Artist’s Book Triennial Vilnius – 20 Years!

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Artist’s book creators on the opening of the Artist’s Book Triennial in Vilnius in 2012

Artist’s Book Triennial Vilnius 20 Years With You!

This year marks 20 years since the “1st International Artist’s Book Triennial Vilnius” was opened in Vilnius in 1997. Dear Artists, thank You for being together – we together have made our lives more beautiful and more meaningful!

The Artist’s Books Triennial Vilnius is a unique non-commercial cultural project, organised to promote artist’s books, creators of artist’s books from all over the world, and to connect galleries, publishers, editors and printers of fine art & limited editions, the greater general public, collectors and individual artists.

An artist’s book, as I define it, is a conceptual work that is created by the artist himself. The book has a clearly expressed idea governing its entire space. Using various artistic means, the artist creates image and text and binds the book. The artist’s book is an integral work of art, or interdisciplinary art, that joins words with images and principles of a traditional book and free art. An artist’s book exists either as a unique copy or is created in a limited edition, numbered and signed by the artist. The Artist’s Books Triennial Vilnius are more focused on the unique artist’s books and artist’s book-objects.

During 20 years the International Artist‘s Book Triennials Vilnius has taken place seven times with a total selection of 838 artists from 65 countries. Interactive maps, please, press on the maps:

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838 artists from 65 countries have been selected artists for the Triennials: Argentina 20, Australia 29, Austria 8, Bahrain 1, Bangladesh 1, Belarus 1, Belgium 8, Brazil 37, Bulgaria 13, Canada 13, Chile 4, China 3, Cyprus 1, Cuba 2, Czech Republic 6, Denmark 34, Egypt 3, Estonia 39, Ethiopia 1, Finland 14, France 8, Germany 77, Greece 3, Hong Kong 1, Hungary 25, Iceland 9, Iran 1, Iraq 1, Ireland 6, Italy 41, Yugoslavia 4, Japan 33, Jordan 3, Korea (South) 15, Latvia 3, Lithuania 127, Morocco 1, Mexico 5, Netherlands 13, New Zealand 1, Northern Ireland 1, Norway 4, Pakistan 2, Peru 1, Philippines 1, Poland 6, Portugal 7, Romania 3, Russia 12, Saudi Arabia 1, Scotland 2, Serbia 4, Singapore 2, Slovak Republic 2, Slovenia 3, South Africa 1, Spain 6, Sweden 25, Switzerland 15, Taiwan 1, Turkey 1, U.K. 25, Ukraine 2, Uruguay 1, U.S.A. 113.

1610 artists from 93 countries have submitted more than 3000 artist’s books:

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1610 artists from 93 countries have submitted artist’s books for the Triennials: Argentina 13,Australia 40, Austria 29, Bahrain 1, Bangladesh 1, Belarus 2, Belgium 12, Brazil 76, Bulgaria 19, Canada 22, Chile 8, China 3, Cyprus 3, Croatia 8, Cuba 2, Czech Republic 14, Denmark 61, Egypt 4, Estonia 70, Ethiopia 2, Finland 34, France 31, Germany 131, Greece 9, Hong Kong 5, Hungary 43, Iceland 9, India 1, Indonesia 4, Iran 2, Iraq 1, Ireland 9, Israel 2, Italy 112, Yugoslavia 10, Japan 46, Jordan 3, Kazakhstan 3, Korea (South) 22, Latvia 6, Lithuania 193, Macedonia 3, Malaysia 1, Malta 1, Morocco 2, Mexico 12, Montenegro 1, Netherlands 34, New Zealand 2, Northern Ireland 1, Norway 12, Pakistan 2, Peru 1, Philippines 1, Poland 20, Portugal 16, Romania 16, Russia 26, Saudi Arabia 1, Scotland 7, Serbia 8, Singapore 6, Slovak Republic 3, Slovenia 7, South Africa 1, Spain 30, Sweden 49, Switzerland 30, Taiwan 1, Thailand 1, Turkey 11, U.K. 51, Ukraine 3, Uruguay 3, U.S.A. 180, Vietnam 1.

The Triennials have been exhibited not only in Lithuania but also in Austria, France, Germany, Italy, South Korea, Sweden and Denmark.

In the next web pages I would like to share my experience as a curator, to show some photos from our archive about organization of the Triennial, to share some photos and information about the Artist’s Book Triennial in Lithuania and abroad.

 

Kestutis Vasiliunas
Chief of the Circle “Bokartas”
Curator of the Triennials

 

© Circle “Bokartas”, Kestutis Vasiliunas