A Review on Bongah Book Fair, 2021

Original text in Farsi by Darz

Translated to English by Sara Faezypour

By offering a space for dialogues, holding workshops, and displaying the works, Bon-gah Art Book fair 2021 provides an opportunity for publishers, artists, and art book enthusiasts to interact as well as promote the research and curatorial projects.   It is an annual event dealing with art books.

Initiated in 2018, the event's fourth edition was held on December 28 to 31, 2021 on the 8th floor of Ava Center, known as the Ava Platt. In this event, Bon-gah played host to publishers, galleries, research and curatorial projects, designers and distributors of artistic products, print and graphic studios, platforms, and independent artists, providing an opportunity to display art books, magazines, photo books, artist books (artists'  handmade books), films, handprints, artists'  limited editions and artistic products such as catalogs, notebooks, postcards, bookmarks, etc. Additionally, in this year's edition, a set of meetings directed by Golnoosh Heshmati in collaboration with Amin Bodaghi, Farhad Fozouni, and Leila Nazemian were held in person and they were also simultaneously accessible online via Zoom and live Instagram programs. On Tuesday, Maryam Kahvand and Zarvan Rouhbakhshan sat down for a conversation on "The Role of Art Media in the Dissemination of Visual Culture" and Reza Abedini gave a lecture on "Image, Word, Page – Book as an Artistic Object" in collaboration with Farhad Fozouni. Also, a conversation between Leila Abdelrazaq and Aya Krisht, co-founders of Maamoul Press (Detroit), a multi-disciplinary small press for the creation, curation, and publication of art, took place on that day.

The previous editions of the event were held at either the studio or the office of Bon-gah publications; however, with the audience growing in number, this year, a bigger location was required to house the event. In the 4th edition of Bon-gah Art Book Fair, more than 100 domestic participants got together at "Ava Platt", the 8th floor of "Ava Center" while foreign participants and visitors were able to view its different sections online. Moreover, studios, magazines, media, and platforms active in the field of fine arts, including "Darz", "Zamineh", "Payvast", "Gallery Info", and "Tehran Studio", were other supporters of the event.  

On the morning of the opening, the stands in the form of tables, tables and walls, common tables, and group tables were offered to the participants, where they displayed their works based on the space given. The art galleries are the most important participants of Bon-gah Art Book Fair. Ranging from the eminent and renowned to the lesser-known ones, the galleries present in the event showcased artist books, sketchbooks, previously featured artworks as well as the ones that were to be displayed in the future according to the specific approach and goal they hoped to reach in this art book fair.    

Many of the galleries sought to display artist books and sketchbooks that could be considered a stand-alone and independent work without needing to see a separate and final work by the artist as well as present the artist's working process and style. Some of these artist books could also be regarded as journals, where the artist, in a way, attempts to depict and represent their daily memories. The other galleries, as well, appropriately introduced the artist's working approach and the process of creating the artwork, from the conceptualization stage to the final conduct. Many of the ideas appearing in the artist books may not have had the chance to be finally arranged, but being merely collected and gathered in the form of a sketchbook or art book, narrates part of the individuality and working method of the artist; whether the idea is thereafter developed and prepared to be displayed in a gallery or other event in a finished form or even not built and arranged;  the outpouring of the artist is what counts.         

Being the result of their research works, some galleries introduced their published books on artists as well in the event. The galleries participating in the 4th edition of Bon-gah Art Book Fair from Tehran were Pejman Foundation, A Gallery, O Gallery, Artibition Gallery, Bashgah Gallery, Bavan Gallery, Sharif Gallery, Dastan's Basement, Vali Art Gallery, Inja Gallery, Asr Gallery, and   009821 Projects, and   Hengam Gallery had also participated from Mashhad.      

Furthermore, museums such as Parviz Tanavoli Museum and Sohrab Museum took part in this year's edition.

Studios and ateliers including Mess Atelier, Studio Twelve and Twelve, Famori Studio and Art Researcher, Studio Metaphor, Garage Studio, Tehhhran Objects, Kar.khune, B.BOROBARGARD, Studio Waheed, aartmaart, Artunity, aassttiinn, Studio Tehran, Chiiizmiiiz, etc. were engaged in introducing artists and their artworks as well as presenting cultural products and print and graphic works there.

Other attendees of the event were art publications and magazines, promoting their published books and magazines: Aban Books, AvamSara Publication, Tandis Books, Cheshmeh Publication, Sizdah Publication, Filmkhaneh Publication, Meshki Publication, Nazar Art Publication, Hanooz Publishing Company, TMoCA Publication, Sacred Defense and Revolution Photographers Association, Bon-gah, Ochermag, Herfeh Honarmand Publication, Nabshi Center, and   Filmkhaneh Magazine  which widely displayed their artistic activities, offering their books and magazines for sale.

Carrying out artist-centered and artist-directed projects independently, the curatorial projects were one of the most significant parts of the event. Vatttan Projects is one good example of conducting such activities. Last but not least, the independent artists who personally presented their artworks in solo or group stands to gain experience as well as introduce themselves should not be left out.