The upcoming annual Singapore Art Book Fair (SGABF) has received criticism over its proposed “Walking Exhibitor” concept.
Many have come online sharing their disdain over the new concept, claiming that exhibitors are being charged high fees despite limited returns.
On April 6, SGABF announced its annual open call for artists and bookmakers to apply for the art book fair.
According to the organisers, art book fairs have grown to be more transactional, which creates a “border” between artists and consumers.
“Hands exchange money, books change owners, and distance quietly persists between those who make and those who browse,” SGABF said in their Instagram post.
With that in mind, SGABF announced a new option for art bookmakers at this year’s event.
Source: Singapore Art Book Fair on Instagram
In the application form, the organisers introduced a new structure of “walking exhibitions”.
Source: Singapore Art Book Fair
Carrying a portable display case, artists will be walking around the fair, carrying their items for sale.
The organisers reassured that “rest areas” are available, and exhibitors do not need to continuously walk and stand during the fair.
Publications that are sold by artists are also capped at S$25, with the walking booth costing S$150.
The Instagram post and application form have since been deleted after the initiative received backlash online.
A netizen took to Reddit to share their frustrations, describing local convention pricing as a “national embarrassment”.
Source: Singapore Art Book Fair on Instagram
They alleged that SGABF charges exhibitors S$150 for artists to be “glorified walking hotdog vendors” selling their own work.
According to the post, the pricing model appears to prioritise revenue from booth rentals over supporting independent creators.
Beyond a single event, the Original Poster (OP) claimed that booth prices across Singapore conventions have been rising sharply.
Source: Singapore Art Book Fair on Instagram
“Booth prices in general at all SG conventions have been skyrocketing, speaking from experience as a regular convention exhibitor,” the OP said.
Meanwhile, larger events such as Anime Festival Asia (AFA) reportedly charge around S$1,000 for their smallest booth spaces.
“Even much smaller conventions usually price their tiny booths with no dividers at the $300-$600 range.”
Some artists have taken to social media to share their thoughts, with one describing rental fees as “extremely inconsiderate and unfair”.
@jaykchr on X
This international artist claimed they bear the brunt, given that they also have travel expenses to deal with.
They doubled down, describing the situation as “labour exploitation”.
Source: @jaykchr on X
The announcement of the new format caused a stir online.
Many netizens felt confused and frustrated at the concept’s introduction, as it is seemingly working against emerging artists.
Source: Singapore Art Book Fair on Instagram
Others showed more sadness over the change, highlighting that such art spaces are meant to bring the public closer to the publication scene in Singapore.
Source: Singapore Art Book Fair on Instagram
One netizen brought up the many flaws of the concept, with artists being placed at a disadvantage due to the extra labour that would be required to manage a walking booth.
Source: Singapore Art Book Fair on Instagram
SGABF took to Instagram on 9 April to share that it has closed the open call for its proposed “Walking Exhibitor” option.
In the statement, organisers noted that they have taken in feedback from the public and will “take some time to workshop through the mechanics of the fair”.
They added: “We hear your concerns. The briefcase was originally chosen because we appreciated its technology, but we understand now that it was inappropriate.”
MS News reached out to SGABF and OPs for more information.
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Featured image adapted from SGABF (left and right).