Artists' Books Cooperative
An international artist-led network supporting print-on-demand artists' books and self-publishing.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Artists' Books Cooperative, commonly abbreviated as ABC, is an international network formed by artists who create and publish artists' books, particularly books produced through print-on-demand methods. The cooperative was founded in 2009 by German artist Joachim Schmid, whose practice has frequently examined photographic reproduction, publishing, archives, and the circulation of images. ABC developed as a collective platform for artists working outside conventional commercial publishing structures and helped make self-published photographic and conceptual books more visible in the contemporary art field. The cooperative's central model is based on collaboration, shared visibility, and participation in exhibitions and book fairs rather than on a conventional publishing-house hierarchy. Its members have used digital printing and print-on-demand production to issue books in relatively small quantities without the large upfront investment normally associated with offset printing. This approach can reduce financial and logistical barriers for artists, allowing them to control the design, sequencing, reproduction, and distribution of their work. It also supports projects that may be too specialized, experimental, or limited in audience for traditional publishers. ABC's activities have been closely associated with photography and with the renewed international interest in artists' books. Members and associated artists have presented their publications in exhibitions, biennials, gallery programs, and specialist book events. The network participated in the exhibition From Here On at the Rencontres d'Arles in 2011, appeared in a self-titled exhibition at Printed Matter in New York that same year, contributed the collaborative ABCED project to Gagosian Gallery's Ed Ruscha, Books & Co. exhibition in 2013, and was represented in the 2014 Brighton Photo Biennial through the multi-volume ABCEUM project. The cooperative has included artists from multiple countries and generations. Past members and participants named in reference material include 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 membership record is not treated here as a complete current roster. ABC's importance lies less in a conventional consumer brand than in its role as an artist-led publishing network. By treating print-on-demand books as legitimate artistic objects and exhibition formats, it challenged the assumption that serious book publishing required expensive, centralized production. The available reference material documents the cooperative's founding and exhibition history, but does not establish its current organizational structure, membership, headquarters, website, or operating status.
History
Artists' Books Cooperative was established in 2009 by German artist Joachim Schmid as an international network for artists producing books, especially books made through print-on-demand systems. Its emergence reflected the growing availability of digital printing and the expansion of artist-controlled publishing practices. Unlike traditional offset production, print-on-demand can avoid the need for a large initial print run and can make specialized or experimental books economically feasible at small scale. ABC therefore offered a collective context for artists who wanted to publish photographic and conceptual work without depending entirely on conventional publishers. The network became associated with a broader revival of interest in the artists' book as both an art object and a vehicle for distributing visual work. ABC members worked across photography, appropriation, serial imagery, conceptual practice, and book design. The cooperative's public profile developed through exhibitions and book-oriented events rather than through a conventional retail brand structure. In 2011, artists connected with ABC appeared in From Here On at the Rencontres d'Arles, and the cooperative was also the subject of an exhibition at Printed Matter in New York that presented more than 80 titles. ABC continued to use collaborative projects to demonstrate the range of the network's publishing model. ABCED, produced in honor of Ed Ruscha's 75th birthday, was shown in the 2013 Gagosian Gallery exhibition Ed Ruscha, Books & Co. The multi-volume ABCEUM project was later included in the 2014 Brighton Photo Biennial, where ABC appeared among a group of photography collectives. These presentations placed self-published and print-on-demand books within established institutional and gallery contexts. Reference material identifies a substantial group of past members and participants, including 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 available sources do not provide a definitive current membership list or confirm the cooperative's present administrative status. ABC is best understood as a historically significant artist-led publishing network whose principal contribution was to normalize print-on-demand and self-publishing as viable forms of contemporary artists' book production.
- 2014
ABCEUM included in Brighton Photo Biennial
[1]ABC's multi-volume ABCEUM project was presented 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
Participation in From Here On
[1]Artists connected with ABC contributed print-on-demand books to the photography exhibition From Here On at the Rencontres d'Arles.
- 2011
Printed Matter presents ABC
[1]Printed Matter in New York hosted an ABC exhibition featuring more than 80 titles.
- 2009
Artists' Books Cooperative founded
[1]German artist Joachim Schmid founded ABC as an international network for artists making print-on-demand books.
Products and positioning
An artist-led publishing network that promotes self-published and print-on-demand books as accessible, experimental, and exhibition-worthy forms of contemporary art.
Artists' books · 2009
Print-on-demand artists' books
Books produced by artists through digital or print-on-demand processes, often in small quantities. The format enables artists to control publication, sequencing, and design while avoiding the high upfront costs associated with conventional offset printing.
Collaborative artists' book project · 2013
ABCED
A collaborative ABC project created in recognition of Ed Ruscha's 75th birthday. It was later exhibited at Gagosian Gallery in New York as part of Ed Ruscha, Books & Co.
Multi-volume artists' book project · 2014
ABCEUM
A multi-volume collaborative project by ABC that was included in the 2014 Brighton Photo Biennial, where the cooperative was represented as a photography collective.
Marketing campaigns
- 2014ABCEUM at Brighton Photo Biennial
United Kingdom · Europe
ABC presented the multi-volume ABCEUM project through the Brighton Photo Biennial.
Outcome. ABC was recognized within the biennial as one of five represented photography collectives.
- 2013ABCED
United States · North America
ABC created the collaborative ABCED project in honor of Ed Ruscha's 75th birthday.
Outcome. The project was included in Gagosian Gallery's Ed Ruscha, Books & Co. exhibition in New York.
- 2011From Here On
France · Europe
Artists associated with ABC participated in From Here On at the Rencontres d'Arles, contributing print-on-demand photography books and related works to a major photography exhibition.
Outcome. The participation connected ABC's self-publishing model with an internationally visible photography event.
- 2011Printed Matter ABC exhibition
United States · North America
Printed Matter presented a dedicated ABC exhibition in New York, displaying more than 80 titles by members and associated artists.
Outcome. The exhibition gave the cooperative a focused presentation within the leading artists' book scene in New York.
Sources1 sources
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