Talk: Renata Pekowska for the National Irish Visual Arts Library - Judge by the cover - book as object and artwork

01 December 2020, 6.30pm

When we think of a book, we think of the familiar codex form with pages, spine and text or images. But what else can a book be? Many visual artists create book-objects, conjuring strangeness out of the familiar form.

In this online talk visual artist and researcher Reneta Pekowska presents some thoughts on the possibilities within the book form, including examples of Irish artists' books from the National Irish Visual Arts Library (NIVAL) and other collections, looking at books as objects but not as we know them.

Renata Pękowska is a visual artist and researcher based in Dublin. Her background includes architectural studies, craft design and contemporary art theory. She worked for the National Irish Visual Arts Library in years 2008-2019, and is currently a member of artists and lecturers panels at the National Museum of Ireland, the Hugh Lane and the Butler Gallery

The National Irish Visual Arts Library (NIVAL) is a public research resource dedicated to the documentation of 20th and 21st century Irish visual art and design. The collection contains documentary material in all formats including books, catalogues, videos, slides, artists’ papers and ephemera in print and digital format.

This event takes place as part of Dublin Art Book Fair 2020: Design as an Attitude, sponsored by Henry J Lyons.