LL'Editions: The Leporello Series: #6: Maurizio Nannucci, #8: Jonathan Monk, Gothenburg, Sweden, 2022

The Leporello Series is a really smart series of artists' accordions published by the Swedish LL'Editions. Inhabiting a space between the book and paper sculpture, the leporellos are printed on delicate Mohawk Eggshell paper. Each volume in the series is limited to 250 numbered copies and come in a bespoke rigid box, with the title hot foiled both onto its front and its spine, allowing it to sit comfortably in a bookshelf when not on display. [from publisher's statement]

For The Leporello Series, LL'Editions has been inviting a select group of international artists to contribute. Each artist is given carte blanche, restricted only by the accordion format and its ten panels. Previous issues featured the following artists: #1: Heimo Zobering, #2: Micah Lexier, #3: Fiona Banner, #4: Ryan Gander, 2021. Here's a link to 4 other LL'Editions in this blog: LL'Editions: The Leporello Series, #1: Heimo Zobering, #2: Micah Lexier, #3: Fiona Banner, #4: Ryan Gander, 2021- , Gothenburg, Sweden

                     Leporello #6, Maurizio Nannucci, 2022

This is a curious work by this Italian contemporary artist known for his photography, video, neon & sound installations, artists' books and more broadly his conceptual and concrete poetry language practice. This text work with its doubling effect and its circularity left me feeling unsatisfied, coupled with the sense that Nannucci had missed an opportunity to create something much more engaging with the accordion's wonderful format.

10 single-sided pages, individual pages 5.5" x 4", when opened 3' 4"

upside down view

back of the box

              Leporello #8, Jonathan Monk, 2022

Brit appropriationist and concept artist gives us his sly interpretation of the iconic artists' accordion book — Edward Ruscha's Every Building on the Sunset Strip (1966). The original featured images taken from a car of both sides of this historical 'strip' printed at the top and bottom of the accordion with a large white space between them indicating the space of the road coupled with the street numbers of each building.  Monk in this leporello gives us only one side of the street accompanied with the street numbers for both and then he reveals that he shot this work from the original accordion "...with an iPhone 12 in pano mode." This piece makes me smile. 

Check out Monk's other works on this site — People Looking at Art (2021) is a good one to start with: accordion publications: Jonathan Monk, People Looking at Art, Fifth Syllable, UK, 2021, ed. 50

10 single-sided pages, individual pages 5.5" x 4", when opened 3' 4"

back of the box

Leporello #12-22, Arena-Dottir, Copenhagen, Denmark, 2009

the boxed set

A boxed set of 11 accordions/leporellos published by Leporello a marketing agency based in Copenhagen with each work being a collaboration between members of the Danish art and literary scenes. Although I could find no further information about these collaborations, I'm assuming the visual artists did the front and a writer contributed the texts that are typically on the reverse side. I have previously reviewed the first edition of this publication featuring #1-11 (2005) [see: Thomas Seest (ed), Leporello #1 - 11].

For more information about Leporello ("Leporello Business Solutions, We call it B.S. for a reason"), see: leporello.dk

The leporellos address all sorts of different subject matter, however I was not able to understand the Danish texts, so for me I could only experience the visual aspect of each accordion and their quality seemed to fluctuate somewhat. Nevertheless, this is a worthy project and anything that promotes collaboration between different sectors of the art community interests me!

Each accordion is comprised of 12 double-side pages, with individual pages measuring 4" x 3", and when fully opened the leporellos are 3 feet long.

note: click on images for larger versions

the eleven leporellos

#12: Nina Sos Vinther/Thomas Andersen

#13: Lars Skinnebach/Kristin Eiriksdottir

#14: Aleksa Okanovic/Birgitta Lund

#15: Christina Wendelboe/Ebbe Stub Wittrup

#16: One Horslev/Kasper Bonnen

#17: Maria Wandel/Martin Larsen

#18: Lars Frost/Rose Eken

#19: Seimi Norregaard/Morten Schelde

#20: Morten Sokilde/Trine Boesen

#21: Helle Hojland/Thomas Seest

#22: Lene Andersen/Ulrik Heltoft

 

The Procession of Dukes (Dresden), Rahmel-Verlag, Pulheim, Germany, nd

Measuring 334.5 ft (102 meters) this Procession of Dukes wall mosaic is located on a colonnade in the historic district of Dresden and features a collection of larger-than-life portraits of Saxony rulers dating back to the 16th century including Dukes, Electors, Kings and other leading figures from the arts and sciences. Consisting of over 24,000 Meissen tiles it is reputed to be the world's most extensive porcelain work of art.

This touristic accordion guide to the mosaic comes in three languages and illustrates the full length of the mosaic. On the reverse side are details about each of the figures portrayed. The panoramic qualities of the accordion are obviously ideally suited for documenting and illustrating a work such as this one and for educating visitors to Dresden about the city's long history.

My thanks to Guy and Mary for donating this piece to my accordion collection!

25 double-sided pages, individual pages 4" x 2.75" and when unfolded 5ft 8.5".

reverse side