Between October 4 and 6, 2024

The exhibition of fanzines and artist books is the result of a collaboration between Flanzine and Fanzine Ultra Violenta, repeated for the third consecutive year, as part of the major event aMOSTr 2024 – Independent Publications Showcase, which took place in Vila do Conde from October 3 to 6.

Among the various forms of independent publishing highlighted by this event are fanzines, representing the most personal, free, and experimental format of authorial publication. Once again, a specific curation was carried out to demonstrate diversity and breadth within this type of publication. Several Portuguese artists were invited to participate, for whom this editorial attitude is their artistic practice.
The response was overwhelming, allowing the public to discover many illustrators, designers, photographers, writers, and poets who make their various works public through fanzines or artist books.

Details about the main event in which this exhibition was included can be found at the following link: http://www.cabecave.com/amostr-2024/

Takes place on October 21, 2024

This is a training course aimed at visual arts teachers, promoted by the Training Center of the Association of Schools from the Municipalities of Aveiro and Albergaria-a-Velha, and accredited by the Scientific-Pedagogical Council for Continuing Education.

The most recent edition took place in the city of Aveiro between October and November 2024, led by instructor Miguel Correia.

This course extensively and deeply explores various concepts related to independent publishing and the diverse forms of experimental graphic design.

It promotes creativity, methodological experimentation, and artistic expression through less conventional approaches, focusing on fanzines, artist books, and other alternative publishing media. It empowers teachers to integrate alternative editorial design in the classroom.

The course combines theory and practice using varied pedagogical methods, including study visits, debates, demonstrations, and hands-on activities in both face-to-face and online formats.

This course has proven to be an excellent opportunity to explore editorial design from a new perspective and encourage creative practices in teaching.

Among the activities developed during the course, special mention goes to the individual Fanzine project (FZ 2.0) and the collaborative project Art Box (AB 1.0).

This collaborative project involved creating an assembling art box titled Time Caps Lock (a semantic play on the terms Time Capsule and Caps Lock).

The project’s starting concept was that of a time capsule — a snapshot of the present moment to be revisited in the future.
This Time Caps Lock contains various creations made by participants in this training, consisting of multiples created through different printing systems and techniques covered during the course.
These are visual narratives in different formats and approaches reflecting on time, existence, and their volatility, as well as other themes relevant to each author.

Besides the contributions from each participant, the course also includes projects created collaboratively by all:

AB 1.1 Exquisite Corpse (inspired by the practice of Dadaist and Surrealist artists)
AB 1.2 Risograph Minizine (resulting from the demonstration session of this printing technique)
AB 1.3 Gel Plate Postcard + Asemic Writing (where the gel plate printing technique was explored)

Authors:
Ana Raquel Martins / Cláudia Ribau / Delfim Rodrigues / Francisco Cardoso Lima / Gabriel Rego / Graça Figueiredo / Joaquim Mónica Filipe / João Duarte Francisco / Miguel Correia / Orquídea Baltazar / Pedro Tavares / Sara Bandarra / Teresa Mafalda Campolargo

Takes place from November 14, 2024 to January 19, 2025

The exhibition aims to present a broad spectrum of collage techniques used by artists working with artist books, zines, and visual poetry. It introduces the public to the work of artists from around the world — from Japan, through Germany and Portugal, to Latin America. A diverse range of personalities is represented, drawing inspiration from a wide variety of influences: from local artistic traditions, through Dadaist experiences in the spirit of Kurt Schwitters, to contemporary independent publications with a grunge style.

Nearly 200 objects will be exhibited in a space of over 500 square meters at the BUW Gallery, including original handmade collages, art zines, artist books, and digital collages.

The “Adhesions” exhibition on collage in artist books and artzines marks the conclusion of the “Artists in the Library” series, held by the University of Warsaw Library as part of its 25th anniversary celebrations in Powiśle. At the same time, it reflects the aspiration to establish a future biennial event dedicated to book art and other artistic forms combining written word and visual art.

Artist books, especially artzines, represent a phenomenon that often escapes the traditional perspective of libraries. Perhaps, as communication increasingly shifts to the digital domain, a renewed appreciation arises for the tangible nature of books and other publications, expressed through artistic creations — whether artist books developed within art school programs or underground, countercultural zines. This is a phenomenon that libraries should closely follow.