Our annual LA Art Book Fair is both a celebration and a critical platform for artists' books and publishing activity from across the globe. We are grateful for the understanding of our participating artists and publishers, and want to acknowledge the time and effort they have dedicated to developing creative publishing projects for the Fair. We encourage everyone to continue to support their work. A full list of 2020 LA Art Book Fair exhibitors and links to their websites can be found here.

We extend our gratitude to our host MOCA for their support, and we also thank our Fair Partners and the many dedicated individuals and vendors who have worked tirelessly toward the production of the 2020 LA Art Book Fair.

The decision to cancel this year's edition of the Fair is an incredibly difficult one, but the health and wellness of our exhibitors and of the public is our main priority. We look forward to a spectacular return to Los Angeles in 2021.

Printed Matter’s LA Art Book Fair (LAABF) returns to The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA in 2020. This year’s Fair welcomes 363 exhibitors from 30 countries, featuring small press publishers, artists, collectives, institutions, galleries, antiquarian booksellers, and distributors. Over the course of the Fair weekend, the LAABF will bring together upward of 30,000 visitors from the broader LA community and beyond, providing a space for dialogue and exchange around all facets of arts publishing.

Now in its seventh iteration, the 2020 edition of the Fair will feature a weekend-long schedule of artist-led programs, including discussions, performances, workshops, book signings, and special projects, offering a dynamic view into contemporary and historical art publishing. With a commitment to diversity and representation, this non-profit event serves as a meeting place for the extended art book community.

Explore the full list of LAABF 2020 exhibitors

THE LA ART BOOK FAIR OPENING NIGHT Join us on Thursday, April 2 from 6–9 pm, at The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA for the official kick-off event of LAABF! Opening Night offers a first chance to explore LAABF 2020, and features live performances by SK Kakraba and Maral, with visuals by Annapurna Kumar, and a DJ set by mmarz, presented by dublab. Entry includes a limited edition stamp by artist Carolina Caycedo, newly created for the occasion (image below).

Opening Night tickets are $20 (free for Printed Matter Members). Tickets are available for purchase online until 12 pm PST, Thursday, April 2, 2020 and at the door while supplies last. Read more about the Ticket Edition and purchase here.

FEATURED PROGRAMSThe Classroom presents informal lectures, readings, screenings, and other activities by artists, writers, designers, and publishers. The program series highlights exciting new releases and fosters dialogue around important themes within contemporary art publishing and the broader community. LAABF 2020 participants include: Wassan Al-Khudhairi, The Black Aesthetic, Mariana Castillo Deball, Lucy Ives, Robert Kett, Jeanine Oleson, among many others. Organized by David Senior, Head of the Library and Archives, SFMOMA. The LAABF 2020 Classroom is generously supported by Cargo.

Exhibitor Projects are special publication-focused projects by select Fair exhibitors, hosted by Printed Matter. This year features six artist presentations by Three Star Books, immersive installations by Jonathan Lyndon Chase, Dirty Looks, and skateboard icon, Mark Gonzales, a historical survey of prints by Gagosian, as well as creative interventions by design programs, Southland Institute and Werkplaats Typografie.

The Shannon Michael Cane Award is granted to four first-time LAABF exhibitors (artists, artists' book publishers, or collectives) in the early stages of their careers. This year's winners are AVARIE, Farside Collective, Hyperlink Press, and RANDOM MAN EDITIONS. Shannon Michael Cane (1974–2017), was a pillar of the Printed Matter family and artists’ book community, serving as Curator of Fairs and Editions from 2013–2017. The SMC Award is made possible through the Shannon Michael Cane Fund.

Friendly Fire provides an important platform that brings together social justice organizations and politically-minded artist publishers. This year's participants include CASSANDRA Press, Distribution Assembly East, Justseeds Artists' Cooperative, Temporary Services / Half Letter Press, Women's Center for Creative Work, among others. Curated by Printed Matter’s Executive Director Max Schumann.

The LAABF 2020 Mural and Ticket Edition, by artist Carolina Caycedo, address the relationship between language, culture, and ecology. The mural in Room J reimagines the current global energy model and proposes strategies toward a just energy transition. The edition is a metal stamp that depicts the yellow-legged mountain frog (Rana Muscosa), an endangered species indigenous to Southern California.

Printed Matter, in partnership with Wide Rainbow, will create a dynamic space for children, teens, and families within the LA Art Book Fair. Dedicated to the youngest members of the artists’ book community, Wide Rainbow will host free arts programs including artists-led workshops, special book launches for public schools, community centers, and shelters from the surrounding Downtown Los Angeles community. Wide Rainbow is a 501c3 nonprofit contemporary art after school program.

The 2020 LA Contemporary Artists’ Books Conference (CABC), featuring a keynote address by Kameelah Janan Rasheed, explores the notion of books as objects of perceived finality in relation to ideas of incompleteness, revision, and reinterpretation over time. The address is followed by a conversation between Kimi Hanauer, Bomin Jeon, and Arianne Edmonds, who will collectively examine the intersection of archiving and publishing practices as they relate to themes of community.

The Plaza Stage will host over 20 performances. Showcasing emerging talent alongside legendary artists, the Stage program includes a variety of performers, from musicians and sound artists, to poets and performance artists. This year's programs are presented by dublab, Printed Matter, Inc. with Noah Klein, Junior High, and KChung Radio.