 Image: Svanborg Matthíasdóttir, HAF/HAV (2021). SIGLA BINDA an exhibition with unique artists’ books by Icelandic and Norwegian artists: Nanna Gunhild Amstrup, Kristin Þóra Guðbjartsdóttir, Solveig Landa, Rita Marhaug Svanborg Matthíasdóttir, Imi Maufe, Ingiríður Óðinsdóttir, Anna Snædís Sigmarsdóttir Sigurborg Stefánsdóttir, Randi Annie Strand at Entrée, Markeveien 4b, Bergen, Norway Opening Day Saturday November 27th, from 12-5pm Roundtable conversation with guests Sunday November 28th, from 12-2pm Opening hours Entrée (until January 16, 2022) Thursday 12-4pm Friday 12-4pm Saturday 12-4pm Sunday 12-4pm Begrepene binda og sigla, er to av mange felles ord mellom norsk og islandsk. De har både konkrete og abstrakte betydninger knyttet til vår eksistens som sådan, til havet som binder oss sammen, til kunstnerisk praksis med tradisjoner og innovasjoner og til de historiske båndene og dokumentene mellom nasjoner.
Norge og Island har felles kulturelle røtter, gjennom norrøn bosetting, språk, fortellertradisjoner og ikke minst bokhistorie, men også gjennom sjøfart, fiske og andre forutsetninger naturen gir. De ikoniske fortellingene om Norge ble nedskrevet på Island og er av uvurderlig verdi for vår selvfølelse som kultur og nasjon. Tekstbildet og dets fysiske bærere; steintavlen, papyrusrullen og boken, har siden historiens morgen hatt en magisk tiltrekning på oss. De er objekter som kan ha makt over oss, som kan forbinde oss til fortidens mennesker, til det guddommelige og til loven. Å utforske bokformatets potensiale for å tjene kunstneriske uttrykk er utgangspunktet for de to kunstnergruppene fra Norge og Island. SIGLA BINDA viser frem 10 nye kunstnerbøker i Entrées nye interiørstruktur, designet av kunstner Magnhild Øen Nordahl. Codex Polaris er en kunstnerbokgruppe basert i Bergen, Norge. Deres formål er å skape muligheter og utstillingsplattformer for kunstnere som jobber med bøker i Norden. I tillegg til utstillingsaktivitet, inviterer Codex Polaris gjestekuratorer og arrangører til å jobbe med ulike nettverksprosjekter. Prosjektene og tekstene setter søkelys på kunstnerboka i spennet mellom det lokale og det internasjonale perspektivet. Codex Polaris drives av Rita Marhaug, Imi Maufe og Randi Annie Strand. Arkir (quires) er en kunstnerbokgruppe med base i Reykjavik, Island. Medlemmer av gruppen har jobbet og studert bokkunst sammen siden 1998. Arkir hadde sin første separatutstilling i 2005 og har siden den gang hatt flere utstillinger både på Island og internasjonalt. De er interessert i å dele tanker om bokkunst med andre kunstnere over hele verden. Arkir består av Anna Snædís Sigmarsdóttir, Arnþrúður Ösp Karlsdóttir, Áslaug Jónsdóttir, Bryndís Bragadóttir, Helga Pálína Brynjólfsdóttir, Ingiríður Óðinsdóttir, Kristín Guðbrandsdóttir, Kristín Þóra Guðbjartsdóttir, Jóhanna Margrét Tryggvadóttir, Sigurborg Stefánsdóttir og Svanborg Matthíasdóttir. Det er også en publikasjon med ytterligere presentasjoner av hver enkelt kunstner som følger utstillingen. Søndag ønsker vi i tillegg velkommen til en kunstnersamtale med kunstnerne og inviterte gjester. Utstillingen er støttet av Norsk Kulturråd og Skjal Translation. SIGLA BINDA vil reise videre til galleriet Íslensk Grafík i Reykjavik hvor den åpner i juni 2022. //English// The terms sigla (sailing) and binda (binding) are two of many common words between the Norwegian and Icelandic languages. They both have several concrete and abstract meanings related to our very existence, to the sea that connects us, to artistic practice with traditions and innovations, and to the historical ties and documents between nations. Norway and Iceland have common cultural roots, through the Norwegian settlement in Iceland, through language, storytelling traditions and not least through their connected book history. The iconic stories about Norway, written down in Iceland, are priceless and a central part in defining our modern states and self-understanding as cultures, even today. The text-image combination and its physical carriers; the stone tablet, the papyrus scroll and the codex format, have had a magical attraction since the dawn of history. They can be overpowering objects that link us to the people of the past, to the divine and to the law. To explore the potential of the book format to serve artistic expressions are at the core for the two