The art book, as a medium, is more than just visuals or text. While zines, komiks, and self-published works are the first to come to mind, the format of the art book is shaped by the sensibilities and concerns of where it is produced. From the 16th century “Boxer Codex” and “Flora de Filipinas” (1837) to published artist research like Electrolychee’s “Biyaheng Langit” (2016), and the variety of independent works showcased at Komiket, BLTX, and other platforms, the Philippines has a strong lineage of how art takes the form of a book, and how books are recognized as art in themselves. Further enriching this history are Philippine cities that produce works featuring different languages and perspectives. Across these locales, events play a vital role in capturing expressions as they evolve.
With the intention to share stories from Cebu to the world, the Cebu Art Book Fair is set to take place at the Jose Joya Gallery in Cebu City on Sept. 9 and 10. Visitors can look forward to local and international platforms showcasing, selling, and exhibiting art books, zines, and printed matter from local and foreign platforms. The fair’s programming also features talks and discussions revolving around the art book.
‘ ’27’: ‘image’: ‘jcr:5fe1691e-d430-4162-bcef-1ea3e8a90760’ ‘imageCaption’: ‘Event goers at the inaugural Cebu Art Book Fair last year.
We met with CABF’s co-founders Mark Deutsch and Marc Abuan at Journeys, a bookshop that houses illustrations, prints, small press books, and other printed matter by local and Philippine makers. The space holds intimate workshops and gatherings, and benefits from the foot traffic of folks visiting its neighbors Misfits Cafe and Uno Sintro Studios in the same compound. It’s also walking distance from House of Lechon and the Cebu IT Park, and a jeep ride away from the Fablab and Jose Joya Gallery at UP Cebu, the recently-closed artist cafe Turtle’s Nest, barbershop WW.WORKSHOP STUDIO, and the former locations of a beloved event hub Handuraw Pizza.
Of course, there are plenty of other cultural spaces worth noting. Cebuano artists of different generations would each have their own mental geography of where different practices are cultivated. Yet the proximity of these spaces, and the fascinatingly diverse communities that they attract, are different glimpses of the creative landscape of the city.
This is where the CABF situates itself amidst other recurring initiatives like the Visayan Art Fair, the Tubô Cebu Art Fair, and the Cebu Literary Festival, among others. On its second year, the Cebu Art Book Fair expands to include participation from across the Philippines and foreign countries like Korea and Taiwan.
CABF’s co-founders Marc Abuan and Mark Deustch are both Cebu-based graphic designers who began with the intention of creating a platform for people who like to tell stories through print, and encouraging original work.
“The market was driven by people selling postcards, illustrations, and posters, which is okay. But there were also a small number of people at the first book fair that did make zines and self-published books, and sold them at the fair,” said Deustch over a call. “[For] the second installment, we worked towards talking to the community and letting them know that our focus would be promoting publications. Zines, art books, and things like that. So far the response has been pretty exciting because people have been sending us screenshots or snippets of the work that they’ve been preparing for the CABF this September.”
“It’s driven by those kinds of instincts to have a book: ‘I have a book, there’s a place to show it now.'”
Fresh from representing the CABF at a gathering with other Art Book Fair directors at the ASEAN Culture House in South Korea, Abuan reflected on the conditions of art book production: “We kind of shared a lot of the same problems, especially starting out,” said Abuan. “We were surprised by how some of the fairs there like those in Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur were also young fairs. We have the same issues too, either there’s an oversupply of books being made but there are no outlets to sell, or there are a lot of people who want to make books. But they just find it hard to put together a book because there’s no place to show it. It’s driven by those kinds of instincts to have a book: ‘I have a book, there’s a place to show it now.’”
“They’re also very interested in the stuff we’re making in Cebu and the Philippines generally because flavor-wise, our topics are kind of different,” Abuan said about the reception of CABF’s printed matter at the ASEAN Culture House. “The ways of speaking are different in literary or publishing terms. They want to see more from the Philippines.”
CABF recently announced the recipients of their Micro Grant: “Signs of Life” by Liana Maris Sangalang, which draws narratives from old Boracay postcards; “Tapioca Terror” by Perry Dahlia, a whimsical collection of comic strips; and “Farewell to Kukuk’s” by Fidel Ricafranca, an ode to the iconic gig venue Turtle’s Nest, also known as Kukuk’s Nest, which was the homecourt of a lot of original music, graffiti, performance art, and visual art coming out of Cebu. These are the kind of themes that the CABF seeks to develop.
‘ ’29’: ‘contentWidth’: ‘100%’ ’embedCode’: ‘
“Now is an exciting time. It’s different,” says Deustch. “I feel like the creatives, designers, and artists making things in Cebu are taking risks and occupying spaces in a very literal sense.” He mentions different movements taking place in the city in addition to Journeys and Misfits Coffee, like the weekend street food market in Molave that’s run by artists.
Most of Deustch’s contemporaries working in design have moved to practice in other cities, but he remarks that younger generations of artists are choosing to stay in Cebu. “They’re doing it by working as a community, whether a small community or a big community,” he says. “They’re renting out spaces and starting small businesses. They’re helping each other. From that point of view, it’s very interesting na parang may ganoon na spirit in this current generation of Cebuano artists and designers.”
