Introduction

Bologna, art book city: the purpose of Artelibro is making Bologna a permanent reference point  for all those dealing with art, ancient and rare books.

Book is one of the main peculiarities of Bologna and its territory, as evidenced by the presence of important historic libraries, of valuable book  collections both public and private, bibliographic studies and international antiquarian bookshops, as well as several publishing houses, specialized art printing houses, bookshops which play a basic role in education and promotion.

Bologna this year will become the international capital of ancient book, thanks to the coexistence of the 39th World Congress of Antiquarian Booksellers (International League of Antiquarian Booksellers-Ligue Internazionale de la Librairie Ancienne, 20-23 September 2010) and of the International Antiquarian Book Fair (24-26 September 2010), prestigious events that will gather booksellers and bibliophiles from all over the world.

Artelibro is the annual point of reference for people dealing with art books. It is a meeting, selling and trading place, where, besides the best of international art publishing and antique books, new ideas and projects are presented and  exchanges of information and services are favoured, in an atmosphere of big cultural kermesse.

The public of Artelibro, that reached in 2009 30.000 visitors, is extremely broad-based: on one hand experts, collectors and bibliophiles, in search of rare and special editions; on the other authors, publishers, booksellers, printers, graphic artists, interested in exploring professional issues; finally, fans and onlookers of all ages who participate with enthusiasm in the initiatives planned.

THE 2010 EDITION

24-26 September 2010: these are the dates of Artelibro Art Book Festival, 7th edition, to be held in Bologna at Palazzo Re Enzo e del Podestà in the same days of the 23rd International Antiquarian Book Fair (opening times: from 10 am to 19 pm).

Main theme of this year will be Ancient, rare and art books, that will see antiquarian booksellers, publishers and printers, and the artists themselves as protagonists.

Great space will be given to collecting, especially of ancient books: from Books of Hours to herbariums, from texts of Anatomy and Medicine to Treaties of Astronomy, Physics and Geography, from books with valuable art bindings to scores and artists correspondence autographs copyrights.

Collecting expands to the world of facsimiles and valuable books in a few copies made with the finest printing techniques and artistic craftsmanship, in which Italy is at first place in the world. Even to these categories Artelibro will dedicate wide space in the commercial exhibition.

Even artist book boasts a widespread and broad-based collecting: it will be possible to admire and purchase artist books, unique pieces or limited editions,  of  the masters of the nineteenth and twentieth century, as well as the production, even executed on the spot, of contemporary artists and skilled art printers.

Since the importance of the events hosted in our city, for this edition of the Festival several venues have been provided:
·    the specialized magazines will be hosted in the covered square of Sala Borsa Library;
·    the art publishers will be gathered within a structure set up in Nettuno Square, in front of Palazzo Re Enzo;
·    the antiquarian booksellers and the facsimilar publishers will exhibit in Palazzo Re Enzo;
·    the halls of the Civic Archaeological Museum, where an important exhibition promoted by Artelibro will be hosted, have been reserved to the publishers specialized in collecting series;

ARTELIBRO EXHIBITIONS

After the success of the initiatives dedicated to the artist book, among which the exhibition Mediating Experience by Olafur Eliasson and Artist’s books by Sol Lewitt, (2009), BOOKS! From the Sixties to nowadays (2008), Artist books in Emilia Romagna (2005), Artelibro 2010 aims to continue the exploration and promotion of this artistic production that comes from the early twentieth century to the contemporary times.

This year, in the rooms of the University Library of Bologna and of the Aldrovandi Museum, Artelibro proposes the exhibition The infinite library.

Conceived by the artists Daniel Gustav Cramer (Germany) and Haris Epaminonda (Cipro), and started in 2007, The Infinite Library is an evolving project. “It is a large archive of books, each one created by existing books, numbered as they were new volumes. Each book has its own structure,  reassembled each time from an original material and from the opportunities it offers. As the library expands with the addition of new books, each volume carries the potential to become the center of a spatial installation, an extension of subject, form, content, rhythm and logic of the book”.

