Algorithms and infodemics obscure facts and stifle expression, but these titles show that press freedom still prevails in print and code, in all shapes and color, in the Philippines and beyond.

Last February, <a href="https://www.printedmatter.org/">Printed Matter, Inc.</a> launched its first <a href="https://pmvabf.org/">Virtual Art Book Fair (PMVABF)</a> that showcased the works of more than 400 exhibitors from over 40 countries. Since 2005, the gathering has been championing talents around the world as a distributor and support system for independent artists and publishers.
By aiming to foster creative output unconfined by the commercial demands of larger press and galleries, they&rsquo;ve gone beyond their New York roots to actively engage with the global audience. In 1976, Printed Matter, Inc.&rsquo;s inaugural roster of books included titles from established and lesser-known artists including Kathy Acker, John Baldessari, and Edward Ruscha. In 2021, it presented its biggest lineup counting two publishers from the Philippines namely Bad Student and Kwago. &nbsp;&nbsp;

<a href="https://badstudent.carrd.co/"> Bad Student</a> is a risograph press and design studio; <a href="https://isipkwago.carrd.co/">Kwago</a>, on the other hand, is an independent research and publishing laboratory that develops exhibitions, publications, and programs centered on community. Together, they amplify the voices of homegrown talents who are expressing their delight and discontent for the current milieu.

One of them is 
 
 L&rsquo;Officiel
 
 &rsquo;s March issue cover photographer, Regine David, whose book 
 
 Fever Dream
 
 sews fragments of images flushed with euphoria, sensuality, and trails of memory. As an advocate of queer visibility, she pieces a tapestry that challenges societal standards of the male form.

Gender tropes are further subverted by artist Didi Ri&ntilde;a whose work, Balbon, captures the nervous tics of female characters who shy away from showing their hairy legs in public.

Anxiety takes on more gravitas with Elle Shiver&rsquo;s 
 
 Cicatrix 
 
 that discloses the struggles of dealing with hypochondria and intergenerational guilt.

Gianne Encarnacion&rsquo;s tarot card set, Sa Mata ng Kalikasan, features Philippine cultural icons and endangered species to reflect the country&rsquo;s state of biodiversity while Serious Studio&rsquo;s Gunitaan: A Filipino Folktale Library looks at history to preserve national identity.

These go hand in hand with Bad Student&rsquo;s own publication, Love Your Garden, which serves as a personal account of the founders&rsquo; recent loss and recovery of their studio that was ravaged by the Typhoon Ulysses.

Meanwhile, Kwago&rsquo;s programs 
 
 Sitwasyon 
 
 and 
 
 KOPYA 
 
 stay true to the organization's ethos that aims to share its publishing milestones with &ldquo;the creators and voices who are deprived of platforms by oppressive systems and a gatekeeping culture that continue to monopolize the power of paper, ink, and code 
 
 &mdash; 
 
 crippling our freedoms offline and online.&rdquo;

The Books that Made It in Printed Matter’s Virtual Art Book Fair 

The Books that Made It in Printed Matter’s Virtual Art Book Fair

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