THE C.A.T.E. LUNCH TALK SERIES No.19 / Annette Gilbert

Library of Artistic Print on Demand. Post-Digital Publishing in Times of Platform Capitalism

Annette Gilbert in conversation with Jasper Otto Eisenecker and Tania Prill

Digital printing and print-on-demand platforms such as Blurb, Lulu, BoD, and Kindle Direct Publishing have revolutionized the world of books. They make it possible to produce and distribute books worldwide without a publisher and without financial risk. This opens up new possibilities beyond the traditional book market and leads to a democratization of production. At the same time, this new sphere of activity is fundamentally dependent on the specifications and interests of the platforms. In this field of tension, a global subculture of artists, authors, and publishers has emerged that is re-exploring the medium of the book, exploring different economies, publics, and forms of authorship, and at the same time critically reflecting on our digital present. The catalog on the Library of Artistic Print on Demand, recently published by Spector Books and edited by Annette Gilbert and Andreas Bülhoff, maps the history, aesthetics, and political relevance of this field of experimentation for the first time and provides a comprehensive overview of the global spread and impact of this artistic PoD publishing practice.

Annette Gilbert is a literary scholar at FAU Erlangen-Nuremberg with a particular interest in the mediality and materiality of literature and phenomena at the intersection of art and literature. Her focus is on avant-garde and experimental literature and art. Her other research interests include concepts of authorship, media and cultural techniques, and publication and distribution practices in the post-digital age.

https://www.spectorbooks.com/book/library-of-artistic-print-on-demand
https://apod.li/about