Saturday - Printing Plant - Talks and Workshops
24 November 2018

Looiersgracht 60’s bespoke book fair ‘Printing Plant’ is accompanied by an exciting public programme. The carefully curated events shine a light on an inspiring range of perspectives pertaining to the artist book and independent publishing. The programme includes an exciting line up of talks, lectures and workshops. We look forward to opening up the world of art book publishing to the general public while affording industry professionals the opportunity to encounter fresh perspectives.

On Saturday November 24 there are several exciting events happening at Looiersgracht 60, see the schedule below.

How Women invented the Photobook
Lecture by Delphine Bedel
12:30 -13:30, auditorium
Founding director of Meta/Books, Delphine Bedel is an artist, publisher and currently, a PhD candidate at the University of Creative Arts, UK. Her doctoral research aims to establish publishing as a medium, chosen historically and contemporarily by women to assert their artistic, economic, political and sexual independence, despite its being historically considered a highly privileged medium, reserved for circulating images controlled by men. Bedel maintains that although women’s contribution to the history of photography and to publishing was defining and ground-breaking in many areas, the publications documenting their achievements are scarce. The degree of erasure and misrepresentation, the lack of documentation, academic research and archives is something Bedel believes must be rectified with some urgency. During her talk at ‘Printing Plant’, Delphine Bedel will attempt to share part of this legacy in the form of published projects by Dutch female artists in the 1970s, amongst others, and critically analyse it, from a feminist standpoint and in relation to her own practice as artist and publisher.

Please note there is limited seating available for this event. Tickets are € 3 euro and are available here and at the venue. For more information, please email valeria@looiersgracht60.org

Playground Press
Children’s workshop by Casco Art Institute and Merel Zwarts
12:30 – 13:30, office
By recreating fanzines from the 19th century, publishing house Rorhof has created a beautiful installation which is on view during ‘Printing Plant’. Set against this inspiring backdrop, artist Merel Zwarts and Casco Art Institute have organised a special workshop for children called ‘Playground Press’; a look into what would happen if children could decide how adults could best live their lives. This zine making workshop invites children to come up with propositions for adult life as they make their own zine and explore different printing techniques.

The workshop takes 60 minutes and is suitable for children aged 6 and up. Participation costs €3 and there are limited places available. You can purchase your ticket here or at the venue. For more information, please email valeria@looiersgracht60.org

VERSO / : Critical Mass
Versal Event
14:00 -15:00, auditorium
Versal is an international arts & literary journal based in Amsterdam and run by a group of artists, writers, researchers, and educators. Together with Mezrab, Versal organises VERSO /, an interdisciplinary performance evening that brings together writers, artists, filmmakers, researchers, and designers around a specific theme. Printing Plant will host a rare offsite edition of VERSO / that expands on, and intersects with, notions of the 'critical mass' and the role of women in art-book publishing. Attempting to simultaneously create cohesion and disruption between the printed page and the performance space, this program will feature poetry, art, performance, ritual, and discussion. Contributing guests include Marly Pierre-Louis and Tara Coghlan from fuck zine, artist Maria Guggenbichler, artist Romy Yedidia, Versal editors Margarita Osipian, Megan M. Garr, and Anna Arov, and more.

Please note there is limited seating available for this event. Tickets are € 3 euro and are available here and at the venue. For more information, please email valeria@looiersgracht60.org

Printing Plant x San Serriffe, Tea Readings​
15.30-16.30, office
Focusing on self-published material, Amsterdam based bookstore San Serriffe is a treasure trove of exceptional books on art, theory and design publications. It is also host to a vibrant weekly programme of book presentations, talks, performances and conversations concerning publishing culture. During Looiersgracht 60’s book fair ‘Printing Plant,’ San Serriffe is organising Tea Time Readings, an event where visitors are invited to take a break from the bustle of the fair and enjoy a cup of tea in the quiet office space at Looiersgracht 60. Here they will be accompanied by writers and publishers who will be reading from their recently published work. The Tea Time Readings on Saturday will present work by Phil Baber and Jonathan Aldenberg.

Phil Baber – Friedrich Hölderlin: Selected Poems and Letters

Book designer, writer and publisher Phil Baber is a co-founder of The Last Books, a small press that focuses on poetry, theology and literature in translation. Baber has carefully compiled and typeset the enormous body of Friedrich Hölderlin’s (1770–1843) poetic works, as translated by Christopher Middleton. Hölderlin will present this beautiful volume which includes translations of 31 poems and 14 letters, as well as notes and essays by Middleton.

Jonathan Aldenberg – Chants of Energy
Gerrit Rietveld Academie graduate Jonathan Aldenberg is a freelance designer and writer. Using writing, dance, fashion and sculpture, Aldenberg explores themes of action and inaction, discipline and the constraints of hedonism. Chants of Energyis his first novella and is being published by Coda Press this fall.

Attending the readings is free of charge, however there are limited places available, so please email valeria@looiersgracht60.org to make a reservation.

Printing Plant x Readers & Publishers
In-Conversation with Francis Mckee, David Maroto and Astrid Vorstermans
17:30 -18:30, auditorium
Readers & Publishers is a wonderful new online directory for independent publishers and artists from across the globe. Its creators are keen to connect readers, artists and writers to publishers that are relevant to them. They are also committed to bringing publishers in contact with one another and fostering an exchange of ideas among like-minded industry professionals. Keeping this in mind, the launch of Readers & Publishers will be accompanied by a panel discussion. Looiersgracht 60 and Readers and Publishers have invited a number of noteworthy speakers to share their insights on the matter with the audience. Participants include writer, curator and director of the Centre for Contemporary Arts Glasgow, Francis McKee, artist and co-founder of the research project ‘The Book Lovers,’ David Maroto, and art historian and founder of publishing house Valiz, Astrid Vorstermans.

Please note there is limited seating available for this event. Tickets are € 3 euro and are available here and at the venue. For more information, please email valeria@looiersgracht60.org

The Anatomy and Physicality of the Book
A conversation with Anja Lutz, Dominique Fletcher and Piero Bisello
19:00 -20:00, auditorium
A discussion about the physicality and anatomy of books with Anja Lutz, researcher and founder of the Berlin based publishing house THE GREEN BOX, Dominique Fletcher, a senior lecturer in Graphic Design at Leeds University and initiator of the project Combind PressandPiero Bisello, co-founder of Good Surface.
Anja Lutz’s project ‘Marginalia’ is on display at ‘Printing Plant’ and isan investigation into the book as a physical object, its materiality and inner structure. Removing the parts we typically focus on – the text, the images – Lutz reveals the support structures: the margins, the edges, the backgrounds, the spaces between the lines. Dominique Fletcher’s research specialism is centred around the book as a creative form. Her practice-led research explores the relationship between the physicality of the book, the reader and the book as a collaborative space.
Piero Bisello runs Good Surface together with Olivier Bertrand - a unique printing service that uses the parts of printable space, such are margins, that are traditionally left unused by commercial printers. Good Surface works in close collaboration with local print shops and suppliers, collecting their unused materials and turning them into printed matter instead of waste.

Please note there is limited seating available for this event. Tickets are € 3 euro and are available here and at the venue. For more information, please email valeria@looiersgracht60.org