Limited-edition and one-off books as a medium of artistic expression have a heady kind of allure. Made by artists for an audience that appreciates transgressive art, these creations often push the limits of content and the notion of what physically comprises a book.

Currently on view at The Center for Books Arts is an exhibition that goes a step further. Fun & Games (and Such...) presents works by 28 artists, some based on the interactive nature of games, others that stem from ideas about childlike play and many that, while comical and fun, reveal the black humor to be found in social-political issues.

Photographs courtesy of The Center for Books Arts.

Some are books, some are board games, some are assemblages and one is a peep show. The exhibit is a feast of paper engineering bravado, from Shana Agid's Snitch, a pop-up book that deals with issues of surveillance and agency in the post-911 world to a book with an exquisite corpse binding by Kristin Anderson and Danny Licul that allows readers to hilariously mix and match the identities and psyches of the characters within. There are children's fairy tales with modern consequences, a how-to book on attaining physical perfection through tortuous means, and a game for predicting the future that offers more questions than answers.

Tomorrow evening, six of the artists will present, read from, or perform the content of their pieces. Anna Kronenberg will discuss game theory and appearances while presenting Nose Box, donning the rubber noses included in the set; Dikko Faust and Esther Smith of Purgatory Pie Press will demonstrate how to play their PurgaToys; Barbara Rosenthal will invite audience members to play the You & I Card Game; Shana Agid will give a dramatic reading of Snitch. Sally Tosti will talk about creating her Puzzle Box, which shows six sides of Coney Island on a set of illustrated blocks; and Rosamond King will perform as The Poetry Doctor.

Gaming Night at The Center for Book Arts begins at 6:30 pm on Wednesday, August 6^th at 28 West 27^th Street, 3^rd Floor, New York, NY. Admission is $10/ $5 members. Please check the website for information.