ABC Artists' Books Cooperative
ABC Artists' Books Cooperative is an international artist-led network that uses print-on-demand publishing to produce and circulate artists' books.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
ABC Artists' Books Cooperative, also known as the Artists' Books Cooperative or ABC, is an international network formed by artists who make and publish books, particularly through print-on-demand production. The cooperative was founded in 2009 by German artist Joachim Schmid. Rather than operating primarily as a conventional commercial publisher, ABC functions as a collective platform through which artists can develop, present, and distribute book projects that might otherwise be difficult to finance or circulate. The cooperative's central subject is the artist's book, especially photographic and image-based publications. Its use of print-on-demand technology distinguishes it from traditional publishing models based on offset printing, large print runs, inventory, and substantial upfront production costs. For artists, print-on-demand can reduce financial risk and make it possible to publish individual or collaborative projects in relatively small quantities. ABC's activities therefore connect artistic practice, self-publishing, digital production, and exhibition culture. ABC has participated in book fairs, photography events, and exhibitions, predominantly in Europe and North America. Its projects have appeared in institutional and commercial art contexts, including the Rencontres d'Arles, Printed Matter in New York, Brighton Photo Biennial, and Gagosian Gallery's exhibition devoted to Ed Ruscha's books. These appearances helped position the cooperative within discussions about photography, artists' publishing, and the changing relationship between books and exhibition-making. The network's collaborative scope is visible in projects such as ABCEUM, a multi-volume work included in the 2014 Brighton Photo Biennial, and ABCED, a collective project made in recognition of Ed Ruscha's seventy-fifth birthday. ABC members have also contributed books to the 2011 From Here On exhibition at Rencontres d'Arles, an event associated with new photographic practices and self-publishing. A self-titled exhibition at Printed Matter in New York that same year presented more than eighty titles connected with the cooperative and its members. ABC's membership has included artists such as Harvey Benge, Deanna Dikeman, Mishka Henner, Elisabeth Tonnard, Andrea Stultiens, Katja Stuke, Mariken Wessels, and Joachim Schmid, among many others. The available reference material identifies a substantial group of past members but does not establish a complete current roster or a current administrative structure. ABC is best understood as an artist-led publishing and exhibition network rather than as a conventional mass-market book brand. Its significance lies in demonstrating how print-on-demand and cooperative organization can broaden access to book production while allowing artists to treat the book itself as a form of artistic work.
History
Artists' Books Cooperative was established in 2009 by German artist Joachim Schmid as a network for artists working with books, photography, and self-directed publishing. Its formation reflected a wider transformation in artists' publishing: digital files, online ordering, and print-on-demand services made it possible to produce books without the large financial commitment traditionally associated with offset printing. In a conventional model, an artist or publisher may need to finance a substantial print run before knowing whether the books will sell or find an audience. Print-on-demand changes that equation by allowing copies to be produced as needed, making small-scale and highly individual projects more feasible. ABC brought together artists who used the book not merely as a container for reproductions but as an artistic medium. Its members' work included photographic publications, image sequences, conceptual projects, and collaborative editions. The cooperative model gave these projects a collective identity and created opportunities for presentation beyond ordinary retail distribution. ABC's activities included participation in book fairs and exhibitions, with a concentration in Europe and North America, while its membership and subject matter were international in character. A significant early public presentation came in 2011. ABC was the subject of an exhibition at Printed Matter in New York, where more than eighty titles were shown. In the same year, artists connected with the cooperative participated in From Here On at the Rencontres d'Arles. The exhibition was associated with new approaches to photography and included print-on-demand books by ABC members including Mishka Henner, Hermann Zschiegner, Andreas Schmidt, and Micheál O'Connell, as well as books and works by other artists in related presentations. ABC subsequently developed collaborative projects that demonstrated the network's collective potential. ABCED was created in connection with Ed Ruscha's seventy-fifth birthday and was shown in the 2013 Gagosian Gallery exhibition Ed Ruscha, Books & Co. The project placed ABC's publishing practice within a broader history of artists' books and highlighted the book's role as an object of artistic exchange, homage, and institutional display. In 2014, the multi-volume project ABCEUM was included in the Brighton Photo Biennial at Circus Street Market. ABC was one of five photography collectives represented, reinforcing its place within the intersection of photographic culture and independent publishing. Across these activities, the cooperative helped draw attention to print-on-demand as an alternative to conventional book production and to self-publishing as a serious artistic practice rather than simply a fallback for work rejected by established publishers. The documented membership includes a wide range of artists, among them Harvey Benge, Erik Benjamins, Julie Cook, Joshua Deaner, Deanna Dikeman, Eric Doeringer, Fred Free, Kate Glicksberg, Burkhard von Harder, Dawn Kim, Tanja Lazetic, EJ Major, Michael Maranda, Lydia Moyer, Heidi Neilson, Robert Pufleb, Joachim Schmid, Andreas Schmidt, Victor Sira, Paul Soulellis, Katya Stuke, Oliver Sieber, Andrea Stultiens, Elisabeth Tonnard, Corinne Vionnet, Mariken Wessels, and Bruno Zhu. The reference material primarily identifies past members and does not provide a reliable current roster, leadership list, headquarters, or evidence of the cooperative's present operating status. Accordingly, ABC's documented historical importance is clearer than its current organizational condition.
