Artelibro 2012
Sara Mantovani September 10, 2012
Have you ever realised that, sometimes, bookshelves become overwhelmed without your real intention to do so?
“Book collecting: collecting means seeding” is the theme of the 9th edition of the Artelibro Art Book Festival 2012, which, from the 21st to the 23rd of September 2012 will transform Bologna into a hive of cultural activity, located in more than 30 public and private spaces including Museums, Libraries and Art galleries, with over 50,000 visitors each year and more than 100 contemporary artists invited to present their contributions on paper, from Giulio Paolini and Emilio Isgrò to the youngest, such as Deborah Logorio, Flavio Favelli and Luca Trevisani.
The theme for the event is inspired by the inexhaustible desire of the collector to accumulate books according to highly personalized criteria. Exhibitions of antique books and artists’ books, reviews, professional meetings, conferences open to the public, workshops for the youngsters and the unmissable exhibition market, all of these events will examine the fundamental and vital role of collecting, not only within the private sphere, but also for its importance for the growth of public cultural heritage.
From the lectio magistralis at the inauguration (Thursday 20th September, 5.30 p.m., in Palazzo d’Accursio-Cappella Farnese) given by jurist and bibliophile, Guido Rossi, to the round table chaired by Umberto Eco and organised by ALAI [the Italian Antique Booksellers Association], there is also a new feature this year: the collection of self-published works, Fruit. Focus on contemporary art: a wide ranging investigation conducted by Artelibro, in collaboration with Associazione Culturale Crudo, into Italian and international self-publishing projects, culminating in a lively exhibition market inside Palazzo Re Enzo, where the public will be able to discover and purchase rare contemporary art publications and those only known within underground circles, with Art editions available for less than 100 euro, showing that collecting really is open to everyone, whatever the limits of their budget.
On view in the rooms of the Palazzo Re Enzo e dei Podestà, will be some genuine rarities from the world of books: antique volumes, limited print run publications, unique pieces created by artists, experimental publishing, specialized magazines, while the publishers will be gathered in the Libreria dell’Arte in Piazza Nettuno, open until 10p.m. from the 8th to the 23rd September 2012.
More info on Bologna
