Despite the surge in digital publishing, the print platform remains appealing to many artists, writers, curators and designers for its unique aesthetic, archival, and discursive potential. This video documents presentations by two independent publishers, nos:books, run by artists Son Ni and Chihoi, and Passenger Pigeon Press, started by artist Tammy Nguyen, on the history and output of their respective presses. The presentations are followed by a discussion moderated by Meghan Forbes, a New York based researcher, writer, and editor, focused on questions of materiality, distribution, politics of translation, and the capacity of publishing platforms to enact transnational networks.

nos:books is an independent publisher founded by artist Son Ni in 2008 in Taipei, Taiwan. Hong Kong artist Chihoi has been a partner since 2014. It strives to realize artists’ ideas and concepts in unique book forms, publishing limited edition works by artists from Taiwan and abroad. It also runs an online store and attend book fairs.

Passenger Pigeon Press is a an independent press started by artist Tammy Nguyen. It aims to address geopolitics, science, and identity through visual art and writing. It houses Martha’s Quarterly, Collaborations, Public Domain, and custom projects.

Meghan Forbes is C-MAP fellow for Central and Eastern Europe at the Museum of Modern Art and a visiting scholar at NYU’s Institute for Public Knowledge. She is the founding editor of harlequin creature, a not-for-profit publishing platform. She holds a PhD from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council.