Contextualizing the Cebu Art Book Fair in the Era of Globalization

This article was originally published in the Cebu Almanac 2019–2023: Pandemic Crisis and Recovery, launched by the University of San Carlos Publishing House on April 29, 2024.


An Apparent Scarcity 

A little over a month after Supertyphoon Odette cleaved through the Visayas and parts of Mindanao, Cebu-born poet Lawrence Ypil posted on his Facebook timeline a link to an online literary folio that received a respectable amount of attention. Titled Odette in the Dark, the folio was envisioned as a “space” where Cebuanos could share their experiences of that night of the storm, and the long days, weeks, and months that followed. In his January 21 post, Ypil (2022) wrote, “We wanted to know how people fared in the storm’s aftermath. What they did in the dark in the light of candles. How many hours it took to get fuel, how many days it took before they drank iced water.”

 

Odette in the Dark was an admirable endeavor because its namesake storm was a collective experience that only someone from Cebu, along with other affected provinces, could give as detailed and impactful a narrative as possible—not unlike how only someone in Tacloban at the time Yolanda made landfall in 2013 could talk about the devastation there. Odette, in other words, was an event no Hollywood film, no K-drama, no Japanese anime (the modes of storytelling Cebuanos tend to enjoy) could ever hope to recapture. Odette in the Dark was, in essence, a storytelling platform for Cebuanos, by Cebuanos.

 

Although Cebu City, and the province by extension, prides itself on being the most urbanized area of the Philippines outside of Metro Manila, opportunities and spaces for narrating, publishing, and distributing distinctly Cebuano narratives are noticeably trim compared to what the nation’s capital has to offer. Given the overall cultural diversity of our country, and the fact that other provinces have successfully branded themselves as places where publishing and reading are alive (such as Iloilo and Davao, which have hosted nationally oriented book fairs), this is a surprisingly unfortunate state of affairs.

 

Such a scarcity in the Cebuano landscape is far from attributable to a lack of artistic talent. As recently as 2019, Cebu City was recognized by UNESCO as a creative city (one of only three Philippine cities to hold such a distinction) under its design category, owing to its reputation as a “hub of trade, culture and innovation.” Over the past few decades, Cebu has cultivated a reputation as a go-to place for outsourced needs relating to multimedia and information technology. Additionally, collaborations between local creatives and entrepreneurs, through initiatives like Cebu Design Week and Cebu Arts Week, provide avenues for “cross-sectoral collaborations and multi-disciplinary approaches to achieving unique and effective results” (UNESCO, 2019).

 

Perhaps no other initiative, though, has devoted itself more to the idea of “telling stories” than the Cebu Art Book Fair (CABF). After first being held at the Crossroads Mall in Banilad, Cebu City, in July 2022 (with over 2,500 fairgoers in attendance), CABF enjoyed a second run in September of 2023, this time at the Jose Joya Gallery at the University of the Philippines-Cebu (Bautista, 2023). The involvement of local talent in the planning, organizing, and promotion of the event spoke of just how genuinely community-driven it is compared to most other fairs geared toward the creative sector.

 

Figure 1. Zines, postcards, and artworks on display at CABF 2022 (photo by Denise Corina Sanchez)


The Art Book Fair: Historical and Cultural Antecedents

 

A quick dive into the history of the “art book” form will ultimately yield a singular name: Printed Matter. First established in 1976 by artists based in Tribeca, New York, the nonprofit organization dedicated itself to the “dissemination, understanding, and appreciation of artists’ books and publications” (Printed Matter, n.d.). One notable way it did and continues to do this is through the New York Art Book Fair, the world’s leading artists’ book fair that draws more than 35,000 attendees each year. Why exactly would artists (by this we mean of the visual sort) prefer publishing their work in book form rather than, say, displaying at a gallery where more lucrative offers can be made? Apart from the wider reach that printing affords, the decades of the latter half of the twentieth century witnessed the art world become more “commodified”—in other words, more expensive and more difficult for artists to enter (as well as innovate) without taking into account market concerns. If one wanted to make it into the art scene—or any other creative industry—one had to adhere to certain norms and expectations in relation to the type of art one could create, the audiences it would appeal to, and the state or corporate institutions that could possibly support it. It didn’t help that this period also saw the prevalence of economic and political thought that espoused austerity, the privatization of public services, and the loosening of trade restrictions—all of which further enabled the encroachment of multinational entities into local cultural spaces.

