Open Books

Open Books is an artist led initiative that involves a central collaboration between a group of practicing artists in Wales and artists connected with China Academy of Art, Hangzhou. Initially Mary Husted began the Open Books project with six Welsh artists in 2010, all with very diverse ways of working. Open Books now has more than 100 artists, from China, Hong Kong, Australia, Canada, India, Wales and USA.

The Chinese folding book is central to Open Books. The books can be read in Western Codex form, or in the traditional Chinese way, or as sculptural objects - they offer scope for innovative practice.

In each new country we invite a new group of artists to join us and, occasionally, we add some artists from Wales. As an exhibition that can expand and shrink to fit its venues, it continually grows and changes. Like the books themselves, the exhibition unfolds and expands. It has become a cross-cultural exchange where we hope ideas will be shared between artists, lovers of art, and the wider public.

A History of the Open Books Project

Mary Husted, initiator and curator of Open Books

Between 2004 and 2005 I spent some time working and travelling in Hong Kong and China. That was where I encountered the folding books used by many of the artists there. I became excited about the possibilities this format offered for new ways of unfolding and presenting an image. On my return to Wales I brought back several of these folding books with blank pages and gave away some to friends. Over talks with friends, the idea came up for an exhibition of these books by various artists. I approached the National Library of Wales, who found the idea appealing, and thus Open Books was born. Initially I began with six Welsh artists. I chose artists whose work I respect and admire greatly, all with very diverse ways of working. What I envisaged was that each artist would do exactly what they wanted to do in their books, so that each book would be very different. Gradually the idea expanded to include more of the artists I knew, some from Hong Kong and Australia.

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