Gino de Dominicis, Lo Zodiaco, Nero Editions, Rome, 2018, photographs by Fausto Giaccone

This accordion is the documentation of an installation/performance, Lo Zodiaco that Dominicis (1947-1988) created at L'Attico gallery space in Rome between April 4 - 8th, 1970.  "The installation was a sort of tableau vivant, for five days. The signs of the zodiac, all represented by living human beings or animals with the exception of Pisces, were arranged in a semicircle and presented to the public, motionless, for the five days of the exhibition. The twelve figures of the horoscope thus divest themselves of their two-dimensionality of an illustrated almanac to acquire relief, depth, plasticity. All symbolic meaning is deliberately annulled in favour of an exact correspondence between word and image." (Alessandro Rugnone)

In his obituary in the Financial Times (June 1, 2010) Dominicis is described as someone who "...was famously disenchanted with the modern art world. Over the course of his 30-year career, he expressed contempt for critics, curators, catalogues, exhibitions and museums. He regularly refused to take part in shows, frequently destroyed his own work and loathed seeing it reproduced photographically." A further observation in this obit states, "Obsessed with a quest for immortality, he once called on scientists to halt all research and concentrate on finding a cure for death." 

13 single-sided pages, individually 5.5" x 8.25" and when unfolded 8ft 11.25"

back cover

Guy Schraenen, Axe magazine (publicity leporello), Belgium, 1975

front cover

Axe was an important artists' magazine that was edited by the Belgian artist & publisher Guy Schraenen (1941-2018) and came out in 3 issues between 1975-1976. Axe published artists who were working in the field of sound & visual poetry, as well as the work of other conceptually based artists. The periodical contained writings, postcards, cut-outs, fold-outs and each issue included a 17cm record.

This leporello was published at the time of the first issue of Axe in 1975 and would appear to serve as an advertisement for this issue as it features the names of artists published inside. A photograph from the Parisian bookstore (Didier Lecointre et Dominique Drouet) that is handling the artists' estate includes a photograph of the 3 issues of Axe that also includes this leporello (see below).

10 single-sided pages, individually 3" x 3", and when unfolded 2ft 9"

photo with the 3 issues of Axe and the publicity leporello