Suki Chan, Imagine-Space Above Our Heads, 2006

the two accordion books with sleeve

These two accordions were published by this Brit artist during a residency with the Osteopathic Centre for Children in Manchester, England. As part of the residency, Chan with the help of local school children and volunteers, created 1000 origami birds. Chan writes in the booklet "An old Japanese tradition tells you that if you make 1,000 origami birds, your wish will be granted. A little girl wished for world peace and began making paper birds everyday. Unfortunately this young girl, a victim of Hiroshima suffered terminal illness. The target was eventually reached by those around the world who were touched by the little girl's story." This accordion includes a photograph of the birds installed (I assume), in the building housing the offices of the Osteopathic Centre.

For more information about his interesting artist see: Suki Chan 

Both accordions: 8 double-side pages, individual pages 4.75" x 4", and when unfolded 2ft 8".

Imagine - Space Above Our Heads, 2006

reverse side

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Imagine - Space Above Our Heads, 2006

the origami birds in situ

reverse side

Subspace Pop-Up: Artists' Photographic Accordion Books, Sunday, March 9, 1-5pm, 2025, Madison

Jürgen O. Olbrich, Ticket on Tickets, 2024 and Ticket Leporello, 2025, Kassel, Germany

Repurposed leporellos from different contexts become ticket leporellos created by the comings and goings of this peripatetic German post-fluxist and concept artist based in Kassel. Distance and location become the major themes in these travel diaries that are documents of both time and space.

Tickets on Tickets, 2024

reverse side

6 double-sided pages, individually 4" x 8", and unfolded 4ft

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Ticket Leporello, 2025

reverse side

vertical orientation

12 double-sided pages, individually 4.25" x 3.25", and unfolded 3ft 3"

Jean Tinguely, Meta II, Alexander Iolas Gallery, New York, 1965 and Tinguely, Rijsmuseum Kroller-Muller, Netherlands, 1967

Jean Tinguely, Meta II, Alexander Iolas Gallery, New York, 1965

I was really surprised to discover these two fascinating accordion exhibition catalogues for Tinguely shows between 1965 - 1967. Somehow they didn't seem like the regular exhibition catalogues and upon examining them it became clear that what Tinguely had produced in both these accordions could more accurately be defined as artists' books. 

It's clear that Tinguely had a key role and a free hand in the design and production of these accordions, and there's a real relaxed attitude to the flow of the design and content, and in Meta II, for example, he's included in the image the tape holding the final edit together. It would appear that Tinguely has applied his auto-destructive tendencies to the structure of the exhibition catalogue itself.

Both books are not only places for documenting his works and installations, but he includes lots of sketches and other documents charting the course of his works over these different sections of career. The accordions feel like visual diaries, notebooks of intimate spaces where Tinguely reveals the different sides of himself, of his thinking and of his works.

28 single-sided pages, individually 8.75" x 6.75", when unfolded 15f.   _______________________________________________________________

Tinguely, Rijsmuseum Kroller-Muller, Netherlands, 1967

front 

reverse side

 

28 double-sided pages, individually 8.75" x 6.75", when unfolded 15ft 9"

back cover