Melbourne Art Book Fair 2016

Featuring some of the world’s most creative emerging and established publishers, artists and writers, the 2016 Melbourne Art Book Fair will present a dynamic program of free talks, book launches and performances from April 29 to May 1 at the National Gallery of Victoria. Now in its second year and with over 160 participants, the Fair will host a rich and varied presentation of art books, independent zines, limited edition prints and more at the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV)—Australia’s oldest and most visited art gallery.   

On April 29, Melbourne Art Book Fair launches with an all-day International Symposium on the Future of Design for Publishing. Convened by RMIT Associate Professor Brad Haylock and presented in conjunction with the RMIT Design Futures Lab, speakers include Seoul-based Na Kim, one of Korea’s most exciting young graphic designers; London-based David Blamey, artist and publisher of the independent imprint Open Editions; James Langdon, UK-based independent graphic designer and director of the artist-run gallery Eastside Projects; and Freek Lomme, publisher of The Netherlands-based imprint Onomatopee. Na Kim and James Langdon will also present two masterclasses on design and publishing for visitors to the National Gallery of Victoria.

In 2016, the Melbourne Art Book Fair will host seminal contemporary art book publisher Sternberg Press, Berlin, making their Australian debut for the event. Max Bach, editor of Sternberg Press, will participate in a keynote “in conversation” event with Melbourne writer and academic Justin Clemens on Sunday, May 1.

Other highlight exhibitors include Italian publishing house and art gallery Corraini Edizioni; esteemed German art book publisher Hatje Cantz Verlag; art book publishers Open Editions; and London-based MACK, who are widely regarded as producing some of the world’s finest contemporary art books. Local Australian publishers including Negative Press, M.33 and Particle Books will also have a strong representation at the Fair.

Over 20 publications will be launched at Melbourne Art Book Fair including a co-publication by Melbourne based imprints Telephone Publishing and Surpllus who will reissue the seminal magazine Lockjaw (1983), a multi-layered part book, part magazine, which arose from Sydney’s early-1980s postmodern philosophy and art scenes. New Zealand-based publisher Ilam Press will launch Head Full of Snakes: Issue Four, a motorcycle magazine that also explores crossovers between motorcycling and art, design and music.

The National Gallery of Victoria will also launch its first release in a series of limited-edition artist editions, Some Posters from the NGV. This large-format, hand-numbered publication traces a selection of 90 posters from the Gallery’s extensive exhibition archive and presents an enjoyable celebration of Australian graphic design and the Australian modernism movement during the 1960s to 1980s. Edited by Megan Patty of the NGV and award-winning book designer Stuart Geddes, Some Posters from the NGV is both an art object and an exploration of the exhibition poster. Patty, Geddes and Langdon will speak in conversation about the project on Saturday, April 30. Visitors also have access to the NGV’s Shaw Research Library to view a selection of exhibition posters from the Gallery’s archive at twice-daily events on April 30 and May 1.

Melbourne Art Book Fair will include a new installation from Bangkok-based artist Wit Pimkanchanapong who has designed a translucent canopy comprising thousands of geometric polymer folds that will be suspended beneath the NGV’s iconic stained glass ceiling.

Architecture will be a continued focus in a unique forum presented by design studio SIBLING where 20 architects involved in activism, academia and practice will have 20 seconds each to respond to the question, “What matters?”

A ticketed preview event the evening of April 29 will offer a first-look at new limited-edition publications and DJ sets by Melbourne producer András.

To view the full 2016 Melbourne Art Book Fair program, visit ngvartbookfair.com.

With generous support of The Trust Company Australia Foundation, managed by Perpetual, the Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund and NGV Friends of the Gallery Library with assistance provided by the Melbourne UNESCO City of Literature Office.