Opening of Artelibro Art Book Festival 2009
ARTELIBRO ART BOOK FESTIVAL
The art of making an art book
6th EDITION
Bologna
Palazzo di Re Enzo e del Podestà
24 – 27 September 2009
PRESENTATION
The Artelibro Art Book Festival is held in Bologna’s Piazza Maggiore, where the Bolognese have their church and city hall, where sacred mixes with profane, culture with the market. Artelibro is the annual meeting point for collectors and sellers of books and art. A place to meet, sell, and trade, where (in addition to the finest in international art publishing and rare books) new ideas and projects are presented and information and services are exchanged. Artelibro is a great cultural celebration and the world’s only art book festival-trade fair.
Artelibro has always drawn the public: there were 22,000 visitors to the first edition in 2004, growing to 35,000 in 2008. A mix of experts, collectors, and book lovers from all over Italy and abroad, gradually becoming more and more specialised, seeking rarities and special editions at the stands of rare book dealers and publishers. A professional public – authors, publishers, book dealers, printers, graphic designers, artists – interested in learning more about the trade, plus a strongly expanding public of families that enthusiastically take part in special events.
THE 2009 EDITION
More than ever, the art book is the star of this 6th edition. In addition to the permanent theme, “The art of making an art book,” we add a no less important corollary: the art of promoting and enhancing it!
Palazzo di Re Enzo e del Podestà will once again be the sole site of the exhibition-market, hosting art book publishers and rare book dealers and alternating the exhibition of new and old books in a very precise and elegant setting. In addition to major publishing houses and prestigious Italian and foreign rare book dealers, the Festival will host international research publication houses, selected and invited by Artelibro Observatory, with special attention to innovative young researchers, while Officina Artelibro will present conversations and interviews with top professionals.
Conversations, readings, and debates will be held primarily in the spaces provided by the City of Bologna and by members of the institutional sponsor committee. Topics will include communication and promotion, graphic design in publishing and advertising.
As in previous editions, there will be ample opportunity to consider the rare book market at meetings organized in cooperation with ALAI – Italian Association of Antiquarian Booksellers, as well as events devoted to facsimiles and reproductions.
Artelibro and its exhibitors will organize open meetings and lessons with famous names in art, architecture, and archaeology in relation to the publication of artist monographs, exhibition catalogues, series, and essays. Speakers will be chosen by mixing media notoriety and scientific merit: you will be able to see TV personalities in the flesh, as well as listen to people who – according to the mass media – do not increase audience count.
ARTELIBRO EXHIBITIONS
Following the tradition established during its past editions, also in 2009 the Festival will be enriched by relevant and prestigious art books exhibitions, featuring monographic focuses devoted to international contemporary artists, as well as to book collections, both ancient and modern. The exhibit of these collections, usually not available for the general audience has been made possible thanks to the synergy between the Association, publishers, national institutions and local museums..
AFTER ARTELIBRO
Artelibro fills much more than three days in September: it extends throughout the year with a wide range of local, national, and international projects and events. The workshop Prospettiva Zeri, promoted by Federico Zeri Foundation was held in Bologna as part of the Ministerial campaign “Ottobre. Piovono libri” (October. It’s raining books); the book Enzo Zacchiroli. 1999-2009, published by 24 Ore Motta Cultura, was presented in the Library of the Archiginnasio in December; during Artefiera, Artelibro presented Invernomuto’s publishing project and installation entitled Blessed Blessed Oblivion, created from books provided by Electa and Motta, at the new Coop-Ambasciatori bookstore; the conference “Exhibitions and Museaums: history and actuality” promoted in collaboration with at the Turin International BookFair.
In collaboration with the Italian Publishers Association, the Institute for Foreign Trade, and local authorities, Artelibro will participate in major Italian and foreign trade fairs for publishing and art in 2009: Borsa Internazionale del Turismo (BIT), Salone del Restauro, London BookFair, Children’s Book Fair, Turin Book Fair, BookExpoAmerica.
THE ARTELIBRO WEBSITE
Artelibro is transforming its website. www.artelibro.it is no longer just a showcase for the exhibition: it is a platform at the service of art book publishers and their customers, where a team of editors selects and publishes the most interesting new publications and activities announced by publishers and cultural institutions taking part in the Festival, as well as presentations, shows, conferences, talks, and debates regarding the art book. The newsletter, launched for the previous edition, is now transmitted twice a month to registered email addresses. In this way, Artelibro provides important support and promotion for, and with, Italian and foreign art book publishers.
ARTELIBRO AND BOLOGNA
Bologna is synonymous with books, as demonstrated by its many historic libraries, precious public and private collections, international bookstores and rare book shops, numerous publishing houses, and specialised art and graphics printworks. In addition, Bologna is world famous for two trade fairs devoted to books and to art: the Children’s Book Fair and Arte Fiera. Convinced that the Festival can make an important contribution to the city’s cultural life by means of active dialogue and collaboration with these two fairs, Artelibro will form workshops with local cultural and economic institutions to confirm Bologna’s image as an “extended art library,” as endeavoured in the past.
NATIONAL COLLABORATIONS
Equally as important are the collaborations that Artelibro has established with the Ministry of Culture – Rare Book Section and with other national bodies and associations such as the Italian Publishers Association and the Institute for Foreign Trade, with which it develops a programme for professionals, making Artelibro the ideal forum for discussion of essential professional topics.
ARTELIBRO RAGAZZI
Last but not least, Artelibro offers a full programme of workshops and exhibits for children and teenagers. “Artelibro ragazzi” presents a variety of projects and events, promoted, as in previous editions, in collaboration with the city’s top experts and with schools of every level.
An exhibition of artist children books will take place at Fondazione del Monte of Bologna and Ravenna, in collaboration with the French publisher Les Trois Ourses. Connected to this event, different workshops and an international meeting will be organized by MAMbo. “Artebambini” will develop a seminar and workshops linked to the exhibition “Cieli”, with the illustrations of the book of the same title by Svjetlan Junakovich. This exhibition will take place at Sala Borsa.
ARTELIBRO ART BOOK FESTIVAL
The art of making an art book
6th EDITION
Bologna
Palazzo di Re Enzo e del Podestà
24 – 27 September 2009
Category: Artelibro News
