This international group show curated by Unstable Media established a space for practitioners to come together, read, think, and discuss aspects of contemporary visual culture, i.e., the rich and diverse methods found in books produced by artists. In the 1960´s and 1970´s artists’ books came to be seen as an alternative, democratic platform largely free from commercial and/or institutional control, which could be accessed in the private sphere. With the rapid development of digital technology and the consequent rise of the internet one might have expected the book to have become less relevant as an artistic medium, yet this has not come to pass. That digital technology has made it easier and less costly for artists to produce and distribute their work worldwide is certainly a contributing factor, but given its creative potential, couldn’t the artists’ book also provide a format that not only challenges exhibition norms, but actually expands its horizons?

Unstable Media was founded in 2015 by Ana Carvalho, Margarida Carvalho, Sofia Ponte and paula roush. It is dedicated to the organization of art exhibitions related to digital media, editing, performance, and participation that comment on the complexity of the contemporary moment.