Poster for the show
Marie Boivent, a Professor at the Universite Renne 2 and myself, Stephen Perkins, an independent curator & artist, co-curated this exhibition titled "Pli Selon Pli" (Fold Upon Fold) featuring leporellos from the university's collection du Cabinet du livre d'artiste and my own personal collection of leporellos. The opening reception was on Thursday, November 6, 2023 and the show runs through to December 22, 2023.
This is a tight show featuring 57 works representing a wide range of ways in which different artists have utilized the unique properties of the leporello format. The opening reception was distinguished by the presence of the president of the Universite who spoke at the event and it was also well attended by students from the university. This exhibition is a groundbreaking occasion as it's the first exhibition devoted solely to leporellos in France.
The day after the show opened there was a one day conference with a variety of speakers who all addressed different facets of leporellos, their history and the manner in which artists have taken advantage of the medium's format. See program for the event below.
The leporello exhibition catalogue features a joint introduction by Boivent and myself, and on the length of the back side there is a specially commissioned page work by the artist & publisher Simon Cutts that addresses the definition of the leporello, or as he calls it "concertina." The title of the show was taken from a work of his titled "Pli Selon Pli" which is included in the show and features a leporello displayed on a block of mahogany. As can be seen below, this block of solid black wood caught the attention of the security personnel at Chicago International Airport and it was put through a number of different screening machines until it was decided that it posed no threat and was returned to me!
4 double-sided pages, individually 11.75" x 8.25", and when fully open 2ft 11inches.
Front page of the catalogue
Exhibition checklist
Simon Cutt's "Pli Selon Pli" (2014), on its mahogany pedestal
Students at the opening reception
The brochure for the one-day conference on Friday, November 10th
Here security can be seen handling the block of mahogany
before scanning it in a machine
Cutt's "Pli Selon Pli" block of mahogany undergoing testing for explosives
at Chicago International Airport
