8 Homegrown Exhibitors To Check Out At The Singapore Art Book Fair 2018

Print lovers, rejoice! The Singapore Art Book Fair is back this weekend from Friday, 29 June, to Sunday, 1 July, 12-8pm, at the NTU Centre for Contemporary Art Singapore (Block 43 Malan Road, Gillman Barracks). With 64 exhibitors from around the world, and a programme centred around the theme, "Publishing as Discourse" (the line-up includes panels, presentations and workshops), there'll be something for magazine lovers, zine fans, collectors, art book enthusiasts, and everyone in between. In the spirit of #supportinglocal, here are some of the highlights you can expect from exhibitors representing at SGABF:

1. Subject Matters from Squelch Zines

Last year, the good folks at Squelch Zines conducted a zine jam for fair attendees to DIY their own zines. This time around, they have set up a Zine Room and Library, as well as worked with none other than SBTG on a four-piece collaboration. "Subject Matters takes a nostalgic look at the school-hood years of losing ourselves in our textbooks and doodling to stay awake." Featuring distorted textbook visuals of Biology, Math, Mandarin and Physics, every purchase of a t-shirt comes with a limited-edition zine. We're pretty sure everyone who grew up in Singapore will be able to relate to this.

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2. Film is Not Dead from Holycrap

From the family collective known as Holycrap (makers of Rubbish Famzine), comes a special Kodak Ultramax photo booklet with a run of 300, with what we can only assume will be arty shots of Pann, Claire, Renn and Aira. As is Holycrap custom, the packaging is all part of the charm—this time, the booklets come packaged in a custom film box.

3. Science of the Secondary: Plate from Atelier Hoko

Creative studio Atelier HOKO's research programme, Science of the Secondary, has resulted in a series of publications, each dwelling on one item. From apple to cup to pipe, in Alvin Ho and Clara Koh's eyes, things that are typically considered ubiquitous and almost mundane, take on a new air of meaning and whimsy. Their latest issue, Plate, promises more of the same.

4. Critical Mass from Foreign Policy Design Group

From the people who brought us Brand Guide (a compilation of progressive local brands and creatives) comes the second issue of Critical Mass. Issue 18/01 looks at space as a service—in particular, the recent rise of co-living as a global trend.

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5. WERK magazine at Basheer Graphic 

All those who missed out on rare copies of past WERK Magazine issues, this is your chance to get your hands on them. Brought to you by Theseus Chan, often called the godfather of Singapore graphic design, each issue spotlights a particular theme, and is presented in ways that truly highlight the beauty of print and design. Case in point: You will also be able to place a pre-order for issue No.26: BÉTON BRUT, which is "printed with insanely dense ink, [bound on] both sides, making it impossible to read the 640 pages."

6. Symbols of Singapore: 1956-2003 and This is Not a Food Magazine at Temporary Press 

What could be more Singaporean than iconic, instantly recognisable (and some less so) logos and mascots from across the years? A mini collection of essays on Singapore and food, that's what. The former is by Justin Zhuang, who writes about the topics of design, cities, culture, history and media, and has curated a selection from the Singapore Graphic Archives. The latter, This is Not a Food Magazine, is by Sheree Ng, who writes about food, with a focus on the relationship between food, immigration and identity.

7. SAND and STAPLE magazines

Local independent publications SAND and STAPLE will be joining forces at SGABF, bringing us "observations and social-politically charged perspectives of artists around the world." Be sure to support them by picking up issues 1 and 2 of both titles, and some merch while you're at it. This will also be the last event for STAPLE before they go on a hiatus, so swing by and check them out IRL one last time.

8. The Design Society Paper no. 2 from The Design Society

The Design Society Paper no. 0 spotlighted Theseus Chan of Work (and WERK magazine), while Paper no. 1 was all about the Business of Design. No word on what no. 2 is about yet, so that just means you will need to pop by the booth to find out.

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