ART BOOKS AND ARTIST BOOKS

• What makes the art book distinctive is that it not only highlights the talent of artists, artistic movements, specific cultures, photographers, architects, designers, and others — but also that of the maker: the creativity and craftsmanship of the entire book production chain, from graphic design to printing. It also gives significant space to reflective and literary texts that contribute meaningfully to the cultural discourse of our time. The art book strives for excellence, while encouraging creativity and dialogue.

• In a more artisanal spirit, the artist book emerges from the encounter between an artist’s original thinking and their imagination in terms of form, presentation, printing or reproduction techniques, paper, and materials. This creative thinking is rooted in a local context and culture; its materialization is shaped by available resources and regional practices. As a result, artist books take on different forms across cultures. They are often published in small print runs — or even as unique pieces — and are typically found in private collections, among bibliophiles, or preserved in the rare collections of museums and libraries.

• ABoT seeks to share both art books and artist books that reflect cultural diversity with as many people as possible, by sending them around the world — creating opportunities for people to handle these objects, discover their unique qualities, and fully appreciate them.