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Tropic Bound exhibitor-artist Emily Martin, ‘Out There In Here,’ 2012, released in an edition of 25. Image courtesy of Tropic Bound Book Fair

Tropic Bound artists’ book fair comes to Miami in Feb.

Sheila Gibson Stoodley
Sheila Gibson Stoodley
Tropic Bound exhibitor-artist Emily Martin, ‘Out There In Here,’ 2012, released in an edition of 25. Image courtesy of Tropic Bound Book Fair
Tropic Bound exhibitor-artist Emily Martin will show her 2012 work ‘Out There In Here,’ released in an edition of 25. Image courtesy of Tropic Bound Book Fair

MIAMI — Tropic Bound, South Florida’s first international biennial artists’ book fair, arrives in February in the Miami Design District. This event will showcase the unique artistic genre known as artists’ books. These complex creations bridge the worlds of art, craft and literature, telling stories — sometimes without words — and represent a broad variety of cultural traditions. Featuring more than 60 exhibitors from the United States, Mexico, South America, the Caribbean, Europe and Egypt, Tropic Bound will take place Feb. 16-19 at the rooftop garden at Paradise Plaza. The fair is free and open to the public.

As an artists’ book fair, Tropic Bound will highlight books and bookworks made or altered by hand and provide visitors with the opportunity to meet the artisans behind the incredible pieces. Visitors will discover the world of artists’ books with exhibitors and books from around the world while learning about book binding, paper-making and marbling, letterpress printing and other techniques particular to this art form. Visitors can view and purchase works of art, speak to book artists, printers and collectors, and attend talks and panels that dive deeper into the special form of expression that is artists’ books.

Tropic Bound exhibitor-artist Hanoi Perez will bring an ongoing work he started in 2018 with Yerandee G. Duran, titled Aqua Vitae and produced in an edition of three. Image courtesy of Tropic Bound Book Fair
Tropic Bound exhibitor-artist Hanoi Perez will bring an ongoing work he started in 2018 with Yerandee G. Duran, titled ‘Aqua Vitae’ and produced in an edition of three. Image courtesy of Tropic Bound Book Fair

Artist and publisher talks will take place during the fair in intimate breakout sessions that will further illuminate the nuances of the genre and bring together artists’ book creators, collectors and the public. Exhibitors from around the globe will be participating, with a spotlight on the works of South Florida, Caribbean, and Central American artists. Tropic Bound will celebrate both the time-honored book arts tradition of the countries represented as well as their spirit of innovation and unique perspectives. Programming schedule and updates will appear at tropicboundfair.org.

Tropic Bound exhibitor Lozenge Press will show Javier Barrera’s 2016 artist’s book ‘The Messengers,’ produced in an edition of five. Image courtesy of Tropic Bound Book Fair
Tropic Bound exhibitor Lozenge Press will show Javier Barrera’s 2016 artist’s book ‘The Messengers,’ produced in an edition of five. Image courtesy of Tropic Bound Book Fair

Tropic Bound will also highlight local treasures. South Florida is home to several world-class
collections and institutions dedicated to artists’ books — the University of Miami Special
Collections in Coral Gables, the Jaffe Center for Book Arts in Boca Raton, the Vasari Project
and permanent art collection at the Miami Dade Public Library System (containing many artists’ books from Miami and South Florida’s history) and the Girls’ Club Collection in Fort Lauderdale.

Tropic Bound exhibitor Central Booking will display Miriam Schaer’s ‘Hands of Josephus IV, a unique work from 2010. Image courtesy of Tropic Bound Book Fair
Tropic Bound exhibitor Central Booking will display Miriam Schaer’s ‘Hands of Josephus IV,’ a unique work from 2010. Image courtesy of Tropic Bound Book Fair

What are artists’ books?
An artists’ book is a work of art that uses the form and/or function of a book as inspiration. It is an art object, intentionally created or conceived by an artist, that can manifest in different ways. Artists’ books have been part of the human experience for centuries, and have taken various forms throughout our history.

Tropic Bound exhibitor Anomena Editores will bring Marianna Dellekamp’s 2019 artist’s book ‘CMYK,’ from an edition of 12. Image courtesy of Tropic Bound Book Fair
Tropic Bound exhibitor Anomena Editores will bring Marianna Dellekamp’s 2019 artist’s book ‘CMYK,’ from an edition of 12. Image courtesy of Tropic Bound Book Fair

“Studio visitors often ask what I will do as a book artist when books are no longer around,” said Tropic Bound cofounder Ingrid Schindall, “and I say, ‘what we are experiencing now is more of a rebirth than a death.’ With mass communication going more and more digital, physical books are free to be a more intentional method of conveying ideas. The tactility of the object becomes a part of the meaning, rather than just the default format. In this way, artists and those of us who continue to produce physical books get to determine the future of the medium and the ways in which books will continue to contribute to the evolution of communication.”

artists' books