artists groups from Norway and Iceland. SIGLA BINDA showcases 10 new artists’ books inside Entrée’s new interior structure, designed by artist Magnhild Øen Nordahl. Codex Polaris is an artists’ book group based in Bergen, Norway. Their purpose is to create opportunities and exhibition platforms for artists who work with books in the Nordic countries. In addition to exhibition activity, Codex Polaris invites guest curators and organizers to work on various networking projects. The projects and texts focus on the artists’ book in the span between the local and the international perspective. Codex Polaris is run by Rita Marhaug, Imi Maufe and Randi Annie Strand. Arkir (quires) is an artists’ book group based in Reykjavik, Iceland. Members of the group have been working and studying book art together since 1998. Arkir had their first solo exhibition in 2005 and have since then had several exhibitions both in Iceland and abroad. They are interested to share views on book art with fellow artists around the world. The members are Anna Snædís Sigmarsdóttir, Arnþrúður Ösp Karlsdóttir, Áslaug Jónsdóttir, Bryndís Bragadóttir, Helga Pálína Brynjólfsdóttir, Ingiríður Óðinsdóttir, Kristín Guðbrandsdóttir, Kristín Þóra Guðbjartsdóttir, Jóhanna Margrét Tryggvadóttir, Sigurborg Stefánsdóttir and Svanborg Matthíasdóttir. There is also a publication with further presentations of each artist that follows the exhibition, and we welcome you on Sunday for a roundtable conversation with the artists and invited guests. The exhibition is supported by Arts Council Norway and Skjal Translation. SIGLA BINDA will travel to Íslensk Grafík gallery in Reykjavik where it opens in June 2022.
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 Codex Polaris is working with the Center of Fine Print Research, UWE, Bristol, to promote the collecting of artist's books in the Nordic Countries, through online workshops, live visits to books fairs and project based events. This project is aimed at working with librarians and institutions, but open to anyone, and has been supported by Nordic Culture Point funding.
The first event is an online seminar on 2. - 3. desember 2021. For more detail of how to sign up: http://www.bookarts.uwe.ac.uk/news/#nordic  Codex Polaris is part of the first BOOKED event in Helsinki in October.
muu.fi/events-and-exhibitions/booked/ Codex Polaris took part in the CHART Art Fair Book Fair at Kunsthal Charlottenborg, Copenhagen, Denmark from 26. - 29. august 2021. Four days of exhibiting collaborative Codex Polaris projects and works by Imi Maufe, Rita Marhaug and Randi Annie Strand. Four days of talking to the public and making contacts with collectors, curators and fellow stand holders. Thank you to all the organisers for making this happen. It was good to be back at a book fair after the absence of last year. A wonderful event put on for the first time alongside CHART Art Fair that showcases Nordic Art. Codex Polaris was supported by OCA to attend CHART Art Book Fair.
  Codex Polaris are proud to be invited to CHART Art Fair's first book fair.
Kunsthal Charlottenborg, København, Denmark 26. - 29. august 2021 «CHART Book Fair will host 30 dedicated and quality-driven publishers from across the Nordic countries. The ambition for the art book fair is to bring together the leading publishers of artists books and art-related publications from the forefront of the printed matter community in the Nordic region.» chartartfair.com CODEX POLARIS, will be showing collaborative projects such as Bibliotek Nordica, KarbonAvtrykk and Posted/Unposted alongside work by Imi Maufe, Rita Marhaug and Randi Annie Strand. Codex Polaris attendance at CHART is supported by OCA.   