This small exhibition in the MOCAK Library provides a chance to see selected pieces of book art and catalogues from the Museum’s collection and archive.

The books presented make up a highly varied narrative. We can find attempts to create an autobiography (Wilhelm Sasnal, Notebook; Vlado Martek A Biography; Bernard Villers, Pliage, Remorqueur), a new work on a pre-existing text (Robert Kuśmirowski, Melancholijne przedmioty;  Jarosław Kozłowski, “Reality”; Tomasz Baran, Linus Pauling, Chemia ogólna…), and works that straddle the verge of the medium (Géza Perneczky, [soft geometry]; Dietrich Helms, Attrape: Schwarze Quadrate; Tomasz Konart, Inside).

Because of the diverse nature of the publications, we have departed from a presentation of book art in favor of a play on the structure and space of the library. The books accompanying the exhibition aim to render the open structure of knowledge with the diversity of ‘search results’, recalling an Internet search engine. We encourage you to follow the Read on››› signs, and to independently seek information on the books, and the stories behind them.

Who is the author? Do library shelves still have a role to play that is different from the one they have been assigned?

Are books soon to become art objects?

Bibliography:

• Tomasz Baran, Linus Pauling, Chemia ogólna. Wstęp do chemii opisowej z zarysem nowoczesnych teorii, PWN, Warszawa 1959, Krakow 2012.
• Dietrich Helms, Attrape. Schwarze Quadrate, Wilhelm Hack Museum, Ludwigshafen 1979.
• Tomasz Konart, Inside, 1985.
• Jarosław Kozłowski, Ćwiczenia z estetyki, Foksal Gallery, Warsaw 1976.
• Jarosław Kozłowski, Kolor, Pawilon Gallery, Krakow 1978.
• Jarosław Kozłowski, „Reality”, ZPAP, Poznań 1972.
• Vlado Martek, Sve na manju. Slavu istine, Zagreb 1995.
• Vlado Martek, A Biography, Zagreb 1993-1994.
• Robert Kuśmirowski, Melancholijne przedmioty, Potocka Gallery, Krakow, 2008.
• Helmut Nickels, Very many very simple drawings, 1987.
• Géza Perneczky, [soft geometry], 1985.
• Wilhelm Sasnal, Zeszyt, Zderzak Gallery, Krakow 1999.
• Jadwiga Sawicka, Kalendarzyk z wystawami, Arsenał Gallery, Białystok 2006.
• Bernard Villers, Pliage, Remorqueur, 1996.

Exhibition: MOCAK Reading Room, 28.6–31.7.2012 during the library opening hours
Concept: Magdalena Mazik and Katarzyna Wincenciak