Tipi Bookshop
Tipi Bookshop was founded in 2012 by Andrea Copetti in Saint-Gilles, Brussels. It specialises in self-published photography books, independent imprints, and small-press editions — physical objects made by photographers and designers who control every decision from content to binding.
This is not a print-on-demand service. Tipi sells finished books: authored works, limited editions, signed copies, and out-of-print titles that circulate in the international photography community. The shop grew from a specific observation: that in Brussels, and across Europe, self-published and independently produced books were being systematically overlooked by established distribution channels. The more Tipi showed independent work, the more independent artists felt encouraged to create — a feedback loop of mutual recognition that continues to drive the shop today.
The selection is guided by three criteria: craft, concept, and integrity. The quality of the printing, the clarity of the idea, and the level of personal engagement from the artist or publisher. A zine printed in a garage and a mass-produced edition by a well-known name sit on the same shelf. What matters is the intention behind the work.
The physical shop occupies 80 square metres in Saint-Gilles, divided between the bookshop and a workshop space founded in 2019. The shelving — oak units dating to 1926 — displays books front-cover out, treating graphic design as part of the curatorial statement. Books are not arranged alphabetically but by energy and resonance — in what Copetti describes as a constellation rather than a straight line, so that books can speak to each other across categories and geographies.
Tipi also holds a selection of paper samples available for consultation — a practical resource for photographers developing their own publishing projects.
Dummy Dialogue is an editorial consultation service for photographers working on a photobook project or looking to sort out a sequence — at any stage, in any state of completion. Sessions take place in person at Tipi Bookshop and work directly with the physical dummy or digital files. Each session is audio recorded; a written transcript is provided afterwards as a PDF, so the photographer can give their full attention to the work rather than taking notes. Sessions run 30 or 60 minutes.
Tipi maintains a curated directory of specialists in photobook production: graphic designers experienced in photography publications, pre-press technicians, and printing companies with demonstrated expertise in artist books. This resource is available to photographers navigating the technical side of independent publishing.
Press
Tipi Bookshop has been featured in PHMuseum, FK Magazine, Lampoon Magazine, and PHMuseum Annual, among others.
