STEIDL Book Culture: An Afternoon Book Review
Date
March 13 2026 (Friday)
3PM to 5PM
Location
Shop–House by DECK
About
Join us for a rare afternoon with three remarkable figures in the world of photobooks and publishing — Gerhard Steidl, Theseus Chan, and Dayanita Singh.
Through conversation and selected books, they will share the stories behind their publications and reflect on the craft of bookmaking — from concept and design to printing and material choices. Together, they will explore how books can become intimate spaces for images, ideas, and narratives to unfold.
This afternoon session offers a rare opportunity to hear directly from a master printer, an influential designer, and an artist deeply invested in the book as a living form. Discover the thinking, experimentation, and collaboration that shape the photobook as both object and experience.
Through conversation and selected books, they will share the stories behind their publications and reflect on the craft of bookmaking — from concept and design to printing and material choices. Together, they will explore how books can become intimate spaces for images, ideas, and narratives to unfold.
This afternoon session offers a rare opportunity to hear directly from a master printer, an influential designer, and an artist deeply invested in the book as a living form. Discover the thinking, experimentation, and collaboration that shape the photobook as both object and experience.
Featuring
Gerhard Stiedl
Publisher & Printer | Speaker
Born in 1950 in Göttingen, Germany, Gerhard Steidl founded his publishing house and screen-printing workshop in 1968. Today, Steidl publishes one of the world’s leading programs of contemporary photobooks alongside a select German literature list, and curates international exhibitions. In 2020, he became the first non-photographer to receive the Outstanding Contribution to Photography prize at the Sony World Photography Awards, and was awarded the Gutenberg Prize. He founded Kunsthaus Göttingen in 2021. Steidl has received numerous honors, and in 2025 was named among the most influential figures in the global photographic industry.
Dayanita Singh
Photographer, Artist & Bookmaker | Speaker
Born in 1961 in New Delhi, Dayanita Singh studied at the National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad and the International Center of Photography in New York. Her work has been exhibited at institutions including the Museum of Modern Art, Tate Modern, and the Art Institute of Chicago. Bookmaking is central to her practice, with key titles such as Museum Bhavan (2017), which won the Paris Photo–Aperture Foundation Photobook Award and the ICP Infinity Award. She received the Hasselblad Award in 2022, and her retrospective Dancing With My Camera toured Europe from 2022 to 2024.
More at dayanitasingh.org | Instagram: @dayanitasingh
More at dayanitasingh.org | Instagram: @dayanitasingh
Theseus Chan
Artist, Graphic Designer & Publisher | Speaker
Born in 1961 in Singapore, Theseus Chan is a book artist and graphic designer known for his experimental approach to printing, materials, and typography. Working with papers ranging from discarded sheets to luxury stocks, he combines offset, silkscreen, lithography, and handmade processes.
He continually reinvents his acclaimed publication WERK, treating each issue as a distinct material and conceptual exploration. Chan has collaborated with artists and brands including Keiichi Tanaami, Rose Wylie, and Comme des Garçons. His work is collected by institutions such as M+, and he was named Designer of the Year at the inaugural President’s Design Award Singapore in 2006.
More at werkmagazine.com | Instagram: @theseuschanwork
He continually reinvents his acclaimed publication WERK, treating each issue as a distinct material and conceptual exploration. Chan has collaborated with artists and brands including Keiichi Tanaami, Rose Wylie, and Comme des Garçons. His work is collected by institutions such as M+, and he was named Designer of the Year at the inaugural President’s Design Award Singapore in 2006.
More at werkmagazine.com | Instagram: @theseuschanwork
