Competition is a patriarchal structure that privileges conquest. The most pivotal thing for me as an artist was to be able to say “no” to those structures in order to say “yes” to the structures I want to create. That’s why it’s so scary. — Ocean Vuong

The Future of Art Book Festivals — formerly known as Fairs is a short critical text by the authors experiences as visitor, participant but also former long-time organizer of Europes biggest art book fair. It challenges the structures inherent in the art book fairs, proposing a shift from fairs to Festivals, emphasizing community-building, exchange of ideas, and inclusivity. By reimagining these events as sites of resistance and collaboration, we can dismantle outdated power structures and pave the way for a more equitable future in the independent and self-publishing scene. -Publisher