[6 pt] book design conference

LT
alchemy of a book [6 pt] conference 2024 • 11 • 16
Naked Print book fair 2024 • 11 • 17
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Events

2024 11 17 10:00–19:30

Naked Print book fair mugė Free

VAA Chess Hall | Malūnų str. 5 | Vilnius
  • Artist’s book and art book fair
  • Presentations by the creators
  • Portfolio reviews with design authorities
  • Documentary Identita: books and education screening about the Czech book design and education. Presented by one co-author of the multidisciplinary project Filip Blažekᶜᶻ.
2024 11 12–12 06

Best Book Design from all over the World exhibition Free

„5 malūnai“ gallery | Malūnų str. 5 | Vilnius

Stiftung Buchkunstᴰᴱ exhibition presents the latest trends in global book design

2024 11 12–12 06

Найкращий книжковий дизайн | The Best Book Design Contest | exhibition Free

„5 malūnai“ gallery | Malūnų str. 5 | Vilnius

Mystetskyi Arsenalᵁᴬ exhibition presents the winners of the Best Book Design competition

2024 11 08–11 30

Young New Graphic Art. Metaphysics of a Book exhibition Free

Left-Right Gallery | Latako str. 3 | Vilnius

Vilnius graphic art center present young book artists and their metaphysical experiments

Conference speakers

Sarah Boris ᵁᴷ

Books, a love story

Books, a love story

Sarah Boris will share how books and bookmaking have played an important part in her journey as both an artist and designer. From designing books for publishers to having her own books published as part of her art practice, she will share stories of her most recent published books: Rainbow and Le Théâtre Graphique. Books have become an opening point to new projects, adventures and travels.

Sarah Boris ᵁᴷ

Sarah Boris is an artist and designer whose practice spans book making, sculpture, drawing, printmaking, and painting. Her work explores various topics and forms, from symbols to climate change and language. Many of her projects often emerge from lived experiences or are connected to specific contexts. After working as a graphic designer and art director for various arts organizations and the publisher Phaidon, she established her own practice in 2015, focusing on her art practice.
Her published books include Rainbow (2022/3), Global Warming Anyone? (2019), Le Théâtre Graphique (2015/2016/2023), and After the Rain (2024), many of which are part of artists’ book collections.
Her work has been exhibited at the Design Museum in London and is included in collections at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, the New York Centre for Book Arts, FRAC Normandie, MAK Vienna, Artothèque Bel Ordinaire, the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, and the Jan Michalski Foundation in Switzerland.

Hands on Press ᴸᵀ

Artistic Self-Publishing in a Kaunas Basement

Artistic Self-Publishing in a Kaunas Basement

The studio utilizes unconventional techniques, often taking on unique and experimental projects. During the talk, a few of these projects will be highlighted. The discussion will cover how these projects made their way to the studio, how specific techniques shaped design choices, and how the publications ultimately took form through printing and subsequent production processes. Additionally, the various challenges encountered – such as the limitations of the production methods, restricted capacity, and the unpredictability of the printing machines – will be addressed. Designers and illustrators Gabrielė and Inga view these constraints as integral to the design process, enhancing the final product with unexpected, creative solutions.

Hands on Press ᴸᵀ

Hands on Press is an analogue printing and self-publishing studio located on K. Donelaičio Street in the heart of Kaunas. The studio is run by designers and illustrators Gabrielė and Inga, who are passionate about analogue printing techniques and dedicated to showcasing them in creative and innovative ways. Their work spans multiple areas, including risography, silkscreen, fine printing (such as linocut and woodcut), bookbinding, publication design, and illustration. In addition, they organize workshops, host exhibitions at their Hands on Gallery, and run artist residencies.

Honza Zamojski ᴾᴸ

Erratum. Why does the perfect book not exist?

Erratum. Why does the perfect book not exist?

Focusing on the various challenges that designers, publishers, and authors face daily, which may include technological, printing, distribution, or editorial issues, Honza will offer straightforward solutions to each problem he identifies – whether they are feasible for implementation or simply the hopeful wish of a tired designer.

Honza Zamojski ᴾᴸ

Honza Zamojski from Poznań is an artist, book designer, part-time publisher, and curator whose artistic practice spans a wide range of media—from drawings and sculptures to infographics and poetic word games. His minimalist forms are loaded with meaningful symbols, blending abstract compositions and figurative representations to create a unique visual language governed by its own grammatical and/or formal structure. He has authored more than a dozen artist books.

