HABF is a gathering for art publishers and art book enthusiasts. There is a significant art book history in Halifax that has largely gone unnoticed - HABF wants to bring Atlantic art books out in the open and foster a space for new friendships, connections and ideas.
The fair is book focused. Our mandate prioritizes artists' books, catalogues, monographs, periodicals, zines, or related printed material. Visitors can also expect programming about the art book and its surrounding concepts.
The co-directors of the fair are Andrew & Marite Kuus-Hill, who can be contacted through email and Instagram. The board of the HABF is composed of Alek Green, Alex Turgeon, Bryne McLaughlin, Craig Leonard, and Rebecca Young.
The fair takes place in Mi'kma'ki, on the unceded and stolen territory of the Mi'kmaq people. We are grateful to live, work, learn and play on these lands.
The fair will always be free to attend.
Friday, September 11th
12:00 – 1:00PM
Why do we need art book fairs?
A space for publishers and artists to gather to share resources, grievances, successes and dreams. What is the future of art publishing? What can be better? How can we make it better? What do we need and how do we get it? An excerpt of an article titled "Why do we need art book fairs? A look to art publishing in Canada and beyond" will distributed for free as a resource. The full article will be published in the upcoming issue of PUBLIC journal.
1:00PM – 3:00PM
Only Human and HQI
(Ian Kennedy and Haron Barashed)
Broadcasting live from the fair on CKDU (88.1FM). Tune in for a collage of music, field recordings, found footage and impressions from Halifax`s premier Art Book Fair. Drop by for a little chat – you might make it onto the airwaves!
3:00 – 4:00PM
Fiction as Art Writing
A reading/writing session featuring Cesar Aira, facilitated by Sylvie Fortin and Karin Cope
No registration required. Drop in session. Presented in collaboration with MSVU Art Gallery.
Satellite programming:
Opening of Celina Eceiza solo exhibition "A material called Earth, Volume 2: I will remember this body", curated by Sylvie Fortin on September 12th, with a reception from 1:00-3:00PM at MSVU Art Gallery.
4:00 – 5:00PM
Hearsay Heresy
A presentation from Seppe-Hazel Laeremans on the history of print, witch hunts, and Small Press as counter-practice.
Satellite programming:
(EXPLICIT CONTENT WARNING)
Screening of Peaches, Plums and Pears (Tallinn, 2026, 12’08’’) A short film and visual essay collecting personal encounters from a queered beach. By Jordan Weaver and Seppe-Hazel Laeremans.
Saturday, September 12th
12:00 – 1:00PM
Exhibition Tour, DISCARDs
DISCARDs is a selection of artist books which propose the bookwork as an informal object of honest engagement rather than an authoritative object of category. As a fulfillment of this credo, the books are free for participants to take home with them; the exhibition as a gift.
2:00 – 3:00PM
30 Years of Conundrum Press: A Panel Discussion
Conundrum Press was founded in 1996, amid the political turmoil and cultural vibrancy of post-referendum Montreal. They published an eclectic array of work including art books, zines, comics, and novels. Thirty years later they are based in Wolfville, Nova Scotia and focus on literary graphic novels. Join founder and publisher Andy Brown as he describes the process of creating a publishing house from the ground up and sustaining an alternative publishing practice over the decades. Featuring contributors to 30x30: Thirty Years of Conundrum Press, including Elly Hannon and Veronica Post, as well as the launch of Borderline, the debut book from Indigenous artist Zeta Paul. Other Conundrumites will also be present to take your questions. Come one, come all!
3:30 – 4:30PM
A Newsletter, a Rumor, and a Complicit Audience
What do we gain from sharing resources with our communities? Focusing on the Pseudo Press newsletter, a monthly print & digital zine about books & bookmaking, publisher Lauria Joan will discuss the bounty of cultivating a knowledgeable audience, literate in the labor of art, and its karmic rewards: more good books.
5:00 – 6:00PM
Portrait series
Brielle LeBlanc and Alek Green will lead a talk on their ongoing project, “Portrait Series," a site-specific filmmaking practice that examines the ecological and socioeconomic impacts of unique tourism industries. They critically engage with their own responsibilities as guests on the land they visit, connecting with locals to investigate topics of appreciation, ownership, and adaption