Jae Kyung Kim
Interview realised in winter 2022
einBuch.haus is a very unique place, as it is not a library, it is not a publishing house or a place where books are produced, it is an exhibition space dedicated to books. Can you please tell us more about your activities and how did you came up with the idea of this project?
einBuch.haus is an artist book platform where the book is the main character. Following the name of ‘‘einBuch.haus (in En: house for one book),’’ I always show only one book to each exhibition. Think from the standpoint of the book and consider how the material and content of the book should be delivered to the reader. In the beginning, when I developed the current concept ‘‘ein Buch in Form einer Ausstellung’’ in 2018, I tried to start it in a small atelier space, where only one room was. It was a perfect condition to transform the book into the white cube.
After maternity leave, I decided to expand the space to consist of a book shop and an exhibition space. Together with an exhibition, I’m showing & distributing selected artist books or references that relate to the main artist book which is presented in the exhibition space. There is also a collection called ‘‘Books on Books’’ at the shop. If someone wants to know the artist book, I would say einBuch.haus is a good place to start and discover all about artist books.
All these activities come from my personal background. I studied visual communication design at Hongik University, Seoul and also information experience design at RCA, London. During the MA program in London, there were lots of opportunities to work and involve in exhibition-making at museums and historical places. At that time, I learned how to transform information like texts and images to visitors using interactive tools.
As I used to design books and taught design in Seoul, all my experience has ended up with the interest of making exhibitions with artist books. That’s how einBuch.haus invites artist books not only from visual artists but also graphic designers. The book objects, indeed, are good materials to present their own concepts and I’m interested in taking these contents out of the book into the physical space so that people can feel and experience by entering the exhibition space.
In the history of artist’s edition, and in regard to your activity, I’m thinking about some of Seth Siegelaub projects and especially January 5-31, which was a publication realised before the show of the same name and from which the exhibition was build. As a space dedicated to books related exhibitions, how are you working?
Most of the artist books exhibited at einBuch.haus are already published before the exhibition planed. But sometimes, I am also involved in the artist bookmaking, when the artist asked my advice (ex. Fictive Appearance and SEL2020HEL Diary). To be honest, I prefer to have the book before the exhibition plan so I can imagine how I will present the book at einBuch.haus.
On your website, you write something about books that is very interesting: ‘‘einBuch.haus considers books as art objects which can be curated and presented in exhibition formats, providing immersive experience between people, objects and spaces.’’ Do you consider yourself as a curator?
I don’t see myself as a curator. I only give a place where artist books meet people. I don’t feel confident if I introduce myself as a curator. Personally, I think the term ‘‘curation’’ is overused without consideration and has lost its meaning. I would say, I’m an organiser and a book collector who loves artist books and gives a space for them.
Everyone sees me differently, some call me a gallerist, while others see me as an exhibition planner, or simply as a director at einBuch.haus. I have to say I’m wearing many hats. I also translate artist books or their theory into Korean and publish them- the publishing house called ENKR. The new book NO ISBN on self-publishing edited by Bernhard Cella, Leo Findeisn and Agnes Blaha has recently been released in Korea and is selected as one of the one hundred books for the art book fair Unlimited Edition 100 this year.
Also, when exhibiting books, there is something tricky : how to show artists’ editions books, especially when we think about their nature and the fact they were originally made to be manipulated. How do you deal with those curatorial questions?
There is a rule at einBuch.haus. All the books at the shop and exhibition space are to be sampled, read and touched without any restrictions.
Of course, there are also unique artist books or valuable ones, which I can’t afford to pay. Until now, artists didn´t want to show their works with white gloves or inside the vitrine as it distracts from the tactile interactions. Thankfully, there was no problem showing the artist book as it is. I guess the artists who showcase their works at einBuch.haus and also visitors respect our concept.
Furthermore, we also offer workshops to get to know more about artist books. Taking the Timaios 1-6 by Katharina Kamph for example, her artist book is a Do It Yourself (DIY) kit to make a small size sculpture inspired by her previous big paper sculpture project. For this, we needed to offer a workshop so the reader can ‘‘read’’ and make a sculpture out of the book together with Kamph or the artist book Bookface by Yan Gi Cheng is to be worn on their face as part of the performance. If the artists were afraid of any possible damages by reading, they wouldn’t think about these kinds of ideas.
At einBuch.haus, we are encouraging people to grab books and read or even to books. One day, each book will be unique with many traces.
This is an interesting point as you consider artists’ publications as art objects that are meant to be manipulated, and not only as books made to be seen. Maybe there also is the fact that you are working with contemporary artists, I mean, I guess it would be different with historical publications. Also, is it important to you to work only with contemporary artists? What are your thoughts on the recent editorial practices?
Yes, I focus more on the contemporary art scenes and try to support the artists. At the same time, I encourage contemporary artists to continue working in this field. Compared to contemporary artist books, I think historical publications have enough chances to be exhibited and operated in institutions and museums.
Artist books published in the 1960-70s are, of course, good references for me and sometimes, those books could be a starting point to curate a show. Many examples of exhibiting publications are also my curatorial references, for example, Alison Knowles’s Big Book at Something Else Gallery in 1967.
Back to the last questions, I also enjoy being part of the publication by inviting artists. In this pandemic time, I’ve got requests to respond to their mail art and later, it turned out an artist book and exhibition; Claudia de la Torre’s Books are Bridge, 2021. I like this kind of circulation of the creative process.
Recently, there are many attempts to broaden the form of the book within the material and immaterial spaces. Communication tools have become an indispensable part of our lives and the way of exchanging information has been changed by the device from analogue to digital. But, this transition goes not one way from another way, rather in both directions. The recent editorial practices seek a possibility to represent the main elements of books such mark on the as word and image in both ways. Using the digital method, the book itself transforms and reconfigures the dynamic relationship between word and image.
In 2022, einBuch.haus will focus the artist books representing works in these different ‘spaces’. There are three spaces; book, E-pub or VR space and gallery space to experience, perceive and interact with its contents. How information is performed in various mediums will be the key point to see our exhibition this year.