Dante: Libri Nuovi - new Dante-inspired artists’ books
| Dates: | 28 April 2022 |
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| Times: | 14:00 - 16:00 |
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| What is it: | Workshop |
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| Organiser: | John Rylands Research Institute and Library |
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| Who is it for: | Adults |
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Are you interested in visual art and book design? Then do not miss this opportunity to explore contemporary reinterpretations of a literary classic.
The Italian medieval author Dante Alighieri (1265-1321) is known for his fantastical reimagining of the worlds of the Christian afterlife, the Commedia (Divine Comedy). The Commedia quickly became hugely popular and has been re-made and re-imagined over the centuries since it was first written.
During this close-up session participants will be able to see the Commedia like they have never seen it before. Eight contemporary artists were invited to produce a new book each in response to Dante's life and works. Between them, the artists work across a range of different media and follow different practices and constructional techniques, ranging from photography to digital publishing, via hand-cut woodcuts, screen printing, and stitching. Some of the responses reflect the format of a medieval book, while others offer a more radical departure from the codex. Each of the books offers a contemporary reflection on Dante's Commedia. As a collection, Dante: Libri Nuovi is an invitation to reflect on the material and structural mechanisms of reading across history.
The session will be led by Dr Rhiannon Daniels, Associate Professor of Italian and co-Director of the Centre for Material Texts at the University of Bristol. Her research focuses on Italian manuscript and print cultures in the medieval and early modern periods, with a particular interest in book design and paratext.
Travel and Contact Information
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The John Rylands Library Deansgate
150 Deansgate
Manchester
Gtr Manchester
