In Space, a project of the Libby Leshgold Gallery and ECU Press, launches on Thursday, July 29 at 4pm (PDT) with an online talk by Eleanor Vonne Brown (X Marks the B?kship) and Ho Tam (HoTam Press). The talk explores the strategies, realities, and contexts of the artist-made spaces that support artists¡¯ publishing and disseminate artists¡¯ publications.

The In Space project as a whole will culminate in an online and print directory of spaces of artists¡¯ publishing and a delineation of the networks within which these spaces function. In Space is the fourth instalment of the Libby Leshgold Gallery¡¯s Summer School for Artists¡¯ Publishing, a space for critical reflection on the practices of artist-publishers and the systems, histories, and ideas that shape their activity. This project builds on the summer 2020 online project by Wendy¡¯s Subway, Publishing the Present, in creating an online archive for an aspect of artists¡¯ publishing.

The In Space directory project is now accepting submissions. Please see https://libby.ecuad.ca/inspace for details and submission instructions.

Ho Tam was born in Hong Kong, educated in Canada and the U.S and worked in advertising companies and community psychiatric facilities before turning to art. He practices in multiple disciplines, including photography, video, painting and print media. Since 2010, Ho Tam has been focusing on independent artist publishing and exhibiting in various international art book fairs. Under the imprint Hotam Press, he has created several series of artist's books and zines, including HOTAM, POSER and The Greatest Stories Ever Told. In 2019, Hotam Press opened an alternative space in Vancouver which showcases artists' books and hosts regular exhibitions.

Eleanor Vonne Brown produces publishing projects and spaces working mainly in the field of independent publishing. Projects include bookshop and project space X Marks the B?kship, X Publishing School, Publication as Practice, Post Internet Cafe @PrintRoom, The Cast of the Crystal Set, and Super Woofer Sound Fair. X Marks the B?kship was a bookshop and project space for independent art publishers in London, UK between 2008 and 2016. It specialised in small press publications by artists and designers. The B?kship promoted contemporary artist publishing activity through book launches, events and production resources that brought together individual practitioners to create a local publishing community.