What is an Art Book?

Conceived initially as part of the London collaborative event Artists Books Weekend by Mews Project Space, What is an Art Book? investigates the politics of artists’ books, their modes of production and their recent resurgence in the art world.

For the third volume, The Modern Language Experiment collaborated with two New York spaces: Garis & Hahn and Young & Starving.

An art book today can occupy many positions: a piece of theory, a catalogue, a printed exhibition, an artwork in itself or a supplement to a pre-existing work. It can propose a future, examine the present or consider what has passed. What is an Art Book? investigates the form’s material, conceptual, industrial and political concerns.

More than fifty artists, writers, curators and other practitioners were invited to respond to the project’s title with their interpretation of what an art book means to them and their practice. Contributors could propose text, drawings, photographs, sculpture, performance, audio, video or another concept, provided it could ultimately be realised in black and white on A4 paper.

The contributors produced their works over three days at Garis & Hahn, which served as both exhibition space and production house for the publication. The finished book was then made available in New York City and London.

Participants included Kumasi Barnett, William Buchina, Sharon Butler, Kyle Chayka, Felix R. Cid, Sarah Faux, Amy Fung, Gwen Hardie, Tyler Healy, Stacey Ho, Colin Kilian, Chris Labzda, Tiziana La Melia, Kristina Lee, Julien Levy, Cynthia Lin, Kirsten McCrea & JP King, Keh Hui Ng & Tina Hage, Adam Payne, Jacquelyn Ross, Diana Schmertz, Samuel Stabler, Jomar Statkun, Matthew Stock, Zefrey Throwell and Emma Wasielke.