A constant throughout the PAGES project has been the annual International Contemporary Artists’ Book Fair, first held in 1998 at Dean Clough, Halifax; at the University of Leeds from 2007, and since 2014 at, and in collaboration with, The Tetley. This book fair has provided a template for many similar initiatives, with new events springing up across the UK, from Newcastle to Liverpool and Edinburgh to Bristol, becoming a staple event across gallery, museum and arts calendars nationally and internationally. The format provides artists and publishers with a single location to come together in a concentrated and focused period of display and knowledge exchange, and encourages audience engagement. This 20 year legacy is encapsulated in the archive material, photographs, commissions and acquisitions presented in Future Present, an exhibition that acknowledges past success but has its eye firmly on the future.

In partnership with The Tetley, internationally renown artist Dora García was invited to present a selection of her artist’s books, catalogues, scores, films and other book related works throughout the gallery spaces. Curated by Bryony Bond and Zoe Sawyer, this exhibition of interrelated printed matter and live pieces entitled, These books are alive; they spoke to me!, are shown in conjunction with a three-month series of performances and reading groups which have been developed in workshops since November with volunteers from across the region.

For this twentieth edition of the artists’ book fair we welcome to The Tetley artists from throughout the UK as well as France, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan and Spain, and a weekend of presentations and readings that reflect on a number of other culturally significant anniversaries and moments in 2017, including those of John Berger, Marcel Duchamp and the Spanish Civil War.

Across the city we have also enjoyed working with archivists and curators at the Stanley & Audrey Burton Gallery and the Brotherton Library at the University of Leeds (Nathalie Levi and Rhiannon Francis-Lawrence), the Henry Moore Institute Research Library (Ann Sproat) and the Project Space, University of Leeds (Dr Sam Belinfante) in coordinating a stimulating and thought-provoking series of satellite exhibitions that highlight the wealth of our institutions’ collections and the potential of the book format now and for the future.

We gratefully acknowledge the support of The Tetley, the Henry Moore Institute and the University of Leeds in making this year’s project possible.

John McDowall and Chris Taylor PAGES