More than 110 publishing projects, a new generation of creators, and publications that push the boundaries between photography, literature, and visual arts headline the 17th edition of ArtsLibris, from October 30 to November 1 in Barcelona.
What makes a book a book? Is it the words, the images, the paper that holds them, or the way in which they relate to one another? In the field of artistic publishing, these questions are not merely theoretical: they constitute the starting point for works that invite us to look, to touch, and to read in a different way. A book can be a sequence of photographs, a sculptural piece, a visual investigation, or an object whose materiality forms an inseparable part of its meaning.
That space of exploration is what ArtsLibris proposes, the International Fair of Artist’s Books, Photobooks, and Self-Publishing, which will celebrate its 17th edition from October 30 to November 1 at the Convent dels Àngels of the MACBA, in Barcelona. Over three days, more than 110 national and international publishing projects will gather around an open conception of publication, understood not only as a vehicle for content but also as a form of contemporary creation.
“ArtsLibris allows us to glimpse other readings: visual, tactile, or multisensory, publications either unique or in multiple formats, bringing us closer to art and independent publishing,” explains Rocío Santa Cruz, the fair’s director. A definition that places emphasis on the experience: unlike reading solely as deciphering words, the artist’s book proposes a relationship in which design, imagery, materials, and the act of turning the pages all participate.
New Generations, New Forms of Publishing
One of the main novelties of this edition is the ArtsLibris First Imprint 2026 Award, conceived to accompany young creators as they transition from academic training to the professional sphere. The prize will support the development, editing, and publication of a project for an artist’s book or photobook, with the aim of turning a proposal born in an educational setting into a published work.
The first work to be recognized is ROCE: Intimacy as the structure of desire learned among women, by Nara Fusté, a project that arose from a final degree project at Elisava. The initiative counts on the collaboration of Galería RocioSantaCruz, I am Nuria and Fedrigoni.
The new prize joins a history of recognitions that includes the Eloi Gimeno Award, dedicated to the best photobook among participants, and the ArtsLibris Banc Sabadell Award, which distinguishes publications capable of establishing original relationships between ideas and visual content. The works selected for the latter go on to join the Banc Sabadell Art Collection.
The commitment to emerging creators sits alongside the presence of established publishing houses and initiatives. Among the participating projects are Actes Sud from France; Spector Books from Germany, and Turner, linked to Spain and Mexico. Catalan proposals such as Tinta Invisible edicions, Wunderkammer, and Ajoblanco will also be present. The diversity of origins and approaches makes the fair a meeting place for different ways of conceiving independent publishing.
Photographs that Are Also Books
The ArtsLibris program extends beyond the publishing stalls. The Speakers’ Corner will host more than 30 presentations of new works and projects linked to artists such as Jonathan Monk, Miguel Trillo, Mariaelena Roqué, and Mariona Moncunill. Cultural institutions like the Fundació Mies van der Rohe, the Museu Fenosa, and Casa Planas of Mallorca will also participate, sharing their catalogs and recent research projects.
Among the novelties stands out Photographs of the Night and Day, the latest installment of the AL Series, the artist’s book collection produced by ArtsLibris. The publication gathers in a single box photographs of different sizes and formats made by Toni Amengual, Nara Fusté, Ketevan Gvinepadze, and Julien Carreyn, who is also responsible for the project’s artistic direction. The edition has been developed in collaboration with the Parisian bookstore Delpire & Co and with the support of Fujifilm.
The proposal makes it possible to approach one of the most evocative possibilities of a photobook: organizing images without reducing them to a mere illustrative sequence. The selection, the format, and the relationship between the pieces construct a visual experience that can also be read. In this kind of publication, form is not a wrapper for content, but an essential part of what is being told.
Recovering the Time to Look
In a culture marked by the constant circulation of images and the speed at which we consume content, pausing before a physical publication can become a different mode of attention. It is not simply about opposing paper to the screen, but about recognizing that each medium proposes a distinct relationship with images, texts, and time.
ArtsLibris precisely asserts that plurality. Its books can be unique pieces or multiple editions, experimental projects, or publications accessible to readers approaching the world of artistic publishing for the first time. “Books aren’t scary; we page through them and we even fall asleep with them.” recalls Rocío Santa Cruz, who defends the accessible character of these publications and their capacity to bring art closer to diverse audiences.
This openness to new readers will also be reflected in the fair’s didactic dimension. As a novelty, the MACBA Documentation Center will join the program with workshops and activities related to contemporary creation and publishing.
The 17th edition of ArtsLibris ultimately invites a closer look at the book without assuming what it must be or how it should be read. Between photography, art, and editorial experimentation, the fair invites visitors to discover publications that broaden the possibilities of the book object and remind us that a story can also be told through texture, a sequence of images, a binding, or the space that exists between two pages.
Practical Information
- What: ArtsLibris, International Fair of Artist’s Books, the Photobook, and Self-Publishing.
- When: October 30 to November 1, 2026.
- Where: Convent dels Àngels of the MACBA, 7 dels Àngels Street, Barcelona.
- Hours: Friday, 12:00–20:30; Saturday, 11:00–20:00; Sunday, 11:00–18:00.
- Admission: free and open to the public.