The Life of Art Books: Circulation, Distribution, Exchange

Recto / Verso: Art Publishing in Practice, a month-long event series exploring the creative processes and ecosystems in the art publishing communities of New York, kicks off with  a panel discussion led by the Brooklyn Rail’s Art Books Editor, Megan N. Liberty, focusing on the circulation of art books and their unique ability to move between and function in various realms—such as exhibitions, commercial spaces, and scholarly research—and the opportunities this creates for artists and publishers. The panel will also explore the many modes of distribution of art books, from sharing and exchange, to sales, web publications and e-books. Participants will include: Nicole Kaack (Dedalus Fellow in The Museum of Modern Art Archives), Emmy Catedral (Coordinator of Fairs and Editions at Printed Matter), Sharon Helgason Gallagher (President and Publisher of ARTBOOK | D.A.P.), Lisa Pearson (Publisher at Siglio Press) About the series This August, Artbook @ MoMA PS1 Bookstore and Hauser & Wirth Publishers are delighted to co-present Recto / Verso: Art Publishing in Practice, a month-long event series exploring the creative processes and ecosystems in the art publishing communities of New York. Bringing together a range of voices and participants, Recto / Verso features local small presses and zine collectives, as well as digital, nonprofit, and institutional publishers. Each week of Recto / Verso will center on a pertinent topic within the field of art publishing, beginning with an in-depth look at how art books circulate in creative communities, then shifting focus to activism and zine publishing, artists’ books and artist-run presses, and concluding with digital, institutional, and non-profit publishing. Events will include panel discussions with notable publishers and artists as well as three hands-on workshops that will give participants the opportunity to learn a variety of bookmaking and binding techniques. The series will culminate in a publication produced by Hauser & Wirth Publishers that will act both as a record of the series — featuring contributions from each week’s presenters — as well as a reference guide mapping publishing resources in New York. The publication will be launched at the New York Art Book Fair in late September 2018.