Apples & Oranges Book Fair

Abstract

Apples & Oranges brings together artists engaging in experimental publishing and, through their work, probing the extremities of this term. Combining a curated fair section with a lively public programme of performances, interventions and talks, the event presents a variety of material, digital and performative approaches to artists’ publications. By reaching across disciplinary boundaries and engaging with practices, formats, and genres on the fringe —self-publishing, collective writing and reading, fan-fiction, zines, book-objects…—it creates a platform for debate on what publishing as an artistic practice may mean today.

The title, Apples & Oranges, alludes to Clive Phillpot’s notorious fruit salad diagram — comparative in nature and yet open to necessary nuance. In that diagram, apples and pears yield lemons, illustrating an impossible attempt at categorising the plethora of forms resulting from the marriage of ‘art’ and ‘books’.

One of the most interesting things about artists’ publications, and self-publishing in particular, is that it is often an engine for collaboration and leads to the development of intricate systems of networks and ‘scenes’. Apples & Oranges features a sample of these networks and, at the same time, encourages new connections to emerge.

Publishing means bringing something out to the world, sharing it with others – sometimes in direct proximity, but often at a distance. Publications travel through different, more or less visible and official distribution channels, passing from hand to hand, getting further and further away from their makers. Apples & Oranges presents an opportunity for an encounter between the publication makers, lovers, and public, for the flow of transactions and other non-monetary exchanges.

PARTICIPATING ARTISTS Ana Mendes ­— An Onghena — BALTA (Anne-Marie Durand) ­— Ben Leenen ­— Che Go Eun + Power Metal Protection (Yemo Park & Xavier Frederick) ­— CLAUS BOOKS (Ines Claus) ­— CLUBEFEMEER (Arnaud De Wolf & Maarten Vanermen) Dries Segers ­ ­— Ella De Burca ­— Emily Kelly — Gilles Hellemans­ — Infinitif (Tim Bruggeman & Jelle Martens) — Ignace Schretlen ­— Intermerz (Remco Roes & Koenraad Claes) ­— Josephine Kaeppelin — Karina Beumer —­ Katrin Kamrau — Level Five / Salon Sale — Lize Plomteux ­— Lucia Mrakovcic ­— Marieke Gelissen ­ —­ Maud Vande Veire ­— Nabil Aniss ­— Nina Glockner ­— Oliver Leu ­— Pierre Corric ­— Pink House Press (Ersi Varveri & Gijs Waterschoot) —­ PXL-MAD / READSEARCH (Ancy Camps, Celine Mannens, Fay Janssen, Carl Haase, Ann Bessemans, Janneke Janssen, Aline De Feyter, Laura Kreemers, Marta Guidotti, Céline van Bakel, María Pérez Mena, Walda Verbaenen, Kevin Bormans) —­ Reinier Vrancken —­ Rod Summers ­— Varamo Press —Wannes Missotten ­— William Ludwig Lutgens ­— Wool Collective (Eline De Clerq & Koyuki Kazahaya) ­

PUBLIC PROGRAMME ONGOING MARJOLEIN GULDENTOPS, The Bureau of Lost Causes, 2021, performance 13.00 ADRIJANA GVOZDENOVIC, On a Drift II, video presentation 13.30 MARTINE FOLKERSMA, Cameo Appearances, performance 14.00 SIWAR KRAYTEM & RASHA DAKKAK, Language Café: The Language of Oppression and Resistance, workshop I (reservation required) 15.00 NIELS POIZ, FEELINGS, Sentiments, Gevoelens, Gefühle, performance 16.00 ALEXIS GAUTIER, Moving with the shape of an eight, book presentation 16.30 JEROEN PEETERS, The elusive eloquence of dozing off, lecture-performance 17.00 SIWAR KRAYTEM & RASHA DAKKAK, Language Café: The Language of Oppression and Resistance, workshop II (reservation required)

MORE INFO All profit from the sale of the works remains with the artist. The fair section and public programme are curated by a group of professionals from the partner organisations. The selection took place directly and via the open call.