 

Because of this history, contemporary art is largely characterized by a division of the “establishment” (broadly speaking, works that are produced by institutions and individuals with much influence and cultural capital) and “anti-establishment” (works that are excluded from or deliberately avoid what society considers “mainstream” or “commercial” at a given time). A book fair such as the annual one at Frankfurt, for example, would be considered by many creatives as an “establishment” event because it involves the participation of big publishing names that observe the formalities associated with their industry (including sales and marketing rights, which may not necessarily have the writer’s best interests in mind). An art book fair, on the other hand, will likely eschew with such conventions, while simultaneously allowing the space for artists of different backgrounds and media to collaborate, commingle, and ultimately “[find] alternative routes to creating and distributing art on their own terms” (Bouillis qtd. in Represent, 2019).

 

In the Philippines, one notable event that expressly sets itself apart from the mainstream is Better Living through Xeroxography (BLTX). Founded on the “philosophy of potluck—specifically, its manifestations as the traditional Filipino economic practice of ambagan” (Titi, 2015), BLTX touts itself as a more sustainable and inclusive alternative to the country’s established publishing industry, which, those outside the mainstream allege, permits only a select few voices, thereby heavily regulating which ideas can proliferate societal discourse (hence the term “gatekeeping” being thrown around a lot in anti-establishment circles). The model seems to be working: BLTX is still growing strong more than a decade since it was first proposed in a manifesto printed in a 2009 issue of the Philippine Free Press.

 

Figure 2. The crowd at CABF 2022, held at the Crossroads Mall in Banilad, Cebu City (photo courtesy of Erik Tuban)



Specifics of the Cebu Art Book Fair

 

While it may not be as explicit as BLTX in its resistance of the mainstream and commercial, CABF still draws heavily from the community-driven, DIY tradition of providing lesser-known artists the platform to have their work reach a wider audience, and shedding light on stories and perspectives that would have otherwise been drowned out by more dominant, more marketable modes of storytelling.

 

So how exactly does CABF do this?

 

As someone who has always liked “being part of things that allow people to tell stories,” co-founder Mark Deutsch (who was, incidentally, also involved in the creation of Odette in the Dark) looks at CABF as an initiative with two important aspects. The first “layer” is its grassroots quality. By encouraging practically anyone with an interest in storytelling to create some kind of narrative medium, CABF removes many of the obstacles that are part and parcel of “more formal” modes of publishing. Deutsch, in a personal communication (September 7, 2023), cited one exhibited zine that detailed a person’s experience living with a stutter. The material was deeply personal—but it likely would have had to deal with multiple hurdles before seeing print under a more commercially concerned publishing house.

 

The second aspect is the frequently overlooked notion of a book serving as some sort of “artifact”—that is, according to Merriam-Webster, “an object remaining from a particular period” (n.d.). One highlight of the 2023 CABF, for instance, was the zine All Flew Over: A Tribute Zine to Kukuk’s, which derives its name from the storied hangout in Lahug that recently shuttered (and is a riff on the 1962 Ken Kesey novel One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest). The zine collected pictures and write-ups by artists paying homage to “the last standing bastion of rock n roll on this side of Gorordo” (Cebu Art Book Fair, 2023). All Flew Over thus preserves for posterity memories of a place that no one can physically return to, of a time no one can relive. Future generations, as well as individuals who have never been there, however, can still get a sense of what the location was like thanks to this zine.

 

Marc Abuan, book designer and Deutsch’s CABF co-founder, states that the fair format not only allows for the exhibition of more texts about life in Cebu, but it also encourages dialogue between readers and creators, which could potentially lead to collaborations that result in collectively produced narratives—consequently subverting prevailing assumptions about the individual writer being the sole author of a work. The zine titled Circling Fuente, for example, which was produced by a group of designers, “[centers] on the terrain and urban texture of Fuente Osmeña circle.” As years pass, Circling Fuente will not only go on to become a snapshot of the “fleeting moment in time that was 2023,” but it will also serve as a testament of what creative minds can come up with when working together (Abuan, personal communication, September 28, 2023).

