Sumptuous Allegories of Nothingness. The book adaptations of Rodney Graham / Avis au lecteur. The bookworks of Jan Vercruysse

Poster for the exhibitions on the bookworks of Jan Vercruysse and the book adaptations of Rodney Graham – curated by Nikolaas Verstraeten in collaboration with the Herbert Foundation team – exploring the bibliophile interests of both artists.

Focusing on a parallel body of books and prints offers readers/viewers an opportunity to discover a new facet to Jan Vercruysse’s art. In adherence with the artist’s vision on exhibiting art which you should be able to read, ‘Avis au lecteur’ brings together an ensemble of bibliophile artworks and bookworks.

From his first experiments with seemingly minimal but actually extreme adaptations of renowned books during the 1980s, to designs for unconventional readings experiences such as reading devices and book sculptures, ‘Sumptuous Allegories of Nothingness: the book adaptations of Rodney Graham’ explores the works of artist Rodney Graham that take the book as their starting point (and often end up again as books).