Emerging in the 1960s through conceptual art and the Fluxus movement, artists’ books have established themselves as a unique artistic genre. The current exhibition at Ratskeller, located in Cercle Cité, brings together 16 artists from Luxembourg and Greece, each presenting their creative interpretations of the book. The result is a wide variety of works, ranging from installations and sculptures to video projections and digital poetry, demonstrating the limitless potential of the artist’s book as an art form.
For curator and artist Maria Bourbou, the artists’ book represents an exceptionally open and multifaceted means of expression, one she describes as truly unique in its possibilities.
The exhibition is titled "Istos", the Greek word for "web", a reference to both the interconnectedness of ideas and the exhibition’s immersive atmosphere. In essence, the Ratskeller itself is transformed into an intangible ‘book’. Among the Luxembourgish contributors to this creative network are Julien Hübsch, Sandra Lieners, and Marco Godinho, each bringing their own approach to the project.
One highlight comes from Greek artist Panagiotis Voulgaris, who spent five days creating his in situ work "Engaged Touches". Here, the book is reimagined as a floating architectural structure, constructed from thousands of silk and cotton threads. The monumental installation serves as a metaphor for knowledge as a network, an interplay of information and experience.
Luxembourgish artist Florence Hoffmann presents her "Homo libri" series: sculptures of human figures whose bodies are composed entirely of books. Through these works, she expresses the idea that "what I read makes me who I am", highlighting how reading shapes and influences us. In this transformation, books also acquire a new kind of existence and relevance beyond their original content.
For Hoffmann, the fascination extends beyond the impact of a book’s content on our thinking. She is equally intrigued by the physical materials – paper, ink, and the tactile qualities of the book itself.
"Istos / Web – Contemporary Artists’ Books" invites visitors to explore the book from fresh perspectives, encouraging an open dialogue between differing artistic approaches and prompting the public to reconsider the book as both object and idea.
