Singapore Art Book Fair 2018: The Hype In 5 Facts

The annual Singapore Art Book Fair is back this year, with its 5th edition. Supported by the NTU Centre for Contemporary Art Singapore, Hotel G Singapore, RJ Paper and Currency Design, the fair this year has gone through a revamp. Still specialising in contemporary art books and curated zines, the multi-day festival is open to the public.

Here’s a quick rundown on what’s new about this year’s edition:

Singapore Art Book Fair is now independently run
SGABF is fully independent for the first time in five years. No longer associated with or receiving financial aid from any bookstore, company, organisation, or institution, the festival has discovered a newfound freedom – be it design, branding and what the festival should be about. What does it take to be an Art Book Fair that should be on par with major names like New York Art Book Fair and Tokyo Art Book Fair? This year’s fair aims to prove that space limitations shouldn’t hinder the curatorial quality of the fair itself, and will keep growing in this direction for years to come.
New hashtag (#SGABF2018)
Since 2013, Singapore Art Book Fair has always been abbreviated as SABF, or #SABF. Now, it is known as SGABF to celebrate its independence and refreshed branding.
Addition of Zine Room & Library
Teaming up with Squelch Zines, SGABF will be presenting the Zine Room & Zine Library to provide a platform for local zine makers to exhibit and sell their works. The open call has been documented on Squelch Zine’s Instagram account (@squelchzines) for the past month or so. Fairgoers may browse through an archive of zines handmade by artists and creatives in Library, and make purchases from various zine exhibitors over at the Zine Room.
Categorisation of exhibitors
Instead of the previous year’s curation of exhibitors that may seem placed within the space at random, SGABF hopes to curate a more thematic experience for fairgoers. This is to provide a more conducive buying experience by placing magazine makers, publishers, art book makers and artists, without taking away the cohesive spirit of book makers altogether.
Critical Thinking
Are art fairs really only about “Insta-worthy” stuff and “aesthetically pleasing” works? SGABF looks to move away from this notion by taking it a step further – to provoke a sense of critical thinking and discourse. The challenge here is to maintain its relevance while strongly encouraging a growth and maturity in the consumer’s cultural palette. Look out for exhibitors such as DECK, Foreign Policy Design Group, Atelier HOKO, Bangkok Art Book Fair and more. Major publishers such as onestar press and e-flux journal will be part of the NTU CCA Singapore programming at SGABF as well.