Announcement // Art Books and Books That Are Art: Art Book Fair Berlin

Article by Alena Sokhan // Dec. 14, 2014

People in Berlin looking for a great read, preparing for Christmas, or simply looking for a pleasant way to spend the afternoon should consider stopping by Friends with Books: Art Book Fair Berlin, which is happening this weekend, Dec. 13-14, 2014, at Café Moskau on Karl Marx Allee. The historic East German building is packed with tables lined with every imaginable artistic and intellectual book – ranging from small press publications, artists books, journals and more creative formats – with a focus this year on alternative art publishing. In addition to the fair is a series of talks, readings, book signings, book launches and more, a schedule of which can be found on the Friends With Books website.

Friends with Books: Art Book Fair Berlin (2014), photo courtesy of the Art Book Fair

Participating in the Friends with Books Art Book Fair is over one hundred international participants, ranging from established experimental publishers from the 60’s and new art book activists, who explore the possibilities of printed books and the way that they are experienced in contemporary culture. The Book Fair questions the conventional distinctions between art, book, and critique in art culture, with publications that blur the boundaries between art objects and art books, catalogs, or theoretical readers.

Friends with Books: Art Book Fair Berlin (2014), photo courtesy of the Art Book Fair

The Book Fair has a great atmosphere, the result of the Café Moskau’s striking architecture, the vast amount of words and phrases that catch your attention, and the crowds of people that pack the space – milling about outside, talking, wandering through the narrow spaces between tables, browsing books, making purchases and attending the events.

The fair is open from 11 am until 7 pm, entrance is free.

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