The Singapore Art Book Fair Is Back

It’s that time of the year again where fans of all things analogue, cute culture, and design make a beeline for the art district in Tanjong Pagar. Yep we’re talking about the Singapore Art Book Fair (SGABF), now in its 11th edition.

It’s the biggest edition to date: from October 31 to November 2 (12pm - 8pm daily), more than 120 artists, designers, and zinemakers from across the globe will be setting up shop, with works spanning photobooks, independent zines, artists’ books, and plenty of print ephemera you’ll want to take home. Notable participants include Holycrap.sg, Atelier Hoko, Shrub, Grey Projects, Your Local Newsstand, Knuckles & Notch, and more. 

And for the first time, SGABF is also stretching across two venues at Tanjong Pagar Distripark — the New Art Museum Singapore and Whitestone Gallery — so expect more space to browse (and more excuses to linger).

The fun doesn’t stop at flipping pages. SGABF is taking a new turn this year, swapping its usual panels and dialogues for something more hands-on: workshops where you can try your hand at book-binding and printmaking. These sessions are all about getting visitors acquainted with the materiality of the art book - just remember to pre-register online (singaporeartbookfair.org), as workshop entry isn’t included in the main fair ticket ($6 for pre-tickets, $8 at the door). 

Another highlight: the Thing Books Residency Showcase. Over the past 14 weeks, three creatives from different disciplines (Nur Wahidah of Subsonic Eye, filmmaker Seth Cheong, and Yuen Chee Wai of The Observatory) have been developing their debut art books, guided by the residency’s focus on exploring how ideas translate into print. Their projects will be unveiled at the fair — a rare glimpse into the process of creating an art book from scratch.

In short: come for the books, and leave with a deeper sense of how art books come alive — maybe even having made one yourself — how fun is that? 

Get your tickets here