The Bibliotheca Alexandrina Second International Biennale for the Artist’s Book
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Alexandria — the Bibliotheca Alexandrina (BA) hosts the Second International Biennale for the Artist"s Book during the period from 15-25 April 2006, chaired by Dr. Moustafa Al-Razzaz, Bibliotheca Alexandrina Special Advisor on Plastic Arts, Dr. Gamal Lamei, General Commissioner of the Biennale, Dr. Ismail Serageldin, Director of the BA, and Maestro Sherif Mohie El-Din, Director of the BA Arts Center.
Sixty six artists from Argentina, Austria, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Iraq, Italy, Lithuania, Mexico, Poland, Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, UK, USA and Egypt will participate in the Biennale.
The Biennale will include several activities including workshops at the Center for Beautifying Alexandria, workshops for children from 27-29 April 2006. The workshops will include children of different nationalities, all residing in Alexandria, with the aim of restoring the cosmopolitan spirit of the city.
An international seminar will be held on 16 April 2006, as one of the activities of the Second International Biennale for the Artist"s Book. Distinguished artists from the Biennale will participate in the seminar including Andrea Bouch, Lelli wie from the USA, Erich Paproth from Germany, and Jesper Fabricius and Marianne Fask from Denmark.
A seminar will be held where Anne Lise Bretagnolle will talk about the history of parchment and the origins of writing since the Early and Middle Ages, explaining how to invent new methods of writing through intermingling modern art and ancient crafts.
The French Association of the BA Friends will participate in the Biennale with an exhibition entitled “All the States of a Book”. The exhibition aims at presenting to the public how Artists’ books are made; from the choice of font, paper, composition, illustration, to the final binding which defines the book’s identity . The exhibition will present an overview on the history of the artist’s book in the 20th century. In that point of view, the biennale have selected two very remarkable artists, who have been pioneers in that field: Louis Jou and Pierre Andre Benoit.
Negotiations are currently underway, with the participation of Alexandria Atelier, concerning the Bibliotheca Alexandrina"s dedication of a permanent exhibition for displaying the Artist"s Book and Imagining the Book acquisitions.