The First Edition of Livorno Art Book Fair

The first edition of Livorno Art Book Fair is set to launch from 31 July to 2 August 2026 at the Museo della Città di Livorno – Polo culturale dei Bottini dell’Olio, introducing a new event dedicated to artist books, independent publishing, and contemporary editorial practices. 

The fair will take place alongside the seventeenth edition of Premio Combat and during 

Effetto Venezia, the historic city-wide festival that transforms Livorno’s Venezia district and attracts around 140,000 visitors over the course of the event.

Conceived as a platform dedicated to contemporary editorial research, Livorno Art Book Fair explores the publication as a space for experimentation, artistic language and exhibition device. Far beyond its documentary function, the artist book is presented here as an autonomous artwork capable of connecting visual practices, graphic design, photography, printing techniques, writing, and theoretical research. This perspective reflects the growing international attention toward artist publishing and independent editorial practices as active fields of contemporary cultural production. 

The fair will bring together independent publishers, artist-run spaces, collectives, photographers, designers, illustrators, and editorial projects working across artist-led publishing, offering a broad overview of contemporary editorial practices through zines, artist books, photography publications, graphic experimentation, and self-publishing initiatives. 

The opening will take place on Friday 31 July at 6 pm, with the fair continuing on Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 6 pm to midnight. 

With its first edition, Livorno Art Book Fair positions the Museo della Città di Livorno – Polo culturale dei Bottini dell’Olio as a meeting point for visual arts, publishing, and contemporary experimentation, further enriching Livorno’s summer cultural programme in dialogue with Premio Combat and Effetto Venezia.

All the information you need to take part can be found on the page: www.combatartreview.com/artbookfairlivorno For further information, please contact: info@livornoartbookfair.com