When was the last time you had fun with books? It's a simple enough question, posed by Self Publish, Be Happy (SPBH) founder Bruno Ceschel. This bank holiday weekend you’ll have the chance to answer that very question in a rather unique way.
Tate Modern visitors can expect a whale of a time, as SPBH takes over the famous Turbine Hall to host a series of events to mark the first art publishing fair of its kind, Offprint London. A unique blend of events, workshops and performances promise to inspire visitors to make their own editions by playing with different photographic and printing processes.
‘We want visitors to think about the way we take and consume images, and make them into objects, to see in a different way,’ explains Ceschel. ‘There is an element of playfulness, but also an element of insight, of seeing how artists work and their process, giving you the chance to try it yourself and get involved.’
The programme itself is as varied as it is eclectic, ranging from speakers’ corner slots where everyone is invited to talk about books they love to more hands-on activities: creating temporary tattoos with Thomas Mailaender; getting creative with an aerobics class turned selfie-stick tutorial; laughing out loud with Dominic Hawgood and many more. Each workshop is run by emerging artists from around the world, bringing a more human element to Photo London which is running simultaneously at Somerset House.
The space itself will be quite a sight to behold, too. ‘It is overwhelming,’ Ceschel says of the Turbine Hall, ‘both in sense of scale and history, so we wanted to make something that was in line with our ethos.’ To that end, architects Ana Varela and Philippe-Albert Lefebvre, together with graphic designer Antonio de Luca, have used 400 plastic containers to transform the cavernous hall into a manageable space that is at once inviting, protective and nurturing, whilst keeping true to the DIY idea that drives SPBH. ‘There is that design element at play here, too. These are materials we all have access to, and yet you can use them to make something spectacular.’
Architects Ana Varela and Philippe-Albert Lefebvre, together with graphic designer Antonio de Luca, have used 400 plastic containers to transform the cavernous hall into a manageable work space.
'There is that design element at play here too,' explains SPBH founder Bruno Ceschel. 'These [plastic boxes] are materials we all have access to, and yet you can use them to make something spectacular.’
'Illustrated People' is the book form of Thomas Mailaender's performance piece. His tattoo parlour will invite visitors to create their own temporary, UV tattoos.
Japanese photographers Daisuke Yokota and Hiroshi Takizawah will produce 50 photobooks using experimental printing methods. Each artist will print photographs with different materials - Yokota with iron powder and Takizawah with cement - before drying and sewing them together
Visual artist Dominic Hawgood will host 'LOL', a laughter class drawing on the ideas about the therapeutic benefit of play and letting go through group laughter and improvisation
Artists Arvida Byström and Maja Malou Lyse will host aerobics classes as creative selfie-stick tutorials
Somewhere between performance and sculpture, Johan Rosenmunthe's 'Tectonic Crystal Healing' uses stones and sound to engage members of the audience to create a source of healing powers
ADDRESS
Tate Modern
Bankside, London
SE1 9TG
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