- 2014
ABCEUM included in Brighton Photo Biennial
[1]ABC's multi-volume ABCEUM project was exhibited at the Brighton Photo Biennial.
- 2013
ABCED shown at Gagosian Gallery
[1]The cooperative's collaborative ABCED project was included in Ed Ruscha, Books & Co. in New York.
- 2011
ABC exhibition at Printed Matter
[1]Printed Matter in New York presented more than eighty titles connected with ABC and its members.
- 2011
Participation in From Here On
[1]ABC members' print-on-demand books appeared in the From Here On exhibition at Rencontres d'Arles.
- 2009
Artists' Books Cooperative founded
[1]German artist Joachim Schmid founded ABC as an international network for artists producing books, particularly through print-on-demand methods.
Products and positioning
An artist-led, international publishing network positioned around accessible print-on-demand production, photographic experimentation, cooperative self-publishing, and the artists' book as both publication and artwork.
Artists' books · 2009
Print-on-demand artists' books
ABC's core output consists of artists' books produced through print-on-demand or similarly flexible small-scale publishing methods. These books commonly use photography, sequencing, conceptual image-making, and the physical form of the book as part of the artistic work. The model reduces the need for a costly initial print run and supports projects that may have limited but specialized audiences.
Collaborative artists' book project
ABCEUM
ABCEUM is a multi-volume collaborative project associated with the cooperative. Its inclusion in the 2014 Brighton Photo Biennial demonstrated how ABC could operate not only as a network for individual publications but also as a platform for collective book-making and photographic presentation.
Collaborative artists' book project · 2013
ABCED
ABCED was a collaborative work made by ABC in connection with Ed Ruscha's seventy-fifth birthday. Its appearance in Gagosian Gallery's Ed Ruscha, Books & Co. placed the cooperative's practice in dialogue with a major tradition of artists who use books as primary art objects.
Brand decisions
2009
Adoption of a print-on-demand cooperative modelStrategyBackground
Traditional offset publishing can require artists to commit substantial funds to printing, storage, and distribution before demand is known. ABC was created around a model intended to make artists' book production more accessible and adaptable.
Action taken
The cooperative organized artists around print-on-demand publishing and collective visibility through fairs and exhibitions.
Aftermath
The model attracted attention in photography and artists' publishing circles and supported the presentation of numerous member-produced books in exhibitions in Europe and North America.
Recent events
- 2014
ABCEUM included in the Brighton Photo Biennial[1]
Other
The multi-volume collaborative project ABCEUM was presented at the 2014 Brighton Photo Biennial, where ABC was one of five photography collectives represented.
- 2013
ABCED appears in Ed Ruscha, Books & Co.[1]
Other
ABCED, a collaborative ABC project made in recognition of Ed Ruscha's seventy-fifth birthday, was included in Gagosian Gallery's New York exhibition Ed Ruscha, Books & Co.
- 2011
ABC participates in the From Here On exhibition at Rencontres d'Arles[1]
Other
Artists associated with ABC contributed print-on-demand books and other works to From Here On, an exhibition curated by Joachim Schmid, Martin Parr, Erik Kessels, Joan Fontcuberta, and Clément Chéroux. The presentation focused on emerging photographic practices and included work by several ABC members.
- 2011
Artists' Books Cooperative exhibition at Printed Matter[1]
Other
Printed Matter in New York hosted a self-titled ABC exhibition displaying more than eighty titles associated with the cooperative and its members.
Sources1 sources
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