 

This empowering of creatives and concern for the community is attested to by both event collaborators and exhibitors. Ivy Marie Apa, a faculty member of UP Cebu, where the 2023 CABF was held, has described the fair as an opportunity to “[democratize] the local artworld by allowing emerging talents to break free from traditional gallery structures and exhibit their work directly to the public.” In this way, CABF gives artists a greater sense of agency over their work at the individual level, while communally allowing for a more “inclusive and accessible [Cebu] art scene” (personal communication, September 12, 2023). PAWN Press founder, Erik Tuban, one of the exhibitors at both iterations of the fair, lauds CABF’s “honest system” in which artists “exchange ideas, trade banter with, and soak into the overall air of camaraderie” (personal communication, January 19, 2024). He especially appreciates how CABF asks only for a small percentage of sales, unlike most other fairs that charge exorbitant table fees for exhibitors. CABF is clearly proof that when commercial interests are set aside for the well-being of the community, reception among all parties concerned will prove positive.


Figure 3. Exhibitors displaying their works at CABF 2023, held at the Jose Joya Gallery in UP-Cebu (photo courtesy of Erik Tuban)


Hopes and Challenges


CABF may not be as expressly countercultural as BLTX or all the other art book fairs from which it draws its lineage—but from an outsider’s viewpoint, one can see that it makes an effort to raise questions about what it means “to make art and be an artist” in the age of neoliberalism (Sherlock, 2013). The community-run aspect is praiseworthy enough—and quite the feat, considering how many cultural events in Cebu typically rely on the sponsorship of big-name donors or the goodwill of state-backed institutions. Hopefully, this ethos prevails for as long as CABF exists.

 

Its focus on storytelling, however, is, in this writer’s opinion, of paramount importance.

 

Earlier in this piece, I mentioned how Cebuanos (yours truly included) exhibit a preference for stories from other cultures and languages—narratives that are more readily accessible because the market has deemed them worthy of distribution on account of their popularity (which, under a corporatized scheme, translates into profitability). In the twenty-first century, there are few, if any, Cebuano narratives outside of urban legends and social media content that cut across classes and successfully penetrate the public consciousness. This, I would argue, has resulted in a lack of rootedness and a disorientation among Cebuanos in this “era of corporate-driven globalization” (Bello, 2009). It has thus become easy for many of us to buy into the rhetoric and perspectives offered by other cultures—or worse, feel an envy due to what we perceive are deficiencies on our end.

 

CABF plays a crucial role in disseminating stories that are extremely relatable—culturally, geographically, temporally, and even personally—and will thus help us make better sense of these turbulent times. Cebuanos who have always wanted to tell distinctly Cebuano stories can rest easy knowing there is an avenue for them to impart what they know onto the society they proudly consider themselves a part of. As to whether or not there will be an audience is ultimately up to us—that wider segment of Cebuanos that enjoys stories in whatever form and derives insights from them. It is my sincerest hope that this curiosity for stories told from our own milieu only grows and results in greater turnouts at future editions of CABF.

 

 

References

 

Bautista, G. (2023, September 5). Everything you need to know about the Cebu Art Book Fair 2023. SPOT.PH. https://www.spot.ph/arts-culture/the-latest-arts-culture/106207/cebu-art-book-fair-2023-date-location-a3335-20230905-lfrm

 

Bello, W. (2009). Democratic alternatives to corporate globalization. Presentation at National Farmers Union Convention.

 

Cebu Art Book Fair (2023, August 30). Announcing this year’s CABF Zine Grantees - the CABF Micro Grant awards 3 creators to fund the production of their zine idea. [Status update]. Facebook. https://bitly.ws/3aYeq

 

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Artifact. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved January 20, 2024, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/artifact

 

Mission History. Printed Matter. (n.d.). https://www.printedmatter.org/about/mission-history

 

Offprint London 2019. Represent. (2019, May 14). https://www.represent.uk.com/blog/offprint-london-2019/

 

Sherlock, Diana (Spring 2013). “Institutions by Artists: Resistance Or Retreat?” International Contemporary Art: 16–20. Via ProQuest.

 

Titi, S. (2015, January 25). Better Living Through xeroxography-a brief towards a more sustainable publishing industry. Medium. https://bitly.ws/3aYaM

 

UNESCO. (2019). Cebu City. Creative Cities Network. https://en.unesco.org/creative-cities/cebu-city

 

Ypil, Lawrence (2022, January 21). In the days following supertyphoon Odette, Mark Joseph Deutsch, Johanna Velasco Deutsch and I thought it would be good to build a space where Cebuanos could begin to share their stories about the storm. [Status update]. Facebook. https://bitly.ws/3aY6B

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