A huge thanks to ARKIR Book Arts Group (www.arkir.art), for installing Bibliotek Nordica at The National Library of Iceland, in Reykjavik, and to the library for hosting this exhibition. It will open on the 17th May 2021.Due to Corona there will be no official opening. The last day of the exhibition is 22nd August - before travelling to a new destination. For more info on the exhibition in Engelsk For more info on the exhibition in Islandsk Bibliotek Nordica – norræn bókverkasýning Bókverkasýningin Bibliotek Nordica, samsýning 84 norrænna listamanna á bókverkum í A6-broti, verður opin frá og með mánudeginum 17. maí 2021 í Þjóðarbókhlöðunni. Tólf íslenskir listamenn eiga verk á sýningunni sem hefur verið sett upp í sex löndum á síðustu tveimur árum. Sýningarstjórn verkefnisins er í höndum Codex Polaris - Imi Maufe, Megan Adie og Bent Kvisgaard. Markmiðið með Bibliotek Nordica er að búa til safn norrænna bókverka sem auðvelt er að nálgast sem hægt er að nota til viðmiðunar í bókmenntasögu samtímans og skapa um leið tengslanet milli Norðurlandanna. Sýningin stendur fram til sunnudagsins 22. ágúst. Opið er virka daga 9-17 og 10-14 á laugardögum. Lokað sunnudaga. Nánar verður tilkynnt viðburði tengda sýningunni síðar. Upplýsingar um sýninguna: https://www.codexpolaris.com/bibliotek-nordica.html Sýningarskrá má sjá hér: https://issuu.com/codexpolaris/docs/bn_catalogue_final Kveðja Ólafur J. Engilbertsson Sýningar og kynningarmál Landsbókasafn Íslands – Háskólabókasafn  Codex Polaris was one of the online contributors to BABE2021 - The Lost Weekend at the Arnolfini, Bristol. https://arnolfini.org.uk/whatson-category/babe-2021-the-lost-weekend/ Alongside a film about Codex Polaris, we also contributed on the catalogue with our editions of Posted/Unposted.  At last we have the pleasure of launching Posted/Unposted•British Isles at the IMPACT 11 International Print Festival in Hong Kong. Exhibitions viewable online: Watch mini films of all the work included in this new edition of Posted/Unposted www.impact11.hk   Kurt Johannessen, Rita Marhaug, Randi Annie Strand and Imi Maufe, plus Bibliotek NordicaThe latest exhibition at Kristiansand Kunsthall is all about books - the gallery rooms are filled with works by four Norwegian based artists and Bibliotek Nordica.
Welcome to Rom for bøker or Room for Books - 30th Jan til 21th March 2021. www.kristiansandkunsthall.no We wish you all well and hope that you keep safe during these times. We are working on new projects and even thought many of the events we were planning on attending this year have been cancelled - we are looking forward to bringing you inspiring book art events and publications over the next year. Watch this space!
best Imi, Randi and Rita  Due to Corona this event has been postponed until later this year. We will be updating everyone when we know more!
En helg med Artist Books I Stockholm Et risk(U) prosjekt i NKF:s lokaler, Nordiska Gästateljén Malongen, Nytorget 15 A - mitt på Söder! RUM för BÖCKER! - Grafikverkstan Godsmagasinet (Lina Nordenström) och Codex Polaris (Imi Maufe) har gått samman om att organisera detta helgevenemang med focus på ARTIST BOOKS från de nordiska länderna. Syftet är att skapa möjligheter att visa och samtala om konst-närsböcker, utbyta erfarenheter och diskutera idéer om tänkbara framtida samarbeten under kollegiala former. Vi kommer att ställa ut Bibliotek Nordica och Posted/Unposted, vilket är två olika exempel på samarbetsprojekt, initierade av Codex Polaris. Projekten inkluderar totalt 125 konstnärer, poeter och grafiker från de nordiska länderna och de brittiska öarna. Pluss böcker av ytterligare inbjudna konstnärer! Under lördagseftermiddagen organiserar vi ett program med läsningar och andra framföranden med anknytning till artists books som konstform. Programmet övergår sen i en enkel middag på kvällen - även detta i NKF:s lokaler. Mer information kommer när vi vet mer! Kontakta: Lina Nordenström: lina_no@hotmail.com / +46-73-5641167 Imi Maufe: codexpolaris@gmail.com / +47 9025 7476 English RUM för BÖCKER (ROOM for BOOKS!) - 30th - 31st May 2020 A Risk(U) project for Nordiska Gästateljén Malongen, Nytorget 15 A, Stockholm, Sweden GG Print Studio (Lina Nordenström) and Codex Polaris (Imi Maufe) are organising a weekend of ARTISTS' BOOKS from the Nordic countries. This weekend is designed to give space for exchanging and discussing of book art ideas along with the possibility to show examples of book works in a pop up exhibition. We will be showing Codex Polaris’ collaborative projects Bibliotek Nordica and Posted/Unposted - which in total include works by 125 artists, poets, and printmakers from the Nordic countries and British Isles. Plus works from invited guests. We will be sending out information about the full program when we know more. Contact and questions: Lina Nordenström: lina_no@hotmail.com / +46-73-5641167 Imi Maufe: codexpolaris@gmail.com / +47 9025 7476 We are showing work from 6 artists at this years Bergen Art Book Fair.
