The Second Life of Books | Maria Borțoi and Ioana Petcu

THE SECOND LIFE OF BOOKS
MARIA BORȚOI AND IOANA PETCU

Opening: 11.5.2023, 19:00–21:00
Open House: 12.5–10.6.2023
WED-SAT, by appointment

Erou Ion Călin 19, București

The Institute of the Present (IP) dedicates an important component of its actions in the interdisciplinary field of art to the transfer of information towards audiences through its P+4 Publications editorial programme. The artbook is not only a terrain for recording attitudes and ideas that circulate in the artistic field, but also an informal space for disseminating an implicit pedagogic angle, aiming at acquainting the audience with representative pieces of the local cultural history. The Institute’s interest resides in conceiving the finite object in terms of mobility, beyond the editorial direction and the graphic topical to each publication. Aiming to bring “a second life” to its artbooks, The Institute of the Present has developed an online residency programme open to emerging designers and students at design departments in the country.

Guests of the first COLLEGIUM ONLINE edition are Maria Borțoi and Ioana Petcu. In connection to this programme, The Institute of the Present opens in May a process-based exhibition dedicated to the design practices introduced by the residents in their work with the P+4 books, hosted in the IP Bucharest space on 19 Erou Ion Călin. In this frame, the P+4 Publications become a starting point for developing new concepts for design and communication towards the public/readers, offering new routes of visual representations and readership. The event showcases graphic materials instigated by the following titles: “Constantin Flondor. When Eye Touches Cloud;” “24 Arguments. Early Encounters in Romanian Neo-Avant-Garde 1969–1971;” “Ciprian Mureșan. Of Puppets and Humans” and the Parkour interview series.

P+4 Publications is an independent publishing programme dedicated to the promotion of Romanian contemporary art, photography and architecture, initiated by art historian Alina Șerban, exploring the book medium as a point of encounter between theoretical research, graphic design experiment and artists’ ideas and subjects present in their practice.

The event is presented in the artist intervention series THIS IS NOT AN ARTSPACE, conceived by Alina Șerban and Ștefania Ferchedău in the frame of the artist and theory resource platform Institute of the Present, and is part of the satellite programme of events Design GO! of the Romanian Design Week 2023.

MARIA BORȚOI, graphic designer and illustrator, is drawn towards surprising situations, bizarre and unknown challenges. She has a BA in the Graphic Design from UNArte Bucharest, is a MA student in Visual Communication. She enjoys a calculated approach in her creative process, but values any opportunity to use spontaneity to her advantage. Maria believes that having knowledge in as many fields as possible is essential to any project she would work on. She aims to bring a touch of playfulness to everyday life through her work, to trigger the attraction for the unusual in those around her, and to pass on the interest in “good design” in the cultural sphere.

IOANA PETCU is and MA student in Visual Communication at UNArte Bucharest. She got her BA in Graphic Design in 2022 at the same university, with the “ALT-F.2” project, which, through editorial and speculative design, explores the theme of fiction in relation to the future of humanity. As a graphic designer, she is interested in the work processes within a printing house, in editorial design and type design, as well as elements of visual identity in the cultural field. In her practice, she centres around experiment as a starting point in design solutions and the way people use language.

The event is part of “COLLEGIUM. A Possible History of the Invisible”. Cultural project co-funded by the Administration of the National Cultural Fund. Acknowledgments: Radu Manelici.
Visual identity: Daniel & Andrew Studio (Andrei Turenici)

The project does not necessarily represent the standpoint of the Administration of the National Cultural Fund. AFCN cannot be held liable for the content of the project or the manner in which the outcomes of the project may be used. These shall devolve entirely on the beneficiary of the financing.

Contact and visit appointment: ip@institutulprezentului.ro, whatsup 0740 300 124