What is the AABF?
The ABBF is an artist-run organisation devoted to artist publishing. Our international art book fair happens once a year and hosts artists, publishers, zinesters and anything in-between from Greece and abroad.
What are we looking for?
We aim to prioritise practitioners devoted to publishing as medium. With this in mind we are looking for artists, designers, photographers, zinesters, publishers, bookshops, distributors, etc with an on-going publishing practice — this roughly translates to at least a handful of publications per exhibitor. Additionally, we want our final exhibitor list to reflect our geographic location, and are especially interested in publishing practices from the Balkan and Eastern Mediterranean regions, as well as artistic practices from the cultural peripheries.
How can I apply?
If you are a publishing practitioner (be that an artist, a zine, a publisher, a magazine, a distributor, a bookshop, a library, an archive, a gallery, an institution, etc) with an on-going practice you can apply for a table by filling out our application form. Please note that our 2023 submission process is now closed.
Can I apply with a single publication?
No and yes! You are not eligible for a table with a single publication but you can apply to be part of our Collective Table. (Please refer below for more info on the Collective Table)
Can I apply with a publication proposal?
No, we only accept projects that have already been materialised.
When will I know if I was accepted?
Exhibitors are notified a month after the Open Call closes.
Do I need to pay to participate?
Yes, the Athens Art Book Fair is artist-run and currently only funded by the contribution of our participants. We aspire to be as fair as possible and know first hand that a horizontal rate can exclude participants so we devised three different fee categories that will help us cover the costs of the event: 100€ for artists, zinesters and DIY projects, 150€ for publishers, small presses, magazines and bookshops and 500€ for large institutions. Note that the fee covers all three days of the event.
As an exhibitor do I need to be physically present during the fair?
Absolutely, all exhibitors with a table are required to be present during the fair and responsible for their table, publications, sales and receipts (if applicable).
How many exhibitors get accepted?
The Athens Art Book Fair is an inclusive curated event, due to space restrictions, places are limited and there is a selection process involved. The venue capacity for our 2023 edition is no more than 100 exhibitors.
How are exhibitors selected?
Applications are reviewed upon the end of our open call period by the whole team and exhibitors are selected collectively. The team consists of 5 Athens-based artists and culture workers that love printed media. You can see our names here.
What is the Collective Table?
The Collective Table presents a curated selection of publications and acts as a read-only, exhibition space. Unlike in previous years, these works will not be for sale in our 2023 edition. We are in the process of creating special modular units where these works can be exhibited in multiple locations in the venue, giving audiences the opportunity to explore them throught the event. This is a space especially focused in works by local artists.
Who is the Collective Table for?
Publishing practitioners at the very beginning of their practice, publications by projects that are no longer active, artists/projects that are not usually working with publications but have produced an artist book or publication, artists/projects that are not interested in participating with a table but want to present a work during the fair, artist that cannot participate in the fair due to date conflicts or geographical distance, etc.
How is the Collective Table run?
You need to fill in this application form. Participation in the Collective Table is free but keep in mind that if you post your publication from abroad we cannot post it back. We encourage participants in the Collective Table to leave their publication in our archive in order to be exhibited again in the future.
Athens Art Book Fair 