No-Mad Library: Experimental Theory Lab

10/03/2015

https://vimeo.com/121404768

This is "Weapons of Mass Instruction: A 1979 Ford Falcon Converted in a Tank Armored with 900 Free Books" by Colossal on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

21/05/2014

http://jegensentevens.nl/2014/05/pictured-117/

PicturEd Jansen is een bekende bezoeker van menig Haags museum, initiatief, galerie of podium.Wekelijks speurt hij met zijn camera de Haagse kunstwereld af, en een enkele keer wat verder weg, op zoek naar interessante situaties of kunstwerken om er vervolgens zijn eigen bijzondere beelden te…

14/05/2014

http://jegensentevens.nl/2014/05/pictured-114/

PicturEd XL Jansen is een bekende bezoeker van menig Haags museum, initiatief, galerie of podium. Wekelijks speurt hij met zijn camera de Haagse kunstwereld af, en een enkele keer wat verder weg, op zoek naar interessante situaties of kunstwerken om er vervolgens zijn eigen bijzondere beelden…

14/05/2014

http://www.visualnews.com/2014/01/24/rare-book-opens-6-different-ways-reveals-6-different-books/

Book binding has seen many variations, from the iconic Penguin paperbacks to highly unusual examples like this from late 16th century Germany. It’s a varia

04/05/2014

2nd May.
10:00 - 16:30.

The 5th Nomad Library session: Laboratory of Experimental theory with Anne Geene, Tanja Smit, Zoe Kate Reddy and the Coke contribution of Ton Schuttelaar.
The selected book of this 5th gathering at Gemak was:
"Video skulptur retrospektive und aktuell"
1963-1989.

Catalog for the exhibition of video-sculpture at the Kunstverein which took place from 18.03. until 23.04 in the year 1989.
Authors: John G. Hanhardt, Friedemann Malsch, Vittorio Fagone, Wulf Herzogenrath, Edith Decker.

This book includes the work of 45 international video artists such as Nam June Paik, Bruce Nauman, Studio Azurro, Marie Jo Lafontaine, Abramovic/Ulay, Buky Schwartz, Klaus vom Bruch and Dutch video artist Madelon Hooykaas.

Nomad Library wants to thank all the 16 artists who participated in these gatherings of experimental theory!!
It was great to work together learning from each other, sharing knowledge and creating something out of a book that perhaps was not of your interest but for sure, was challenging your methods and artistic strategies.

The laboratory of experimental theory is looking forward to further gathering sessions in a different location!
Thank you all and till very soon!

27/04/2014

http://youtu.be/VV3pIsvUL6s

A Kazakh family constructs a yurt for a wedding party in northwestern China.

26/04/2014

25th April.
10:00 - 14.30.

The 4th Nomad Library: Laboratory of Experimental theory with Marcus Graf, Anna van Vliet and Angeline Dekker (with Hannes her dog).

Selected book:
Allan Kaprow. 1986, Museum am Ostwall, Dortmund.
Collagen, Environments, Videos, Broschüren, Geschichten, Happening- und Acti Vity-Dokumente 1956 - 1986.

Allan Kaprow (August 23, 1927 – April 5, 2006) was an American painter, assemblagist and a pioneer in establishing the concepts of performance art. He helped to develop the "Environment" and "Happening" in the late 1950s and 1960s, as well as their theory. His Happenings - some 200 of them - evolved over the years. Eventually Kaprow shifted his practice into what he called "Activities", intimately scaled pieces for one or several players, devoted to the study of normal human activity in a way congruent to ordinary life.
Fluxus, Performance art, and Installation art was, in turn, influenced by his work.

"Forget all the standard art forms—don’t paint pictures, don’t make poetry, don’t build architecture, don’t arrange dances, don’t write plays, don’t compose music, don’t make movies, and above all don’t think you’ll get a happening by putting all these together...
The point is to make something new, something that doesn’t even remotely remind you of culture". A. Kaprow.

Nomad Library is more than happy to challenge creativity! Long life to Fluxus! Thank you all!

24/04/2014

April 23
10:00 - 17:30

The selected book of this 3rd nomad library session was: "Shunga"!

Shunga is a Japanese term for erotic art. Most shunga are a type of ukiyo-e, usually executed in woodblock print format. While rare, there are extant erotic painted hand-scrolls which predate the Ukiyo-e movement. Translated literally, the Japanese word shunga means picture of spring; "spring" is a common euphemism for s*x.
Shunga has its origins in Ancient China. It is thought that shunga were initially inspired by illustrations in Chinese medicine manuals, a process which had its origins in the Muromachi era (1336 to 1573). Zhou Fang, the great T'ang Dynasty Chinese erotic painter, is thought to also have been influential. He, like many erotic artists of his time and place, tended to exaggerate the size of the ge***al organs, a common shunga topos.
In Japan, Shunga goes back to the Heian period. At this point it was the reserve of the courtier class. Through the medium of narrative handscrolls, s*xual scandals from the imperial court or the monasteries were depicted, and the characters tended to be limited to courtiers and monks.

We all finished our re-interpretation of "Shunga"!
come and see the results at Gemak!
Thanks to Annemieke Louwerens, Pim Piet, Astrid Nobel and Michael Doocey!

19/04/2014

18 April.
10:00 o'clock.

The selected book of this second gathering session was "A Shoal of Fishes" by Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858).

Although he employed various confusing pen names throughout his career, his prints of landscapes, river scenes, and, in this case, animals are truly unmistakable for their graphic skill and mastery of the tedious color process involved. His marvelous gift for intensity seems to give even these fish a depth that is far beyond the merely aquatic.
The book, beautifully reproduced, is bound in stitchless Japanese accordion style, leaving each print folded, not punctured. Highly recommended as an example of an e xacting art form by one of its greatest masters.

Nomad Library is looking forward to have the re-interpretation of "A Shoal of Fishes" by Andrea, Ruud and Jessy!

"Zero" re-interpretation by Sissel, Marlies and Nomad Librarian is now on the wall, at Gemak!

17/04/2014

10:00 am - 11th April 2014.
First gathering session.
Laboratory of experimental theory with Sissel Marie Tonn and Marlies Adriaanse.
Great fun and amazing results through the selected book of the day: "ZERO". Published in Germany in 1958 and 1961 by Otto Piene and Heinz Mack.
Zero was a group of artists founded by Heinz Mack and Otto Piene willing to became an international art movement, sometimes associated with the Nouveau réalisme paradigm.
Zero was the name of a magazine founded in 1957 by Heinz Mack officially disappeared in 1967. Mack and fellow artist Otto Piene invited artists like Günther Uecker to exhibit in their studio, and the three friends became the founding fathers of the Zero movement, which would soon reach out to embrace artists throughout Europe. Working in an environment without galleries and contemporary art spaces, these artists came together to exhibit their work in a series of one-day-only evening exhibitions, often staged in their studios.
What a surprise to have the Zero movement book as the very first selected book (with blindfolded eyes).