Radu Manelici ᴿᴼ

Quitting Book Design: Possible?

Quitting Book Design: Possible?

On the Perils of Designing Books, the Romanian Context, and the Love for Paper. After completing over 150 editorial projects in about 11 years, Radu decided to take a break. Break or no break, Radu still LOVE book design. The talk will center on various issues and problems specific to the field, with varying degrees of localization.

Radu Manelici ᴿᴼ

Radu Manelici is a Romanian designer working at the intersection of multiple fields, with a keen interest in the processes behind visual language. He graduated from the Bucharest National University of Arts, Design Department, where he now teaches. Radu’s work spans various branches of design, including product, editorial, and type design. His designs often reflect his fascination with systems and grids, which he uses to structure and organize content.

Marko Golub ᴴᴿ

Interactive Anatomies

Interactive Anatomies

Each designed book has a distinctive personality that makes it different from every other book. Apart from the text itself, that personality comes from the decisions made during its design, and each, even the smallest of those decisions shapes our interaction with the book as an object and creates new meanings in the process. The lecture points to examples of creative play with the 'anatomy' of the book and the conventions of its design in their most diverse aspects - from the most basic dynamics of text, images and blanks, through paper textures and inventive interventions in the way a book is put together, to creative and often provocative reflections on the very relationship between the book and its reader. Although the emphasis of the lecture is on book design from Croatia from the 1960s to the present day, it actually talks about how such an old medium, which has not changed much in the last 500 years, never ceases to surprise, fascinate and inspire us.

Marko Golub ᴴᴿ

Marko Golub is a Croatian art and design critic, editor, and curator, currently serving as the Director of the Croatian Designers Association Gallery in Zagreb. Since the early 2000s, Marko has been a catching writer on topics related to art and design, contributing significantly to the field through both critical essays and curated exhibitions. His curatorial work encompasses a broad spectrum of contemporary design and design history. In addition to his extensive curatorial practice, Marko has authored and edited numerous books, including the series Fragmenti dizajnerske povijesti (Fragments of Design History). His contributions also include monographs and catalogs dedicated to some of Croatia's most influential designers, as well as the last six biennial publications of the Croatian Design Review.

Silvio Lorusso ᴾᵀ

Learn to Code vs. Code to Learn: Creative Coding Beyond the Economic Imperative

Learn to Code vs. Code to Learn: Creative Coding Beyond the Economic Imperative

In this presentation, Silvio Lorusso will explore the tension between Learn to Code and Code to Learn in design education. Discussing the economic pressure to treat coding as a marketable skill, he also presents a view of coding as a craft and cultural practice. By distinguishing coding's economic utility from its creative potential, Lorusso emphasizes coding as a medium to stabilizing one's own professional identity and to build community, fostering connections within digital and physical spaces.

Silvio Lorusso ᴾᵀ

Silvio Lorusso is a writer, artist and designer based in Lisbon, Portugal. He published Entreprecariat in 2019 and What Design Can’t Do in 2023. Lorusso is an assistant professor at the Lusófona University in Lisbon and a tutor at the Information Design department of Design Academy Eindhoven. He holds a Ph.D. in Design Sciences from the Iuav University of Venice.

