abC Returns to Beijing for Four Days of Art, Books and Art Books
Art books are back in the capital starting today (Jul 28) as the abC Art Book Fair lands not too far from Zhengyangmen for its 7th edition.
What are art books, you might ask? They’re essentially books that contain printed reproductions of art – detailing the works of well-known artists from Leonardo da Vinci to NC Wyeth. They can also go beyond this, to include books as art and even independently produced publications like zines.
This year, the fair will be taking place at the Quanyechang Art Center, just behind the Qianmen branch of PageOne bookstore, with three floors crammed full of local, national and international book sellers and creators, as well as media booths for the likes of Rolling Stone and Artforum China. The space, which features a massive skylight in an atrium, also plays a role in the design and theme of the fair – the nomadic journey of books.
Self-described mobile architectural practice studio Eki Ong, one of the chief designers involved with this year’s fair, has constructed a number of minimalist pavilions and show booths that can be assembled and disassembled with ease within the atrium – their way of digging into this nomad idea; life in the open and on the move.
There’s also a bit of abC themed merch on offer this year, chief among them being two “I Hate Book” frisbees and transparent coasters that, when put under a glass, make it seem as if you’ve just spilled your drink.
The 7th abC Art Book Fair Beijing takes place at Quyechang Cultural Arts Center (17 Langfang Toutiao, Xicheng district; 西城区廊坊头条17号from Thursday, Jul 28 to Sunday, Jul 31 (2pm-6pm on Thursday and 11am-6pm from Friday to Sunday). Tickets are RMB 80 each and can be purchased via the abC mini program by searching “abCartbookChina”.
READ: Everything You Need to Know About the Playful World of Eric Carle Exhibition
Images: Kate Bezzubets (via Unsplash), courtesy of abC Book Fair
