1994 to research Moomin at the University of Helsinki. She has lived in Helsinki ever since and currently works as a coordinator and translator/interpreter. She also coordinated the photoshoot for the "Tove's Perspective" exhibition and was the associate producer of the film “Kamome Diner.” Her most known translations are the Little My picture book series, Tove Jansson Life, Art, Words: The Authorised Biography, Tove Jansson: The Illustrators.
Illustration: Hyuga Watanabe
Nordic Art Book Store
We have invited five key figures from the Nordic art book scene to curate contemporary art books and zines as well as important publications that have influenced each of their countries and to build a 4-day exclusive book store at TABF. From Norway, we have Elise By Olsen, director of the International Library of Fashion Research, which she founded herself, and from Sweden, the “Malmö Artist's Books Biennial” curatorial team, which organises art book biennials in the city of Malmö from 2018. The curators for Finland, Denmark and Iceland are Hikari Nishida, Johan Rosenmunthe and Sigurður Atli Sigurðsson, who are each actively involved in art book fairs and book-related events while running their own artistic practice based in their respective capitals. They invite us to encounter new talents and yet unknown means of expression, thus creating opportunities for us to engage in the past and present of the Nordic art book culture.
【Curators】
Norway
Elise By Olsen
Born in 1999. She founded a youth culture magazine Recens Paper at 13 and has stirred interest for having landed a place on the shelves of Tate Modern, Dover Street Market, 10 Corso Como, Palais de Tokyo, Colette and Tsutaya Books. She took part in the editing of this periodical until she resigned in 2017, at age 18. The same year, she debuted her next publishing venture Wallet, a fashion commentary publication creating critical conversations within the fashion industry. In 2020, she founded the International Library of Fashion Research of which she is currently the director.
Sweden
「MABB – Malmö Artist’s Books Biennial」
MABB is a Swedish platform for art works that are inspired by the structural and conceptual properties of the book form. The first biennial and series of seminars was held in Malmö, Sweden 2018, and was followed up in 2022 with about 30 exhibitors from the Nordic countries, Poland, UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Netherlands, Japan, Italy, USA and others. The next event will be held in May 2024.
Finland
Hikari Nishida
Artist, born and raised in France, currently based in Helsinki. Established in 2021, the project The Temporary Bookshelf focuses on the distribution of art books, zines and other printed materials by independent publishers & zines from Finland-based and international artists, and designers. Currently, The Temporary Bookshelf organises events around book publishing, and curates selections for cultural spaces and festivals in Finland.
Denmark
Johan Rosenmunthe
Born in 1982, currently lives and works in Copenhagen. Rosenmunthe is first and foremost an artist whose work spans from artists' books to sculptural installations and performances, but he is also the founder of the curatorial collective and publishing house ‘Lodret Vandret‘, exhibition space ‘New Shelter Plan‘ and art book festival ‘One Thousand Books’. In the capacity of directing those three initiatives, he has curated a long list of exhibitions, symposiums and publications, and has become a central figure in the Nordic world of artists’ books.
Iceland
SIgurður Atli Sigurðsson
A visual artist working in Reykjavík, Iceland. His work deals with the structural elements of society, often displayed in printed matter. In 2015, he established Print & Friends, a vehicle for production, publishing and teaching printmaking. His specialisation in the field has led him to curate exhibitions, teach and lecture internationally. Additionally, he runs the Reykjavík Art Book Fair as well as the Y gallery rebuilt from a 1970s gas station.
＜Related Event＞
TALK EVENT「Nordic Art Book Store Curators’ Talk」
Date: 25th November (Sat), 17:00-18:30 (Door opens at 16:45)
Place: Auditorium
A presentation and a panel discussion will be held by four curators expected to visit.
Illustration: Yoko Nakayama
-
Eva Lindström
Born in 1952, lives in Stockholm. She began her career as a comic artist and has been a great influence on the emerging generation of Swedish comic artists. She has also been internationally praised for her picture books and has previously received the Hans Christian Andersen Award, Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, and many more.
EXHIBITORS
Click here to see the list of approximately 300 publishers, galleries, and artists participating this year.
TOKYO ART BOOK FAIR
Website: https://tokyoartbookfair.com/
Instagram: @tokyoartbookfair
X: @tabf_info
Facebook: @tokyoartbookfair