Ane Thon Knustsen, Elisabeth Rydland Nillsen, Vibeke Luther O' Rourke, Imi Maufe, Rita Marhaug, and Randi Annie Strand. Join one of the guided tours, or just come to the stand to see what we have on offer! https://www.facebook.com/events/399506150734029/ Randi Annie Strand is also launching a book on Saturday as part of the fair's program. Bibiotek Nordica is part of 'My Library was Dukedom Large Enough' in the Glasrummet at Konstepidemin, Göteborg as part of GIBCA extended program. Curated by Carine Fihn. Exhibition Opening: Saturday 2. november
The exhibition is open until 24. November 2019 Opening times: Tue-Thu 12-17, Fri-Sun 12-16 Konstepidemin, Konstepidemins väg 6, 413 14 Göteborg, Sweden ”Every library is its own universum. Truths, lies, fantasies, dreams, proof and disproof exist on quiet shelves. All according to definite systems. The letters of the alphabet get a meaning through chapters, headings, and paragraphs. In that way human thinking, experience and knowledge throughout history have been made available for the future. An artists’ book borrows the idea and the form of a book but is not literature in its usual form but an alternative space, a unique work, a container for the artist’s ideas and thoughts. The artist creates a personal universe, with its own truths, lies and sometimes its own library. It can contain everything or nothing at all. The intention is created in the eye of the beholder.” – Carina Fihn www.konstepidemin.se/kalender/gibca-extended-my-library-was-dukedom-large-enough/ Posted/Unposted is part of GG print studio's 10 year anniversary exhibition which takes place from 5. october til 10. november at Gallery Astley in Uttersberg, Sweden. This exhibition celebrates the existence of the print studio with work of over 75 artists that are in some way connected, so an apt place to show this project as it is here that the idea was conceived and the project realised with thanks to Lina Nordenström. Bibliotek Nordica has been on tour in Malmö and Copenhagen - with a visit to Kusntbibliotek which is part of the Danish National Library and also to have an additional component to the box fitted! Codex Polaris was invited by Bergen Art Book Fair to exhibit Bibliotek Nordic at this years Frankfurt book fair (17. -20 Oktober) - on the Bergen kommune stand!   Codex Polaris deltar på Kunstbokmessen Bastard, Lillehammer 23- 25. mai 2019 www.kunstopp.no/bastard Kunstbokmessen Bastard er et årlig arrangement i regi av Oppland kunstnersenter under Norsk Litteraturfestival på Lillehammer. Bastrad utforsker skjæringspunktet mellom visuell kunst og litteratur gjennom aktuelle publikasjoner, samtaler, presentasjoner og verksteder der de to feltene bryter inn i hverandre. Codex Polaris viser følgende kunstnere: Tormod Haugland/Annette Kierulf, Monica Aasprong, Johan Solberg, Ane Thon Knutsen, Vibeke Luther O´Rourke, Imi Maufe, Rita Marhaug og Randi Annie Strand. Bibliotek Nordica will be on show at the latest edition of BABE - Bristol Artists' Book Event that takes place every two year and is held at the Arnolfini, Bristol, UK - 30th to 31st March 2019.  For more info about the event:
www.arnolfini.org.uk/whatson/babe-at-arnolfini-2019 See here for a snapshot of who is appearing at BABE this year www.instagram.com/p/BvNVhX2Hg1b/  Imi Maufe and Lina Nordenström will be opening the newly installed exhibition of Posted / Unposted ++ at the San Francisco Center for the Book on the 2nd Feb 2019. This is part of the Codex Nordica project that Codex Polaris have organised for the Codex Book fair and Symposium. Alongside the original Posted / Unposted boxed work, nine artists from the Nordic Letterpress Collaboration are exhibiting extra bookworks and prints.
The exhibition is on from 2nd Feb til 29th April 2019 The San Francisco Center for the Book 375 Rhode Island Street, San Francisco There will be a gallery walk thru on the 7th feb from 5.30 -7.30 www.sfcb.org  Codex Polaris is showing an exhibition of books at the
Un Altro Studio centre in Bologna, Italy as part of Fruit Exhibition's book fair. Un Altro Studio, via Capo di Lucca 12 a – Bologna Thursday, 31st January – Sunday, 03rd February 2019 Opening night: Thursday, 31th January, h.19:00 Breakfast on the patio: Sunday, 03rd Feb, h.11:00 Opening Times: Fri 1 – 18:00-22:00 Sat 2 + Sun 3 – 11:00-13:00 / 16:00-20:00 http://www.fruitexhibition.com You can find work by artists from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden and the Bibliotek Nordica library on stand 119,120,126,127,128, and 129 - 3rd til 6th February 2019. See www.codexfoundation.org for the program of events  |
