Invitation: Druk in Leuven at Off the Grid ([removed])

In the context of the word and book festival Druk in Leuven, Off the Grid (Cas-co’s residency and presentation platform) engages with the relevance of these media within contemporary art through a three-day programme of exhibitions, talks, performances, and readings, devoted to publishing as artistic practice.

Curator-in-residence Alicja Melzacka develops the programme Back-to-back, offering perspectives on artists’ writing and publishing, whilst the exhibitions by collective-in-residence Bebe Books and artist-in-residence Oya are on view in the adjacent spaces of Off the Grid. Druk In Leuven is an initiative of the city of Leuven and takes place in various locations.

‘Back-to-back: perspectives on artists’ writing and publishing’

Publishing and bookbinding terminology abounds in bodily metaphors and vocabulary borrowed from choreography, like dos à dos (‘back-to-back’) or tête-bêche (‘head-to-toe’). This dual meaning, also apparent in the festival’s title Druk (translating to both ‘edition’ and ‘pressure’), underscores publishing’s intrinsic connection to materiality – of printed matter and the writer’s/ reader’s physicality – and offers a premise for the exploration of the relationship between text and body.

Taking place across two afternoons, the programme strings together a series of diverse contributions that in some places touch each other. 

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Back-to-back: perspectives on artists’ writing and publishing
Off the Grid

Saturday, [removed]

13:00 – Alicja Melzacka, ‘Smudged-glass writing’,
discussion group on writing and illness

15:30 – Jeroen Peeters, ‘A table’, lecture-performance

16:15 – Clara Amaral, ‘Do you remember that time we were together and danced this or that dance?’, performance

17:00 – Francesca Hawker, ‘Into Eels’, table-read

17:30 – ‘Back-to-back’, Q&A with programme participants

Sunday, [removed]

13:00 – Reinier Vrancken, ‘Teeth Surrounding a Flower in the Meanings’, conversation

14:00 – Martha Jager (Dear,) & Isabelle Sully (Unbidden Tongues), ‘Messy Keynote’

15:00 – Henry Andersen, ‘DS’, reading

15:30 – Kate Briggs, ‘The Long Form’, passages translated by Will Holder

[removed]* – Bebe Books, artist talk (*part of ‘Let’s Talk Leuven’ series)

17:00 – ‘Back-to-back’, Q&A with programme participants

17:30 – Playbill (Martha Jager & Isabelle Sully), ‘Budget Statements 2022’, performance

Oya: ‘To Borrow’

This is a borrowed exhibition about some of the ideas Oya borrows from strangers in the practice of everyday life. Often these observations come from the most commonplace of situations, occurring when Oya is on her way to work or home, or when Oya is eating, shopping, chatting, etc. Please note that there are no original concepts here, all ideas are borrowed. Eureka, Oya has found it!

Opening: [removed], from 6 pm-10 pm

Exhibition: [removed], [removed], 2-6 pm

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To Borrow – Oya
Off the Grid

Bebe Books: ‘Press Play’

‘Press Play’ is an open platform exploring the poten­ti­a­li­ty of queer pro­ces­ses of prin­ting. As a cri­ti­cal res­pon­se to pro­ble­ma­tics of the print cul­tu­re in the West, instru­men­ta­li­sed for the repro­duc­ti­on of nor­ma­ti­ve power, the copy sto­re brings atten­ti­on to slow, ana­chro­nis­tic, hack­ed, low-tech print tech­ni­ques. Press Play features various print tech­ni­ques faci­li­ta­ted through dis­tri­bu­ted agen­cy and col­la­bo­ra­ti­ve labour. Furthermore, it expands the con­cept of publis­hing to inclu­de broa­der medi­ums such as rice coo­kers and cas­set­te tape recor­ders, reflec­ting the ety­mo­lo­gi­cal mea­ning of ​“publis­hing” as ​“to popu­la­te.”

Opening: [removed], from 6 pm-10 pm

Exhibition: [removed], [removed], 2-6 pm

Do not miss: Bebe Books, artist talk (Let’s Talk Leuven): [removed], 4 pm

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Press Play – Bebe Books
Off the Grid