DABF26 Workshop: ALSO editions, ‘Blackout Poetry’

‘Blackout Poetry’ is a term used to describe the act of taking existing printed matter, and through a process of erosion, omission, and addition, rerouting the original message or revealing a hidden intent. This workshop allows participants to work with reproductions from a collection of journals held in TU Dublin School of Art & Design. These include Design, Domus, and Industrial Design magazines, reflecting the culture of product, industrial, interior, graphic, and architectural design in the 20th century. In understanding the present, it is helpful to look at the developments and widely held views present in these publications. Using manual processes – glue, scissors, scalpel – participants cut into these accounts, making text and image montages and releasing alternative readings. The workshop includes a short screening of films by graduates of the School of Art & Design, made using material in the collection.

Films presented by Angie Hogan, Niamh Fanning, Lenny Sanches, and Aoife Roche.

The workshop is suitable for adults and young adults with an interest in art and visual communication, graphic design, writing, poetry, concrete poetry, and those who just like to make things by hand.

Dr Peter Maybury is an Irish multidisciplinary artist. His practice-based research encompasses works as an artist, graphic designer, filmmaker, publisher, writer, editor, curator, musician, and educator. Peter has worked extensively with artists and institutions, editors and curators on more than 200 art and architecture publications. He lectures in Visual Communication. In 2026 he founded Dublin-based imprint ALSO editions.

ALSO editions is a Dublin-based publications imprint co-ordinated by Peter Maybury. It released its first four titles in April 2026, with a catalogue now running to 16 titles by both emerging and established practitioners. Graphic design allows you enter into all sorts of otherwise unavailable discourses, and ALSO editions uses this as the lever that brings about each publication, The books are a place through which to meet people, and to make available slight, but precise insights into the lives of others, using the syntax of graphic design and the space of the book.

Visual Communication, TU Dublin School of Art & Design is a studio-based four-year graduate programme in the School of Art & Design, TU Dublin School of Art & Design. Students work across media to develop an expansive and adaptable basis for practice and further research into the constantly evolving field of visual communication.

Event location information: This event will take place in a space accessible by lift and stairs with access to a semi-accessible bathroom on the ground floor. The room lights will be dimmed to facilitate a film screening with audio. Please check-in at the cash desk in Dublin Art Book Fair, where you will be directed to the event room. For further accessibility information please contact Learning + Public Engagement Curator Órla Goodwin.

Dublin Art Book Fair (3–13 December 2026) is a centre for contemporary artist books offering a wide selection of artist publications and titles from creative, small and independent publishers, both Irish or international, to browse or buy. In conjunction with the Fair, DABF presents an programme of book launches, publishers talks, and workshops, offering ways to engage and gain insight into contemporary independent and arts publishing.

Dublin Art Book Fair 2026 is generously sponsored by our longstanding partner Henry J Lyons and supported by Dublin UNESCO City of Literature.