The Infinite Library has been exposed, in different forms, in galleries and institutions. The curator, Luca Cerizza, and the artists intend to make the exhibition in Bologna the most comprehensive ever happened.

ARTELIBRO AND THE TERRITORY: THE PROJECT “WIDESPREAD ART LIBRARY”

In the belief that through a constructive dialogue and an effective collaboration with territorial organizations the Festival can contribute to the richness and vitality of the local cultural structure, Artelibro has formed a round table, of comparison and collaboration, with the book and culture institutions of the city, with the aim to reaffirm Bologna and its territory as a  “widespread art library”. Bologna will offer visitors the best of its extraordinary heritage of books in a special route through the city’s Museums and Libraries.

Among the exhibitions:  The book collections of Luigi Ferdinando Marsigli , at the Bologna University Library ; Incunabula of the fifteenth century between late 800 and early 900 at the Archiginnasio Public Library; The virtual exhibitions of the Fondazione Federico Zeri, exhibitions available on the website of the foundation (www.fondazionezeri.unibo.it) where images of the paintings studied by Federico Zeri will be put together with documents, autograph letters and notes kept by the Foundation that testify the work of the student to achieve some of his brilliant discoveries; The landscape of vine and wine in the National Academy of Agriculture; the State Archive will open its library and will realize the exhibition The tree of the lives, about the pedigrees of the noble families of Bologna.

Another important initiative promoted by Artelibro to stimulate the public interest in the book heritage of the city is Adopt a book. The city libraries will select an ancient volume that could be an important acquisition to increase the book heritage of the city. This volume will be exposed and people will be invited to partecipate to its purchase through free contributions.

LECTURES AND CONFERENCES

Also this year, besides with roundtables and conferences for technical professionals, Artelibro proposes lectures by great masters and scholars such as Umberto Eco and Luciano Canfora, and cycles of attractive conferences, accessible to general public, coordinated by characters of great scientific relevance: Tales of librido by Andrea Kerbaker, will present the figures of some large Italian and international bibliophiles; Tell me a painter, by Stefano Zuffi, will discuss about the artists that even today, centuries later, arouse the interest and the emotional response of both professional and non professional audience.

There will also be a film festival, created in collaboration with the Movie Library of Bologna. The movie that will best show the peculiarities of antiquarian booksellers’ world will be awarded.

ARTELIBRO CHILDREN

Alongside the activities dedicated to adults, it  will be comprised a rich program of exhibitions and workshops reserved to childhood and adolescence. Under the heading Artelibro Children several initiatives implemented in conjunction with specialized publishers and local book and culture institutions are going to be coordinated.

Libraries in the province will be activated on artist book workshops, while in the district libraries children will attend workshops on ancient books whose starting point will be Carthusia book The Invention of Kuta, presented at a seminar sponsored by Artelibro within the Bologna Children’s Book Fair.

ARTELIBRO IN ITALY AND ABROAD

Artelibro is committed to the promotion and dissemination of art and antique books as well as in the promotion of the book and publishing heritage of the territory.

In collaboration with local authorities, AIE (Italian Publishers Association) and ICE (Institute of Foreign Trade), in the 2010 Artelibro participates in the major national and international events related to book, art and cultural tourism: Milan International Tourism Exchange (February), Ferrara Restoration Fair (March), Bologna Children’s Book Fair (March), London Bookfair (April), Turin Book Fair (May), Festival of Contemporary Art of Faenza (May), Book Expo of America (May), Sardinia Literary Festival (July).

ARTELIBRO WEBSITE

www.artelibro.it, in Italian and in English, continues to perform its function of support and promotion of the Italian and international art publishing.

It is not only a showcase of the event, but also an exhibition platform serving the art and ancient book, a place of excellence where a special editorial  office selects and publishes news and activities reported by exhibitors and cultural institutions involved in the Festival, as well as presentations, exhibitions, meetings, conversations and debates related to antique, rare, artist  books, and art publishing. The newsletter is sent to the members every two weeks.