Framed under the title Building the Museum from the Library: The book as an art object within Art collections, PhotoIreland has commissioned a series of essays by distinguished international contributors. The project examines the significance of the book as an art object, with particular attention to artist books, art books, and photobooks.
Contributors include established specialists in the fields of art and publishing, many of whom have previously collaborated with PhotoIreland and are familiar with the collection, as well as other professionals offering new perspectives and critical approaches intended to engage a broad audience. The commissioned essays will be published exclusively online in stages and subsequently compiled in a single volume, marking the culmination of the project.
The first two essays released are Think Library, Think Photography by Markus Schaden, from The Photobook Museum, and Stretching the Photobook Canon by Russet Lederman, writer, editor, and photobook collector.
This initiative is the first one presented in a new section on this website entitled TEXTS. The International Centre for the Image works to provide a selection of accessible texts for all audiences, from students to researchers, to help everyone understand contemporary arts practice. Through these texts, the Centre offers educational resources that expand academic research with practical, real-life case studies.
This commission has been realised with the generous support of the Arts Council of Ireland.
