If you were anywhere near New York this weekend and you didn’t stop by MoMA PS1, you might have missed one of the greatest publishing events of the year. Yes, it is the fabulous New York Art Book Fair we are talking about and, yes, beyond the trendy people, beyond the myriad of not-so-great publications and a few dozens of only so-so books, we still do love it.
Organized by Printed Matter, an institution that does not need a special introduction, the NY Art Book Fair was presented for the eighth year in a row. This year, the event featured a series of particularly delightful presentations and a beautiful exhibition of an Italian design master, Bruno Munari, who was at the centre of this year’s edition with a series of classic books he has made throughout his extraordinary career. Brought to New York in collaboration with Corraini, the publishing house which edited most of his books, this show was a comprehensive survey of his influential career, including a collection of rare and out-of-print artist and design books by Munari.
Other featured events of this year’s edition were a small exhibition of drawings, diagrams and notes made by Hans Ulrich Obrist brought together by Badlands, Paperwork, an exhibition of artists’ scrapbooks featuring works by Brigid Berlin, Jimmy de Sana, John Evans, Hans-Peter Feldmann, Al Hansen, Richard Hawkins, Geoffrey Hendricks, Ray Johnson, Leigh Ledare, Gerhard Richter and Jean-Michel Wicker, a presentation of Ray Johnson’s “Book of Death” and a satellite exhibition, hosted by See.Me, containing more than 200 posters spanning 40 years, including work by Ed Ruscha, Kathryn Andrews, Peter Coffin, Eve Fowler and Allen Ruppersberg.
If you weren’t anywhere near New York this weekend, but are still desperate to see such an amazing group of young creatives, artists, illustrators, designers and photographers all in one place, you may find them in a few months (precisely January 31st) in Los Angeles, since Printed Matter is currently working on the second edition of this amazing event in the sunny land of California.