Naked Print fair portfolio experts/consultants

Ákos Polgárdi ᴴᵁ
The graphic designer based in Budapest. Together with Ági Rubik, he co-directs the SUBMACHINE graphic design studio. In 2022, Ákos Polgárdi initiated the establishment of the Hungarian Book Design Award.
akospolgardi.com
Andrei Grosu ᴿᴼ
Active and versatile graphic designer and curator from Romania with over ten years of experience in the field. Throughout his career, he has contributed to organizing more than 45 exhibitions, moderated over 30 radio shows on design, and served as a jury member for various design competitions. Andrei Grosu's work includes organizing creative practices, conferences and talks, as well as conducting in-depth studies and research on the intersections of design, culture and visual communication.
LocalDesignCircle.com
Iliya Pavlovᵁᴬ⁻ᴬᵀ
Graphic designer, educator, and artist with a Ph.D. in Arts. He currently resides in Graz, Austria, where he teaches at the Institute of Design and Communication at FH JOANNEUM. For 20 years, he led the design studio Grafprom, whose works have been recognized by TDC NY, the European Design Awards, the Josef Binder Award, and others. He has also worked as a design lead at Fedoriv, a leading design agency in Ukraine, and created book designs for Rodovid, a publishing house focused on art and culture. Iliya Pavlov is a designer and one of the organizers of The 4th Block poster festival in Ukraine.
grafprom.com.ua
Lars Denicke ᴰᴱ
Co-founder of Pictoplasma, world’s leading platform for contemporary character design and art. It’s a project that fosters interdisciplinary discussions and creates a new visual vocabulary that includes illustration, animation, interactive art, toys, product and fashion design, as well as urban and graphic arts. The focus is on how minimalistic design can enhance empathy. Through annual conferences and festivals, academy programs, publications and the community platform Pictofolio artists and creators from around the world are brought together by what truly matters to them – characters with appeal.
Pictoplasma
Linas Spurgaᴸᵀ
Lecturer at Vilnius University and Kaunas College, known for his sensitivity and subtle sense of humor. He is also a former chief designer at the publishing houses Vaga, Alma Littera and Baltos Lankos, and currently the chief designer at the Šviesa publishing house, he skillfully and creatively oversees every book. Linas Spurga is loved and highly regarded by book designers, with whom he generously shares his professional insights and advice.
NoRoutine Booksᴸᵀ
Independent publishing initiative that supports creation and printing of unique visual art books, with editions strictly limited to 99 copies. The publisher collaborates with artists to conceptualize and create their works in the form of a book, pushing the boundaries of traditional artistic practices and experimenting with various printing techniques, post-printing solutions, binding methods, and paper varieties, thus expanding the perception of what a book is or can be. Meet the founders of NoRoutine Books, Vilma Samulionytė and Gytis Skudžinskas.
nrb.lt Instagram
Sarah Boris ᴳᴮ⁻ᶠᴿ
Artist and designer whose work spans bookmaking, sculpture, drawing, printmaking, and painting. Her practice explores themes such as symbols, language, and climate change, often emerging from personal experiences or specific contexts. Her work has been exhibited at the Design Museum in London and is included in collections at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, the New York Centre for Book Arts, FRAC Normandie, MAK Vienna, l‘Artothèque du Bel Ordinaire, the Bibliothèque Nationale de France and the Jan Michalski Foundation in Switzerland.
sarahboris.com

