Arte Factum
Curated by Daniel Zomparelli
Produced in partnership with Poetry Is Dead
Exhibition: March 30 to May 5, 2012
Opening Reception: March 30, 2012 at 8pm (also the launch of Poetry Is Dead issue 5)
Arte Factum is an exhibition of poetry chapbooks from across North America that features twenty contemporary works—including new releases by Jordan Abel and Dina Del Bucchia, commissioned by Poetry Is Dead—and is accompanied by curator Daniel Zomparelli’s personal chapbook collection along with additional donated chapbooks from derek bealieau and Warren Dean Fulton.
Arte Factum, the Latin phrase “to make,” acknowledges the chapbook as an object of literary and publishing craft that originated in the nineteenth century as a small, inexpensive pamphlet or booklet of literature. Today it is common for poets to publish collections of their work as chapbooks using low-cost printing and hand-binding techniques like sewing and stapling. These booklets are hand sold or exchanged, often at readings or other events that feature literary work.
Although advances in technology continue to make online publishing and the production of digital books increasingly accessible, this nostalgic book-making practice continues to rise in popularity. This resurgence of an antiquated book production and distribution process reflects a rebellion against mass dissemination online or through traditional distribution channels—a push towards localization versus globalization. How do we create in a time of digitalism? We revert back to physical production.