Labyrint 09 – Writings and Observations

Curators: Joanna Sandell and Pia Sandström

At Botkyrka konsthall, Stockholm, Sweden.
November 7th – March 13th 2010

An overscored agenda, automated voice poetry, a painting with a deadly message – hundreds of stories by artists from the US, Sweden, South Africa, Finland, Turkey, The Netherlands, France. When Labyrint 09 – Writings and Observations opens on the 7th of November this year more than 200 artist’s books will be presented, but also text art and sound works in relation to writing.

We asked artists to share their early working processes and new methods with us. The exhibition consists of a fantastic and unusual array of texts, filled with anarchy and thought experiments, say the curators of Labyrint, Joanna Sandell and Pia Sandström. The exhibition focuses on writing as a way of seeing, a way of altering the world.

Botkyrka konsthall started working with artist’s books through the exhibition Labyrint in 2006, an extensive circular library of 260 international artist’s books. The publishing house Labyrint Press was founded shortly thereafter. In the exhibition architecture of Labyrint 09 created by artist Pia Sandström the contours of the sketch book align with the feel of a shimmering salon. The exhibition guides are dressed in coats of unwritten pages. In the new café visitors can participate by writing on the oilcloth coated tables in the textile For Poetry designed especially for Labyrint 09.

During the late fall and early winter the archive will grow and change. Some books will b ebrought out and presented at different times, others can be borrowed in the nearby local library. And for those who want, newly created art works in PDF-format can be copied directly in the exhibition and follow you home.