From Friday to Sunday, in the Sant Antoni market, more than a hundred publishing houses present their new products at ArtsLibris, the International Artist Publications Fair, also extended to photo books, self-publishing, books of thought and architecture, and which also includes exhibitions, presentations, debates and talks, in addition to the LÃbrica seminar, organized by Eina Idea.
Among the novelties, the book by Joan Fontcuberta HeghDI’ vem ghaH, tu’lu’ stands out. Dinosaur (Dalpine), a volume about dinosaurs written in the Klingon language – the language of a race from the science fiction series Star Trek –, or Plensa Macbeth Verdi (Encyclopedia Art), based on the artistic creations of Jaume Plensa while he was preparing the set design of the opera that he presented at the Liceu, or the latest book by the Magnum agency photographer Lúa Ribeira, Subida al cielo (Dalpine).
Walking among the exhibitors you can find books by artists such as Plensa, but also by Perejaume, Tà pies, Brossa or photo books by Txema Salvans, Julián Baron, Carmen Calvo, Santi Moix or Mikel Bastida, but there are also space for the fanzine El Naufraguito, for artists’ books for children by Cuscusians or the books of the RM publishing house (with a great novelty such as Diagramando la modernidad, by Rodrigo Gutiérrez Viñuales and Riccardo Boglione on the book and graphic design in Latin America from 1920 to 1940), Écho 119, from Paris, with a selection of Japanese photobooks, or those of Ediciones Posibles and their careful publications, among others. There is also space for personal projects, such as that of Mireia Mateo and her book Les erráticas with a series of photogravures from the seeds that travel from one place to another stuck to people’s clothes.
Gallerist and publisher RocÃo Santa Cruz, founder and director of ArtsLibris, recalls that the fair “has become a benchmark for artist books also in Latin America and Portugal”, and publications that are not usually present in the rest of Europe. Santa Cruz has also defended that the fair is a way to see contemporary art through publications and a starting point to reflect on where the world of books is goingâ€.
The Director of Visual Arts of the Catalan Institute of Cultural Enterprises, Marta Gustà , explained how this fair makes her think of the Roman market, “because there is also a great exchange of ideas and confabulations, with a great mix of public and interests” and is a sample of what public-private collaboration can do.
Precisely the fact that it is held in such a particular space has boosted the collaboration with the Sunday market, not only with the reception of some booksellers at the fair, but also with the programming of some events this Sunday, such as now the presentation of the multidisciplinary creations of Joan Vinuesa, poet, musician and artist.
And the market is also discussed in the edition of Oriol Vilanova’s book Mercats, mercaders, merchandise, within the collection published by the same fair, and in which Vilanova wanted to pay “a tribute to the overlapping markets: that of the fair , the meal and the Sunday”, and assured that he goes there “like someone who goes to mass: I believe in the market”.
In addition, the prizes for this fourteenth edition will be handed out on Sunday: the ArtsLibris Banc Sabadell, the Eloi Gimeno for the best photobook and the Arts Byblio aimed at art schools or universities.
An art and book market in all possible formats and open to everyone.
