Books, parchment paper, hooks, clamps, wood, cantilevers, bulbs, bulbholders, cable, card index cabinet, photocopies, vinyl, trestles, notebook.
All members of the independent art space Club Cultural Matienzo were asked to choose a short fragment from any book. The investigation about freedom, power relations and schooling in curatorial practices was fortunately overcomed by unexpected reactions: a whirl of dialogues, searches and re-readings on literature and identity. And thus, by the need to find what, how and why to exhibit to observers that may not have participated in the process. The final installation consisted in 42 books, clamped and covered by parchment papers that left only the chosen fragments visible, and texts with all the answers and dialogues that had arisen since the start of the project.
Idea & artistic direction: Agustín Jais
Book selection: 42 people.
Thanks: Matienschön team (Camille Cousin, Darío Graschinsky, Laura Preger, Leandro Depietri, Luz Peuscovich, Maia Minovich, Manuela Trujillo, Martina Amiras, Sonia Basch) + Marianela Regazzoni + Natalí Stein.
"To: matienzo_global_staff@googlegroups.com
(...) Choose one of your books. Either because you like it, you identify with it, you want people to read it, because it's beautiful, or whatever the reason. From that book, choose a fragment of not more than two facing pages. Bring it to Matienschön. The books will stand open in the chosen page for a month. Parchment paper will cover the pages, making only the fragment you've chosen legible. Bands and hooks will avoid people from turning the pages. The exhibition title is Public Library (...)"
/ To choose a book, to keep it open. To make a library. To bring a school/precedent, to make a school/to have a following, to give something to read.
(Read the full text in Spanish)
