BERLIN.- Friends with Books: Art Book Fair Berlin, Europe’s leading art book fair committed to the distribution and promotion of artists’ books celebrates its sixth edition in the iconic Hamburger Bahnhof – Museum für Gegenwart – Berlin. From September 20–22, 2019, a diverse array of over 200 international artists and publisher exhibitors will present their publications, attesting to the resurgence of the discipline. Free to the public, the fair will additionally host lectures, book presentations, panel discussions, performances and art installations that explore the evolution and visibility of this experimental field of publishing in today’s digital climate.

The 2019 edition will feature a series of curated temporary Art Installations by artists including Tamami Iinuma (FR/JP), Kathrin Köster (DE), Marlena Kudlicka (PL) and Rudolf Samohejl (CZ). For the second presentation at Friends with Books, there is a newly commissioned Children’s Art Installation – this year by artist Egill Sæbjörnsson (IS), Iceland’s representative at the 57th Venice Biennale, with a children’s workshop and daily activities. Performances include the artist collective Black Palm (DE) and artists Mette Edvardson (NO), Jeroen Peeters (BE) and Lara Salmon (US).

The Public Programmes series features lectures, performances, conversations, and panel discussions presented in partnership with Argobooks: Birgit Rieger and Claudia Wahjudi; Artphilein Editions: Caio Reisewitz and Daniela Labra; Tamami Iinuma and Thibaut de Ruyter; Black Palm: Sonja Cvitkovic, Verena Dengler, Marine Drouan, Anke Dyes, and Megan Francis Sullivan; Verlag der Arthur Boskamp-Stiftung: Micha Bonk, Ulrike Boskamp, Joerg Franzbecker, Annette Hans, and Sebastian Stein; Marlena Kudlicka and Agnieszka Gratza; Drucken Heften Laden (DHL): Erik Göngrich; The Invisible Archive (in collaboration with Goodbye Books): Yon Natalie Mik, Lara Salmon, and Micaela Terk; Hatje Cantz: Nanne Meyer; Fiona Geuss; neue Gesellschaft für bildende Kunst (nGbk): Florian Wüst; Varamo Press: Mette Edvardsen and Jeroen Peeters; and others.

Established in 2014 by co-founders Vanessa Adler and Savannah Gorton, Friends With Books is a non-profit organisation dedicated to contemporary art publishing. The event draws over 12,000 visitors each year, representing a platform for exchange between art publishing professionals and the general public.