Naked Print fair participants

Iliya Pavlovᵁᴬ⁻ᴬᵀ
Graphic designer, educator and artist with a Ph.D. in Arts. He currently lives in Graz, Austria, where he teaches at the Institute of Design and Communication at FH JOANNEUM. Iliya Pavlov led the design studio Grafprom for nearly 20 years, whose work has been recognized with awards from TDC NY, the European Design Awards, the Josef Binder Award, and more. He is also the designer and one of the organisers of The 4th Block poster festival in Ukraine.
grafprom.com.ua
Aukso žuvysᴸᵀ
Publishing house dedicated to promoting Lithuanian and world history and culture, constantly seeking innovative ways to present and highlight historical events and figures relevant to Lithuania. It also encourages and supports creative initiatives by artists.
auksozuvys.lt
Marcin Markowskiᴾᴸ
Creator of posters, publications and visual identities, he has been awarded numerous prestigious prizes in graphic design. Ph.D. in Arts and the Head of the Poster and Event Identification Studio at the Magdalena Abakanowicz University of the Arts in Poznań.Markowski's works have been presented in numerous international poster exhibitions and publications.
Behance
Aušra Lazauskienėᴸᵀ
She interests in the history of marbled (ebru) paper, the evolution of patterns across different regions, and traditional techniques. She collaborates with book creators to give new bindings a classic touch. In modern projects, she explores innovative artistic forms and modes of expression alongside creators.
Instagram
Magenta Typeᴸᵀ
Magenta Type is an experimental type foundry created by students with a passion for unique design. We aim to break away from traditional typography, blending new ideas with bold, creative, and expressive styles. We see Magenta Type fonts not only as a means of presenting text but also as a form of art and self-expression – our fonts stand out from the ordinary and offer new perspectives on text. Whether playful, sharp, or unconventional, each font we create provides a fresh viewpoint and inspiration for designers.
Hands on pressᴸᵀ
Analog printing and self-publishing studio from Kaunas. It is run by Gabrielė and Inga, two designers and illustrators who are passionate about analog printing techniques and make a point of presenting their work in unique and creative ways. The Hands on Press studio offers services in risography, silk screen printing, relief printing (linocut, woodcut, etc.), bookbinding, publication design, illustration, and also organises creative workshops.
handsonpress.lt Instagram
Black dogᴸᵀ
Bookstore of pre-read books. Black as a dog.
juodassuo.lt Instagram
Sarah Boris ᴳᴮ⁻ᶠᴿ
Artist and designer whose work spans bookmaking, sculpture, drawing, printmaking and painting. She is the author of the wordless book Le Théâtre Graphique, the legendary Rainbow 1 and Rainbow 2, as well as the bestselling monograph JR: Can Art Change the World? In 2015, Sarah Boris founded an independent art and design studio, where she focuses primarily on her own artistic practice.
sarahboris.com Instagram
Laura Marijaᴸᵀ
Laura Marija’s explosive creative ideas, brought to life on paper or canvas, break up the monotony of everyday routine.
Instagram
Svetlana Matveenkoᵁᴬ⁻ᴸᵀ
Ukrainian artist working with artist books and various printmaking techniques. Graduated from Vilnius Academy of Arts (Master's degree), graphic arts.
Publishing house Arklysᴸᵀ
Publishing house initiated by second-year graphic design bachelor students of the Vilnius Academy of Arts, focused on the creation of artistic, visual and conceptual books.
NoRoutine Booksᴸᵀ
Independent publishing initiative founded in 2014 by Vilma Samulionytė and Gytis Skudžinskas. Each book that is published has a strict print run of 99 copies and is considered a unique work of art. NoRoutine books invites creators to experiment with printing techniques, post-printing solutions, binding methods and paper variety, thus expanding the understanding of what a book is or can be.
NRB.lt Instagram
Vilnius Academy of Arts Press ᴸᵀ
Publishing house of Vilnius Academy of Arts, actively publishing books on the topics of art history and theory since 1993. The publisher's list also includes scientific articles, monographs, methodological materials, as well as creative works and art albums of the Academy's alumni.
leidykla.vda.lt
Vilnius Graphic Arts Centreᴸᵀ
Multifunctional cultural institution representing the field of graphic arts. The centre engages in exhibitions, international collaborations, as well as educational and publishing activities. The latter includes exhibition catalogues that complement the exhibitions contextually, as well as art albums and monographs based on art research.
graphic.lt
Elzė Milašiūtėᴸᵀ
Elzė’s illustrations are often depicted with sarcasm, using bright colours, inventive shapes and patterns. VAA student.
Emilė Krutulytėᴸᵀ
Emilė plays with paper by touching it, smelling it, looking at it, crinkling it. From these games and attempts to discover new connections with paper fictional newspapers, paper architectural structures, nibbled sheets are born...
Emilija Čepulėᴸᵀ
She finds inspiration in natural, spontaneous forms found in nature and their unique material qualities. All of this is later conveyed through installations or artist books. VAA student.
Leonardas Mekionisᴸᵀ
creator of books, publications, and illustrations. VAA student.
Nojus Sitnikovᴸᵀ
Nojus creates detailed and colourful works, engravings on themes of mythology, nature, and the cosmos. VDA student.
Giedrė Pučkytėᴸᵀ
VAA student.
Grėtė Pileičikaitėᴸᵀ
VAA student.
Karolina Demikytėᴸᵀ
VAA student.
Skaistė Navickaitėᴸᵀ
VAA student.
Aušrinė Merkelytėᴸᵀ
VAA student.
Daria Podluzhnaᴸᵀ
VAA student.
Dmitry Pakhomovᴸᵀ
VDA student.
Dominyka Jakutovičᴸᵀ
VAA student.

Introduction to alchemy of a book

Throughout history, there have always been those who believed that common materials could be transformed into gold, granting them extra value. These visionaries were called alchemists. In much the same way, over the centuries, those who work with books have strived to frame their ideas in 'gold,' using unique formulas to turn words into something precious. This year's 6 pt conference invites a discussion on how books are shaped: What design "spells" are effective today? When does a book become truly magical, captivating, or intellectually profound? What trends should we follow or avoid? Should we delve into history, revive archaic methods, or explore unconventional approaches? Perhaps now is the time to embrace discomfort or dive into cutting-edge technologies.

Book creators have always pursued their own 'philosopher’s stone', seeking to give books a form of immortality. But how much can the physical body of a book transcend time in today's fast-changing world? Should it outlast passing trends, or does it need to remain relevant to the present, capturing the spirit of our age for future generations?

Books have long been cultural panaceas, a cure for even the deepest heartache and a discovery of other worlds/thoughts. We believe that these "spells" still hold power, but they can be improved, reinvented, and rediscovered.

While we take a poetic approach, we are also eager to explore the practical, examining the methods and recipes in use by book designers and creators.

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